Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Bryce Harper embraces spotlight, but is he ready for Philadelphia and $330 million expectations? — CLEARWATER, Fla. — This was the first day of the rest of his new baseball life, and no matter how Bryce Harper just wanted to blend in Sunday with his new Philadelphia Phillies' teammates, it was impossible.
RELATED:
Rob Maaddi / Associated Press:
Harper wants “to be on Broad Street” for World Series parade — The Phillie Phanatic welcomes star outfielder Bryce Harper to Philadelphia's spring-training facility on Saturday. (Lynne Sladky/AP) — Bryce Harper sounded like a typical Philadelphian talking about a goal every Phillies fan will endorse.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Coley Harvey / ESPN:
Harper: I want my legacy to be all about winning — CLEARWATER, Fla. — From the roof of a dugout inside the Philadelphia Phillies' sun-soaked spring training home Saturday, Bryce Harper was formally introduced by his new club. — Focused, he said, on establishing a long …
Bob Nightengale / Arizona Republic:
Bryce Harper expects boos, but he's convinced Philadelphia is a winning city — What I'm Hearing: Bob Nightengale was in attendance for Bryce Harper's introductory press conference for the Philadelphia Phillies. He says it was made clear what the expectations are for this year and beyond.
Discussion:
Philly.com, NBCSports.com and MLB Trade Rumors
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers' Christopher Ilitch: Discipline the key in team's rebuilding process
Andy McCullough / Los Angeles Times:
Bryce Harper says he signed with Phillies because they were in it for the long haul
Discussion:
New York Daily News
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Phillies owner John Middleton on Bryce Harper: ‘Does this look like stupid money?’
Bill Madden / New York Daily News:
Only one thing missing from Bryce Harper's long-awaited Phillies intro
Discussion:
New York Post
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers spring training observations: Daniel Norris struggles vs. Yankees — TAMPA, Fla. — Daniel Norris has been here before, in spring training after a strong off-season, trying to crack the Detroit Tigers' starting rotation but feeling a familiar frustration.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Pinstripe Alley
RELATED:
Coley Harvey / ESPN:
Judge, Gardner: Yanks will break team HR record — TAMPA, Fla. — On the same afternoon Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner each hit two home runs in a New York Yankees spring training win, the outfielders co-signed on a bold prediction for this season. — Six months after the 2018 Yankees set …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Column: Believe it or not, the Cubs are rooting for the White Sox rebuild to succeed — Chicago Tribune — Some of the biggest believers in the White Sox rebuild weren't sitting in the stands at Sloan Park on Sunday for their Cactus League game against the Cubs.
RELATED:
Kyle Newman / Denver Post:
Rockies Recap: Pat Valaika and Tom Murphy homer, pitching falters in loss to White Sox
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
WHY PAY SO MUCH FOR MIKOLAS? — QUESTION: Why give so much money to Miles Mikolas? He had one good season. — BENFRED: This is inaccurate, though. Just because Mikolas was not pitching in MLB before last season, it does not mean he was not pitching well in Japan.
RELATED:
Marc Topkin / Kansas City Star:
Rays' Tommy Pham driven by upbringing, desire to be the best — Watch Tommy Pham play for the couple years he was in St. Louis, or the couple months he was with the Rays last season, or even for a couple minutes. — What you are struck by is how much intensity he plays with, how driven, focused, even angry, he looks.
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
What happened at the mound Sunday that kept Lynn in meaningless Rangers spring game? — Lance Lynn issued his second walk of the game with two outs in the third inning Sunday, and Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward popped out of the dugout. — It's spring training …
John Fay / Cincinnati.com:
Garrett wants to be everyday Amir for the Cincinnati Reds — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A major topic of conversation last season centered around whether it was best to keep left-hander Amir Garrett in the bullpen or move him back to the rotation. — A year in the bullpen has convinced Garrett …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Machado has quiet Padres debut in spring game — PEORIA, Ariz. — Manny Machado's debut in a San Diego Padres uniform was a lot less eventful than his free agency. — The four-time All-Star spent the offseason being courted by every club with money to burn, and he wound up signing a $300 million …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and Associated Press
RELATED:
John Shea / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants fans, Hunter Pence resume love affair
Discussion:
NBCSports.com
Ryan Ford / USA Today:
MLB's best free agents still available, now that Bryce Harper, Manny Machado have signed — It's official, Bryce Harper is finally off the free agent market. — It took until March for the top free agent prize to sign with a team. The outfielder agreed 13-year, $330 million contract …
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Slimmer Cecil stepping away from games to fit mechanics to ‘new body type’ — JUPITER, Fla. • A new outlook, a new mentality, and a new body frame due to significant weight loss this winter has left reliever Brett Cecil with clunky, outdated mechanics.
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
How was your Wednesday? Probably not as productive as what Rangers' two-way player did — Matt Davidson played third base Wednesday for the Texas Rangers, picking up for Asdrubal Cabrera, and even launched a home run in a 9-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs. — That was what he did in the afternoon.
