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Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Bucs’ bid to compete in 2018 fell flat, but the team’s mid-season acquisitions were also designed to keep the window open for the two ensuing seasons. As ever, building out the roster will likely mean a search for cost-efficiency for the Pittsburgh front office.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

[Pittsburgh Pirates Depth Chart | Pittsburgh Pirates Payroll Outlook]

It’s easy to overlook the Pirates, particularly given the developments elsewhere in the National League Central. The Brewers proved a shocking rival to the Cubs, who still have designs on the top spot. Meanwhile, the Cardinals still have plenty of talent and ample motivation. And the Reds see themselves as prepared to begin climbing the ladder.

It could all end up being quite the rumble, particularly if Pirates GM Neal Huntington proves able to sniff out some buried treasure on the player market this winter. There’s no reason to think he’ll have substantially more payroll capacity to work with than in past seasons, after all, though it’s possible there’ll be some leftover coin to spread around. With all their arb-eligible players included, the Pirates have around $65MM in salary committed to ten players. That only leaves about $20MM of daylight, as against last year’s ~$86MM Opening Day payroll, and of course the club will also need to account for salaries to league-minimum members of the roster. That said, the organization has pushed right up to (but not yet past) the $100MM line in Opening Day payroll in the not-so-distant past, which could suggest there’s a bit more wiggle room to work with.

Supposing the Pirates do see a way to fit some more salaries into the budget, it’s still questionable whether they’ll show much interest in the kind of lengthy commitments that are generally required to land the top-available free-agent talent. The Pirates have focused instead on aggressively pursuing contract extensions with existing young players while pursuing quality veterans on more limited pacts that don’t go past three seasons in duration. (Don’t believe me? Check out this list of Pittsburgh free agent deals of at least three guaranteed years.)

Dipping into the prospect pool to facilitate a trade remains a possibility. Top prospect Mitch Keller is one of the best-regarded pre-MLB hurlers in baseball, and there are enough quality chips surrounding him to enable the club to make a run at about just about any trade target it might like. There’s quite a lot of infield talent, in particular, much of which is at or near the MLB level. Of course, it’s arguable that the 2018 deadline moves reduce the appeal of further sacrificing farm assets. And those infielders, especially, figure to come in handy right now.

There’s a line change underway at the 4-5-6 positions on the diamond. Veterans Jordy Mercer, Josh Harrison, David Freese, Sean Rodriguez, and Adeiny Hechavarria are no longer on the roster, leaving plenty of playing time up for grabs. Bringing back Kang indicates that the Pirates feel he’s likely to bounce back, at least to some extent. He figures to represent a right-handed-hitting complement to Colin Moran at third and perhaps also Adam Frazier at second. Meanwhile, the club recently graduated well-regarded middle infielders Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer, though each struggled at the plate in limited MLB action. With Pablo Reyes and Max Moroff representing other youthful options who have reached the majors, and intriguing prospects Ke’Bryan Hayes and Cole Tucker steadily marching north (both spent all of 2018 at Double-A, at third base and shortstop respectively), there’s an abundance of possibility.

It’s possible in theory that the Pirates will simply roll with that group of talent into Spring Training, then see how the chips fall. But they may also choose to pursue a veteran piece to supplement the mix. In particular, adding a trustworthy player capable of handling shortstop would seem to make good sense. Beyond Mercer and Hechavarria, open-market options include Jose Iglesias and Freddy Galvis. The Pirates could also hang back and see if any intriguing value propositions present themselves.

To an extent, of course, the infield situation blends into that in the outfield. That’s due in no small part to the clear organizational preference for having a few players on the roster who can transition from dirt to grass. Frazier has done so quite a bit, as has Reyes in the minors, and Jose Osuna is a corner option in either area. Josh Bell will presumably continue to hold down the first base position, while Starling Marte is entrenched as the everyday man in center, so the real focus is on the corner outfield.

Corey Dickerson turned in a quality campaign and seems likely to see most of the action in left field. He’s most productive against right-handed pitching, though he was certainly plenty playable against lefties last year. The same can be said of Gregory Polanco, who was polishing off a breakout campaign before he was felled by an unfortunate injury. It’s possible he’ll recover steadily and be at full health for much of the 2019 campaign. But given the significance of the surgery he required and the uncertainty of his rehab timeline, it’s impossible to assume that’ll be the case.

