It seems as though the Bryce Harper pursuit is nearing its end. The latest reports indicate the Giants making a serious, last-minute attempt to sign Harper, as the team reportedly sent representatives to meet with Harper on Tuesday in Las Vegas. That's San Francisco's second meeting with the star free agent in the last month.
However, the meeting isn't what's making the Giants a serious suitor for Harper. According to Alex Pavlovic, the Giants have discussed 10-year deals with Harper that would pay him more than Manny Machado's $300 million contract with the Padres.
https://twitter.com/PavlovicNBCS/status/1100836673544347648
The Dodgers and Phillies also remain in the picture, as both teams met with Harper as well over the weekend.
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1100840939960946689
Yet, according to former Mets GM Steve Phillips, the Phillies aren't confident that they'll sign Harper.
https://twitter.com/StevePhillipsGM/status/1100821644308856832
https://twitter.com/StevePhillipsGM/status/1100866052450324494
All this after another report indicated that Harper's preferred destination this offseason was either with the Cubs or Dodgers.
https://twitter.com/RandyJMiller/status/1100510574146961408
Harper's desire to want to play with the Cubs has been known since the middle of the 2017 season.
https://twitter.com/AldoSoto21/status/1100803176633004032
Too bad Tom Ricketts is broke. (doesn't want to spend more money on the Cubs)
https://www.sportsmockery.com/2019/02/bryce-harper-is-still-waiting-for-tom-ricketts-to-find-more-money-to-sign-with-cubs/
All right, on to Wednesday's game.
Cole Hamels made his spring training debut against the Rangers and pitched two scoreless innings. He gave up some hard contact, but got a few outs with the help of Willson Contreras, who threw a runner out at second base and then picked off a runner at first.
Contreras also continued to show off his power swing, blasting his second homer down in Arizona. Just listen to that sound and notice where the ball landed.
https://twitter.com/ProTVSports/status/1100868127368273920
Hamels, 35, will be a free agent after 2019, but he has no plans of slowing down.
https://twitter.com/MDGonzales/status/1100865272666152960
https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1100865642326966273
Oh man, remember Jamie Moyer? He made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 1986, when he was 23-years-old and he still made 10 starts for the Rockies in 2012. Moyer was 49-years-old in his last MLB season!
Just another reminder to teach your kid to throw left-handed.
David Bote was back in the Cubs lineup for the first time since getting beaned in the head on Sunday by Madison Bumgarner. Bote looked great, getting hits in his first two at-bats Wednesday. That included a rocket in second time up.
https://twitter.com/sahadevsharma/status/1100857942780211200
While Bote is back, Jason Heyward was out of the Cubs lineup on Wednesday. That came after he was a late scratch to the starting nine on Tuesday. Joe Maddon said Heyward is dealing with a personal issue.
Via the Chicago Sun-Times.
Right fielder Jason Heyward, who was a late scratch from Tuesday’s lineup because of a personal issue, was out of the lineup again Wednesday, and manager Joe Maddon said the timeline for a return is uncertain. “He’s going to make the call on that,” Maddon said. “But he is well. It’s just something personal that’s impacting him. …But he’s healthy. He’s fine.”Heyward did practice on Wednesday. Ben Zobrist, who showed up four days late to camp and was excused because of personal reasons, has yet to play in spring training. This could mean nothing and hopefully it's nothing serious for Heyward, but it's hard not to speculate when a certain free agent still unsigned. https://twitter.com/AldoSoto21/status/1100824612282064896 https://twitter.com/FullCountTommy/status/1100825474681499648 Damnit, I swore I was done believing there was a chance. By the way, Sinclair's CEO said the company is going to make $40 million-$50 million a year on the network deal with the Cubs. That means the Cubs will be making A LOT more than that per year as well. https://twitter.com/EVR551/status/1100917263295827968 C'mon, Ricketts. Get Bryce.
