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So, apparently the San Francisco Giants’ clandestine meeting with free agent Bryce Harper leaked because the Giants’ CEO was spotted at a casino in Las Vegas by a fan who put two and two together and figured out there was likely a sit-down between the two sides, and it appears the NL West club is making a legit effort at getting the 26-year-old outfielder to sign on to play home games in AT&T Park...
BRYCE HARPER BEAT:
Giants CEO Larry Baer: “Bryce Harper is an amazing player. It’s very hard, and these are competitions. We can’t handicap it. We’re giving it shot, and that’s all we can do.”
— Maria I. Guardado (@mi_guardado) February 9, 2019
Sacramento man accidentally breaks Giants-Bryce Harper talks - (The Sacramento Bee)
"Cobb tweeted a photo of himself posing with Giants’ CEO Larry Baer in Las Vegas on Tuesday with the caption, 'dude, just met Larry Behr at the Bellagio last night. Maybe he’s in town for Bryce?!?!'"
NATS BEAT:
Report: Nats under consideration for 2020 series in London - (MASN)
"Major League Baseball is considering two potential matchups for its planned London Series in June 2020, either the Nationals vs. the Mets or the Cubs vs. the Cardinals, according to the Associated Press."
Patrick Corbin is one to watch this spring - (MLB.com)
"It's fair to wonder if the six-year, $140 million contract the Nationals signed Corbin to was a bit of an overpay, but it will be well worth it if the left-hander can form a dominant trio with Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg."
There seems to be a lot of chatter on Twitter about Bryce Harper signing with the Giants today, but two sources tell me that’s “not accurate.”
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 9, 2019
Is there a pre-spring favorite in the NL East? - (MASN)
"There’s certainly an argument right now that the NL East is the best division in baseball, with four of the five clubs having made a concerted effort this winter to build a winning roster."
NATIONAL(S) BEAT:
Here’s one man’s rankings of baseball’s managers - (Boston Globe)
"The Nationals hope [Davey Martinez] learned a few things and can be the manager whose greatest influence was Maddon during the many years he spent with him in Tampa."
Former teammates @MikeStanton29 and @ChadCordero32 remember the day Frank Robinson had to pull a catcher mid-inning and what it showed them about their former manager. pic.twitter.com/CzSZzFyT8T
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 9, 2019
Fantasy Baseball State of the Position: Shortstop - (Fake Teams)
"[Trea] Turner quietly popped 19 home runs a year ago, and has the tools to chip in a 20/50 season while hitting first or second in the Washington Nationals lineup."
MLB execs aren’t sold on Brodie Van Wagenen’s bold Mets vision - (NY Post)
"They are not as good a team as Washington is on the field. You can argue with Atlanta and Philadelphia on the field. The winner is going to be the team that basically stays healthy.”
Former UNLV ace Erick Fedde eyes Nationals starting rotation - (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
"Erick Fedde, who was seated in the audience, enjoyed dessert, too — the former first-round draft choice from UNLV is trying to gain 20 pounds in an attempt to break into the Washington Nationals’ starting rotation during spring training."