The optimal solution, it seems, would be to find a quality right-handed-hitting outfielder who can cover for Polanco and then integrate with the lefty corner pieces once the club is at full health. It’s certainly possible the Bucs would like such a player also to feature as an infield option. Steve Pearce could in theory be a match, though at this stage of his career he’s a better fit for a team that can offer him ABs at first base and DH. There’s an argument to be made that a short-term veteran — Adam Jones, Cameron Maybin, or even old friend Jose Bautista are among the open-market options — would be the most sensible addition. Avisail Garcia of the White Sox could be a target as well, though perhaps it’s likelier he’d be pursued on a cheaper deal if non-tendered.

Most intriguingly, though, is the idea that the Pirates should consider a piece that would be around for years to come, helping to cover for the impending departure of Dickerson via free agency and bridge to players being developed. Tempting though it may be to draw a line back to former franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen, the best righty-hitting corner outfielder available, that feels unlikely. There are quite a few more possibilities via trade. Controllable players such as Steven Souza, Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton, Michael Taylor, Aaron Altherr, Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes, Manuel Margot, Albert Almora, and Kevin Pillar could conceivably be made available. Whether any would truly pique the interest of the Pirates, or come at a palatable price, remains to be seen. Osuna and Jordan Luplow each share some characteristics with the aforementioned players and are pre-arb options already on hand. Of course, neither has hit much in early MLB chances. It’s possible that the right acquisition could check several boxes in one fell swoop.

That brings us to the battery, where two of the team’s most interesting possible trade chips lie. As with Dickerson, the Bucs owe significant but manageable sums to catcher Francisco Cervelli and starter Ivan Nova. Each of these players would draw outside interest and could certainly be shopped around. With the team’s buy-side 2018 trade deadline moves, it’d be surprising to see an important veteran shipped out for a pure prospect haul (at least, without corresponding additions). But perhaps there could be an opportunity to move an established, short-term asset in a way that doesn’t hurt too much in the near term, clears some payroll space, and improves the long-term outlook.

Doing so with Dickerson or (especially) Cervelli, though, would mean opening holes that can’t easily be filled. Of that trio, Nova seems the likeliest to move. Of course, he’s also not a particularly exciting hurler so much as he is a steadily valuable back-of-the-rotation presence. Nova has not sustained the breakout he showed upon moving to the Pirates in the middle of the 2016 season, but has given the organization sixty starts of low-4 ERA ball over the past two campaigns. He’d help shore up quite a few rotations around the game if the Pirates decide to move him, but he also continues to fit on a Pittsburgh staff that will go without Tommy John patient Chad Kuhl for the 2019 season.

It’s arguable, really, that the Pirates are best suited simply holding pat in all respects with regard to the rotation. Picking up Chris Archer in late July hasn’t yet paid dividends, but the hope remains that he’ll find his form and represent a tremendous bargain at the top of the staff alongside excellent youngster Jameson Taillon. If he can sustain his eye-opening 2018 effort, Trevor Williams would round out a strong top trio of starters. The hope is that Joe Musgrove will recover from a recent procedure and be ready to contribute more solid frames alongside Nova in 2019. Out-of-options right-hander Nick Kingham could yet emerge as a rotation piece despite a poor debut showing, while southpaw Steven Brault is a depth piece who can also contribute from the pen. The 40-man roster also currently features a pair of righties in Clay Holmes and Alex McRae who’ll present possibilities. There’s probably room for some tweaking here if desired — if, say, the club prefers a cheaper free-agent veteran and finds a taker for Nova, or sees an opportunity to buy or sell high on an unexpected hurler — but “need” doesn’t appear to be a driving force.

That’s largely also the case in the relief unit, though there’s probably more room to add here. Leftover rotation candidates can round out a group that is led by closer Felipe Vazquez and setup man Keone Kela (who was acquired, like Archer, in July of 2018). Otherwise, losing Edgar Santana to a TJ procedure hurts, but emergent hurlers Richard Rodriguez and Kyle Crick both look to be strong assets. Michael Feliz and Nick Burdi each reputedly possess eye-popping stuff but haven’t yet established themselves in the majors. It’s possible to imagine the pen being made up of internal options, but an addition or two would also make sense. In particular, the club could have its eye on a quality lefty option. Brault could work as a lefty specialist, as he was much more successful against opposing southpaws, but the team certainly could wade into free agency as well. Top options such as Zach Britton and Andrew Miller are likely out of reach, but there are loads of other candidates on this winter’s market.

