Agent Scott Boras says that if the Nationals want to extend Bryce Harper, they’ll have to initiate talks, Nats Insider’s Mark Zuckerman writes. “I think those are club dynamics,” Boras said Wednesday. “Whenever any team approaches me about any player, obviously we have dialogue with them. But at this point in time, Bryce is going to be there for three more years, very happy there. So we’ll just go forward.” The Nats control Harper through 2018, and GM Mike Rizzo recently suggested that extending him wasn’t the most pressing issue for him right now. “We’ve got quite a bit of control left on him,” said Rizzo earlier this week. “I’m sure that’ll be a discussion with myself and ownership in the future.” Of course, signing Harper long-term would be incredibly difficult, given his agent, his free agency timeline and the difficulty of establishing what an extension for a player so talented and so young ought to look like. There also doesn’t seem to be any progress toward an extension for starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, Zuckerman writes. Here’s more from the NL East.
- The Nationals had interest in a trade involving Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies at one point, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. There is currently nothing brewing between the two teams, however. The Rockies are reportedly willing to deal Gonzalez, as well as Corey Dickerson and/or Charlie Blackmon.
- The Marlins aren’t currently actively looking to trade Marcell Ozuna, ESPN’s Jayson Stark tweets. They’re still open to offers, but it now appears more likely Ozuna will remain with the organization than that he’ll depart. Earlier this week it was reported that seven or more teams had interest in Ozuna, and the outfielder has been the subject of trade rumors for some time now, although Marlins exec Michael Hill recently denied that his team was shopping Ozuna. In any case, if the Marlins do ultimately decide to part with Ozuna, there will surely continue to be significant interest, since he’s barely 25, has lots of raw power, can play center field, and has held his own in parts of three big-league seasons.
- The Marlins continue to discuss Jose Fernandez with “five or six teams,” a source tells FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi (who reports the news on Twitter). The Marlins’ price for Fernandez unsurprisingly and understandably remains high, and the team doesn’t appear to be particularly close to a trade. Here’s more on Fernandez.
- The Braves had interest in infielder Asdrubal Cabrera before Cabrera ultimately agreed to terms with the Mets, Morosi tweets. It’s unclear where Cabrera would have fit with the Braves, but there surely would have been ample playing time in shaky infield that currently features Jace Peterson, Erick Aybar and Adonis Garcia as potential starters at second, shortstop and third, respectively. The Braves added utilityman Emilio Bonifacio today, and 3B/2B Gordon Beckham last week.
Blackmon to the Cubs make sense.Rockies outfielders splits arent that desirable but he has power and runs the bases very well..
You can’t judge Rockies players on splits. H/R splits are only reliable when the home park is similar to the majority of road parks. Coors Field is so drastically different that the stat is very unreliable.
I agree.I think any outfielder that plays for Colorado will have uneven splits..Cargo would probably be out of the Cubs price but I think Blackmon is achievable
The Cubs don’t need a defensively challenged center fielder.
Cubs need a guy who can cover ground.
He might not be available but I’d propose trading for Billy Hamilton.
Don’t need Rockies guys who have extreme splits out of Coors.
What about Ender Inciarte to the Cubs for Jorge Soler and Javier Baez. That is a little light from the cubbies so the Braves may need a pitching prospect. Cubs solve the centerfield problem and get a badly needed left handed bat from a 5 WAR player with $70Million excess value while reducing payroll. Braves get a couple more prospects.
Trademeister……You must be a Braves fan……or a D-Backs fan….because you’re certainly NOT a Cubs fan. No way that the Cubs give up Soler (one of the most prominent young power hitters, who’s still developing) plus Javier Baez (an even younger player with higher potential than Soler)……PLUS a couple more prospects….. for Ender Inciarte. Granted the K’s pile up with both of them, but they are both young enough to adjust that…….and the return for both of them (together) would have to be a much higher touted player than Inciarte, who had a breakout season last year.
Plus the Braves get “a couple more prospects”??? LMAO……Cubs aren’t trading for Mookie Betts…..LOL. The only offensive category that Inciarte is even in the top 10 is BA…….the rest of them, he barely cracks the top 20. Cubs could acquire a much more useful CF for the price you listed.
Whatever you have been smoking, call your dealer and make him take it back……..it’s causing some serious brain damage!
Cargo is hitting nearly 50 points higher at Coors than at the other places he plays. 30+ more HR’s….150+ more RBI’s in Denver. Like Tulo and every other Rockies star in history—-the stats are inflated.
I wonder what the Rockies want for their outfielders. Cargo and Dickerson kill RHP which the Red Sox need (Ortiz is really the only hitter in the lineup who is dangerous against RHP). However with the injury histories and their poor production away from Coors, I can’t see anyone giving up too much for them.
I think he would do rather well at Wrigley
The Marlins should just walk away from the meetings.
They haven’t done anything but screw the market and make the
Diamondbacks overpay for Miller’s services.
Diamondbacks fans should be upset with them
since the Marlins are the main guys screwing up the SP trading market.
How did the Marlins “screw the market” and “make the D-Backs overpay for Miller”…???? Don’t you mean the Braves?………LOL
I want to see what Baez can do in CF too.He has speed,defensively gifted,and a strong arm.But thats a wait and see approach with him.Heyward is definately the sexy pick,but thats going to be alot of money tied up in a player thats is awesome defensively I know,but the bat is just avg.to me.If the Cubs just want a lock down the ball CF for defense,then Almora is ready to go right now.He is a ballhawk with a plus armbut his bat is still behind a bit.
wish the braves could pull off another unrealistic trade. how about austin riley, olivera, bethancourt and teheran for cubs Rondon, Baez and possibly soler? yea i know its a wet dream but i wouldnt mind it. lol so unrealistic :/
What about Ender Inciarte to the Cubs for Jorge Soler and Javier Baez. That is a little light from the cubbies so the Braves may need a pitching prospect. Cubs solve the centerfield problem and get a badly needed left handed bat from a 5 WAR player with $70Million excess value while reducing payroll. Braves get a couple more prospects.
Are you really that dumb?? Worst idea I have ever heard the Braves are giving up way to much
I wouldn’t get rid of Austin Riley or Hector Olivera and we definitely need Tehran at the top of the rotation!