The broad takeaway from the foregoing analysis seems to be that the Pirates may have greater flexibility than is popularly supposed. From a financial perspective, even $20MM of availability could go a long way. That’s especially so given the significant versatility on the existing roster, which will allow the team to target specific players and/or chase value, adapting as it goes. The unwelcome uncertainty surrounding Polanco certainly puts a damper on things, and it’s undeniably a tough division to tackle, but the Pirates have every chance of fielding a highly competitive club in 2019 — if they make smart choices this winter and have a few things break for them in the season to come.

Mariners’ Leadership Accused By Former Director Of High Performance Lorena Martin Of Derogatory Remarks

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TODAY: MLB is aware of and investigating the matter, per a statement (via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, on Twitter).

YESTERDAY, 11:18pm: Martin shares more detailed accusations in an interview with T.J. Cotterill of the Tacoma News Tribune. According to her account, the derogatory comments were made during meetings in the run-up to Spring Training. She claims to have reported them to the human resources department at that relatively early stage of her tenure.

The team has yet again responded with a denial, as Divish tweets, calling the allegations “absolutely false and ludicrous.”

7:00pm: Mariners director of high performance Dr. Lorena Martin, who was hired into her role just over one year ago, has leveled serious charges against key figures in the Seattle baseball operations department in an Instagram post. The team responded by denying her allegations in a statement.

Generally, Martin says the Seattle organization has “major issues” that “have left [her] shocked.” More particularly, she says that she “witnessed and heard first hand” degrading remarks regarding players from GM Jerry Dipoto, manager Scott Servais, and director of player development Andy McKay.

As she characterizes it, those men engaged in “calling latinos lazy, dumb, and stupid, especially the Dominicans.” Martin also suggests that the Mariners were responsible for “firing innocent trainers for trying to do the right thing and because of their color/race.”

In their statement, the Mariners say that they previously fired Martin on October 10th. The organization denies that “any member of our management or coaching staff made racist remarks regarding any of our players or staff” and says it has “not terminated (or threatened to terminate) any trainers during the off-season.”

Additionally, the club claims that “Martin did not make any of these false allegations until after she was relieved of her duties.” Martin specifically disputed that in a subsequent tweet.

Martin’s role was by all appearances a significant one. Per the team’s original hiring announcement, she was responsible for “coordinating all aspects of the Mariners physical and mental training approach of players and staff, including oversight of the entire organization’s medical, strength and conditioning, nutrition and mental skills departments.” Martin  had previously worked in a variety of other professional sports environments, including most recently as director of sports performance analytics for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.

White Sox Reportedly Shopping Avisail Garcia

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The White Sox are dangling outfielder Avisail Garcia in trade talks, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). If a taker isn’t found, says Feinsand, the club may end up simply non-tendering the 27-year-old.

A key factor here is Garcia’s contract status. He’s projected by MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz to earn a hefty $8.0MM in his final season of arbitration eligibility. With no future contractual upside — apart from a low-likelihood extension or qualifying offer — it’s mostly a rental scenario.

Certainly, the 2017 version of Garcia would be well worth that outlay. He broke out that season to the tune of a .330/.380/.506 slash and 18 home runs in 561 plate appearances. Otherwise, though, Garcia has never turned in a full season of even league-average offensive production.

Garcia was bothered by knee issues throughout the 2018 campaign and ultimately underwent surgery. That may offer some hope that his output was an aberration. He ended the year with only a .236/.281/.438 slash. Though his power increased (.202 ISO from .176 in 2017), his strikeout rate bumped up (to 26.5% from 19.8%) and his on-base percentage plummeted with his BABIP (which fell to .271 from a whopping .392).

Teams will need to decide whether to stake a bet on Garcia. Of course, the White Sox seem about as well-situated as any club to do so. While the team hopes to move forward in the standings, a short-term risk of this kind isn’t a bad strategy to pursue given the uncertainty of the South Siders’ still-emerging core.

That said, there are clear indications that the White Sox have eyes for bigger prizes — including, of course, a certain young star who’d supplant Garcia in right field. Whether or not landing Bryce Harper is a realistic outcome isn’t yet known, but moving Garcia off the roster and the books would certainly be a piece of that puzzle. It also may simply clear the deck to allow the team to pick up a different veteran or acquire a more youthful player who becomes a roster casualty from another organization. Top prospect Eloy Jimenez is obviously also a factor in the corner outfield mix, though he has spent most of his time in the minors in left field and seems quite unlikely to open the season on the MLB roster.

Rangers Part Ways With Pitching Coach Doug Brocail

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The Rangers have decided not to bring back pitching coach Doug Brocail, per TR Sullivan of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Texas organization has been evaluating its staff to serve with new manager Chris Woodward.

Brocail had been in his post for three seasons. The long-time MLB hurler took over for Mike Maddux after the 2015 campaign. Before that, he had worked in the Astros organization as a pitching coach at the MLB level and on the farm.

Steven Wright Undergoes Knee Surgery

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The Red Sox announced today that right-hander Steven Wright has undergone surgery on his left knee. Specifically, he received an arthroscopy and debridement on the joint.

At this point, a timeline isn’t known. The club says that Wright “will continue to rehab and prepare for a return to pitching in the 2019 season.”

It’s not particularly surprising to hear of the procedure, as Wright has long dealt with issues in that joint. A prior surgery knocked him out for almost all of the 2017 season. After making it back and becoming a productive member of the staff again in 2018, Wright hit the DL late in the season when he began dealing with pain and inflammation.

At the time that his recent issues arose, Wright indicated that the belief was he was suffering from “loose bodies” in the knee. If that’s all that was at issue, perhaps there’s reason to hope that there’ll be plenty of time for Wright to work back to full health before Spring Training.

The Boston organization will certainly hope the prognosis is promising. Wright projects to earn only $1.4MM in arbitration in 2019, with one more season of control still to come thereafter, making him an affordable asset. And he’s fresh off of a season in which he showed well in a multi-inning swingman role. Over four starts and 16 relief appearances, Wright worked to a 2.68 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 26 walks over 53 2/3 frames. Though his K/BB numbers fail to impress, the knuckler was seemingly legitimately tough to square up, as Statcast figures suggest (.288 wOBA, .306 xwOBA, 26.8 hard-hit rate).

Ronald Acuna, Shohei Ohtani Win Rookie Of The Year Awards

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Precocious Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna has slugged his way to a National League Rookie of the Year Award, while two-way Angels star Shohei Ohtani took the top honors in the American League. While there were strong alternatives in both cases, these two players were the runaway favorites of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters. Juan Soto of the Nationals and Miguel Andujar of the Yankees were the respective runners up.

The 20-year-old Acuna burst onto the scene in 2018, launching 26 home runs and swiping 16 bags in 486 trips to the plate. He ended the season with a stellar .293/.366/.552 batting line. Already viewed as one of the game’s most exciting talents entering the 2018 campaign, Acuna now seems poised to take his place among the very best players in the majors.

It seemed at one point as if Juan Soto — who is even younger than Acuna — would run away with things in the NL. But Acuna went on a tear to end the season, helping lead his club to a stunning NL East title. Both of those players appear likely to clash in thrilling fashion well into the future in the division. (Things will presumably remain friendly, as the two seem to have hit it off on tour in Japan.) And it’ll also be fascinating to watch them each step into the box against third-place finisher Walker Buehler of the Dodgers, who had an exceptional debut season from the mound.

The trio of AL finalists was rather an exciting one as well. Ohtani, 24, staked out a position as the most fascinating baseball player on the planet by turning in high-end performances from the mound and the batter’s box. Primarily lauded for his promise as a hurler, Ohtani exceeded expectations with ten starts of 3.31 ERA ball with 11.0 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. While his time on the bump was curtailed by a UCL surgery that ultimately required Tommy John surgery, Ohtani proved stunningly productive with the bat as well. Though he benefited from platoon usage, and was limited to DH usage, Ohtani actually bested Acuna and Soto in wRC+ (152 vs. 143 and 146, respectivey).

Andujar was the clear number two in the minds of voters, taking all of the five first-place votes that did not go to Ohtani. The 23-year-old’s output wasn’t quite as eye-popping as those of the others discussed in this post, but he did it over a full season. Andujar ended up popping 27 long balls with a .297/.328/.527 slash in 606 plate appearances, though his glovework did not receive glowing reviews. Unless things are shaken up by trade, he’ll presumably pair with fellow Yankees infielder and third-place AL ROY finisher Gleyber Torres for years to come.

Market Notes: Yankees, Padres, Gray, Athletics, Cards

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With the GM Meetings now wrapped up, the stage is set for the offseason action to get underway. Of course, we’re still waiting for some significant dominoes to fall … and everyone involved is no doubt curious to see how this year’s market will develop after the 2017-18 dud. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports cites some warning signs on spending levels; readers interested in the higher-level picture will want to give his reasoning a look.

While we wait for some hard data points to be set down, the just-completed meetings left quite a few rumors. We’ve covered many over the past several days; here are a few more worthy of note:

  • Though the Yankees seem unsettled at first base, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports that they haven’t reached out to the Diamondbacks on slugger Paul Goldschmidt. The potential rental slugger, one of the game’s steadiest offensive producers, is reportedly on the trading block. While the Yankees got stunning production from Luke Voit over a brief stretch late last year, and still have Greg Bird on hand, it wouldn’t be surprising if they sought to add a bigger piece.
  • Unsurprisingly, the Bronx organization seems fixated first on pitching. Beyond its free agent targets, the club is looking into the biggest possible names on the trade market. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that the Yanks have opened a line of communication with the Mariners on James Paxton. And the New York delegation to the GM Meetings met with their peers from the Indians, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter), with Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco both covered in conversation. It obviously isn’t at all surprising to hear that the Yankees have checked in on these distinguished hurlers, but it’s nevertheless a notable bit of information as the market continues to develop.
  • There are quite a few possibilities for the Padres, writes Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription link), as the organization is feeling a need to show some real strides in the win-loss department. We’ve heard chatter recently about the desire for a young starter and the series of potential trade pieces, but Lin’s most interesting notes seem to focus on the left side of the infield. Manny Machado is not seen internally as a realistic target, with Freddy Galvis still under consideration at short. If the team really wants to push things forward, though, Galvis or another veteran may only warm the seat up for top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. At third, Josh Donaldson does not appear to be the first name on the club’s list of targets. Rather, says Lin, the current plan is to seek a new third baseman via trade.
  • So, where have the Padres set their sights for a third baseman? There aren’t many obviously available options that would figure to represent everyday pieces. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported recently, though, that the Pads are interested in pursuing Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who recently posted a big campaign on the heels of what now looks to be quite a team-friendly extension. Given the Cincinnati organization’s inclination to begin pushing toward contention, that seems like a tough deal to swing for Padres GM A.J. Preller.
  • Acee also tabs the Padres as a suitor for Yankees righty Sonny Gray, who’s being openly marketed. Whether Gray would be seen as fulfilling the club’s rotation needs, or rather serving as a potential complement to a more significant addition, isn’t clear. There are other teams with interest in Gray, of course. Per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, at least five organizations have inquired, and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear of more. Among those contemplating a move is Gray’s former employer. The Athletics evidently think their former staff ace could bounce back in Oakland, per Jon Heyman of Fancred. Of course, it remains to be seen how much the A’s will be willing to stake on a turnaround. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand hears that at least five teams have inquired with the Yankees on Gray’s availability — the A’s presumably among them. Gray is projected to top $9MM in arbitration earnings this winter, but he thrived away from Yankee Stadium last season and had plenty of encouraging secondary metrics beyond his rudimentary ERA.
  • We’ve heard recently that the Cardinals intend to explore the relief market, with one southpaw on the team’s priority list. Accordingly, it’s no surprise to hear that the club is among the many teams to show early interest in veteran lefty Andrew Miller, as MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets. Miller is drawing interest after getting some good news on his knee, so there’ll be no shortage of competition. At this point, it’s entirely unclear where he’ll end up.

Mariners To Sign Dylan Moore

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The Mariners have reached agreement on a deal with free agent infielder Dylan Moore, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). It’s a big-league contract for the 26-year-old, a client of Rep 1, though the financial component is not yet known.

Moore will receive a 40-man spot after reaching minor-league free agency. That’s a relatively unusual, but hardly unprecedented outcome. The former seventh-round pick landed with the Brewers organization last season after the Braves let him go. He had originally landed in Atlanta as part of the 2016 Jeff Francoeur swap.

Though he has yet to receive a chance at the majors, Moore has at times turned in intriguing numbers in the minors. He thrived in particular at the upper reaches of the Milwaukee farm in 2018, turning in a composite .299/.363/.522 slash with 14 home runs through 454 plate appearances (most of which came at Triple-A).

Moore has experience all over the field, including plenty of time at shortstop, so he could offer quite a bit of defensive versatility. Of course, he’ll first need to impress the Seattle brass and earn an opportunity, but he’ll now be firmly in the mix since he’s already on the 40-man roster.

J.P. Ricciardi Leaves Mets Front Office

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The Mets announced today that special assistant to the GM J.P. Ricciardi is leaving the organization. He had served in that capacity under Sandy Alderson and remained in his role, albeit briefly, after the club hired Brodie Van Wagenen to run the baseball operations department.

Per the announcement, it was a “mutually” arrived-upon decision. COO Jeff Wilpon thanked Ricciardi for his service, while the outgoing executive expressed good wishes in his own farewell statement. It had widely been expected that Ricciardi would move on, though he remained on hand to help bring Van Wagenen aboard while leaving the door open to an ongoing relationship.

As it turns out, it seems both sides felt the fit was no longer a good one. With the news, Ricciardi will wrap up an eight-year run in New York. It’s unclear as yet what’s next for the former Blue Jays GM. Meanwhile, the situation of Mets assistant GM John Ricco — who has been in the organization for an even longer time — has yet to be resolved conclusively.

Latest On Bryce Harper, Manny Machado

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We took a look yesterday at some of the early chatter on Bryce Harper. While the early chatter has been less voluminous with regard to fellow superstar Manny Machado, there’s little doubt that he will have his moment as well. As the stage-setting GM Meetings draw to a close, let’s check in on some additional notes on the market’s most-hyped free agents.

  • Some eyebrows raised this evening when it was observed that the White Sox had unveiled a stage set at Chicago’s United Center featuring Bryce Harper’s name. As Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports explains, there’s no reason to think this was the beginning of the roll-out of a signing; our readers from the south side can safely inform friends and neighbors that there’s nothing imminent. More likely, it’s part of a recruiting pitch for the popular young free agent, who is in Chicago today. The news shouldn’t be blown out of proportion, clearly, but that doesn’t mean it’s of no consequence. Evidently, the White Sox are serious enough pursuers that they have secured an in-person visit and are putting resources into a pitch. That certainly dovetails with recent reports and public statements from the organization indicating that the club is looking to spend. It also bodes well for Harper’s market that a team such as the White Sox is making a run at him even after he reportedly turned down a $300MM offer to remain in D.C.
  • As for the cross-town Cubs, all indications remain that they do not see themselves as a contender for Harper’s services, as ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers reiterates on Twitter. As Rogers puts it, if the club is “playing possum,” it’s “doing a heck of a job” at selling the act.
  • It remains to be seen what stance the Giants will take with regard to Harper, particularly as Farhan Zaidi settles into his new digs atop the club’s baseball operations department. As John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, though, agent Scott Boras certainly seems to see San Francisco as a viable landing spot for his client. Harper, he says, views the organization fondly — and would not only deliver value on the field, but off of it. As for the club’s viewpoint, it’s tough to say whether Harper will be deemed a sensible target. CEO Larry Baer said “there’s no restrictions” for his new top baseball decisionmaker; whether or not to join the bidding on Harper (or other hyper-expensive free agents) is “a judgment [Zaidi] is going to need to make.”
  • Of course, as Shea highlights, and Baer himself noted, that sort of outlay did not fit the M.O. of either of Zaidi’s prior two ballclubs — even those pesky division rivals to the south. Speaking of the Dodgers, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times wrote recently that Harper is a player worthy of breaking the mold (and the bank) to acquire. Beyond his qualities as a ballplayer, Hernandez argues that Harper has the star power — and the right kind of attitude — to thrive in Los Angeles.
  • Interestingly, the Cardinals, per Jon Heyman of Fancred, “do not seem interested” in Machado despite seemingly lining up from the perspective of roster need. But there has been quite a lot of discussion in St. Louis circles as to whether Harper might be a target. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch laid out the state of affairs recently. The Cards, he says, are seen as “a factor” in the market for Harper. While some would write the St. Louis organization off due to a lack of monster contracts on their ledger, it’s worth bearing in mind that the club has entered significant bids for players such as Jason Heyward (see here) and David Price (see here) in recent seasons, and also sought to acquire Giancarlo Stanton last winter.
  • And what of the Yankees? The situation hasn’t really changed since last we checked in, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post takes a crack at thinking through how things may play out. There’s little indication at present that the New York club has any real intention of going for Harper. But Machado makes for a much more intriguing roster fit, and could prove particularly tantalizing.

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