At long last, the two premier free agents of the 2018-19 class -- Bryce Harper and Manny Machado -- are off the market. Machado is of course a member of the Padres, and Harper finally landed with the Phillies. The season has never felt closer. Yet free agents such as Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel remain unemployed. To give you an idea of what's out there on Friday, we're here to round up all the notable trade and free agency rumors. As always, our Free Agent Tracker is a great way to catch up on what's already happened on that front. Now let's jump in ...
Harper wants to recruit others to Philly
Bryce Harper's deal with the Phillies is is reportedly for 13 years and $330 million. Put the huge length of time and huge amount of money aside for a second and let's focus on the other wrinkles of his megadeal: Full no-trade rights and no opt-out opportunities. He could always agree to waive the no-trade clause, but the deal is a representation of his full commitment to the Phillies through his age-38 season. Machado's Padres deal, meanwhile, includes an opt-out after the fifth year meaning Machado will have the option of re-entering the free-agent market following his age-30 season.
Not to mention, Jeff Passan reports that Harper wants to recruit other players to join him in Philly.
The lack of an opt-out clause in Bryce Harper's deal was a surprise, and yes: He got a record $330M because of its exclusion. But Harper was clear: He wants to recruit players to join him in Philly, and saying he controls his ability to stay there for 13 years is quite powerful.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 1, 2019
When Phillies owner John Middleton flew to Harper's hometown of Las Vegas, he was joined by his wife, Leigh, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Passan has more on why Middleton and the Phillies were able to sell Harper such a huge commitment to their team:
In the meetings that led to him becoming the highest-paid athlete in the history of team sports, Bryce Harper kept coming back to one word: family. The protracted, bordering-on-interminable nature of his near-four-month-long free-agent odyssey never changed that. He knew what he was worth. He knew the teams courting him knew, too. He wanted to be paid, sure, but he also wanted to feel like his next team shared a shatterproof commitment.
So when Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton took his private jet from Florida to Las Vegas a week ago, he wasn't alone. Accompanying Middleton was his wife, Leigh. They wanted to show Harper and his wife, Kayla, that family mattered to them as well -- that they would compound years and dollars with actions that spoke to what he sought.
That alone didn't convince Harper to agree to a massive 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies on Thursday. It did inform other elements of the contract, namely the lack of an opt-out clause and presence of a full no-trade clause. While opt-outs were discussed during the negotiations, Harper, in the end, said he didn't want one. If he was going to convince others to join him chasing championships in Philadelphia, players needed to know he wasn't going anywhere.
Keuchel, Kimbrel unlikely options for Philly
The Phillies signed Harper to a 13-year contract worth a record $330 million, and while Phillies owner John Middleton said the club was ready to spend "stupid money" this offseason, it doesn't appear that the team will be spending any more big dollars for top free-agent pitchers Dallas Keuchel and/or Craig Kimbrel. Here's more on why the Phillies are unlikely to sign either player.
Nats eyeing long-term extension for Rendon
Now that the Nationals are officially out of the Bryce Harper race, the team will try to sign third baseman Anthony Rendon to a long-term extension, reports USA Today's Bob Nightengale. After the Rockies signed Nolan Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million extension, Rendon became the top third baseman available next year.
The Nationals drafted Rendon sixth overall in the 2011 MLB Draft, and both Rendon and Nats general manager Mike Rizzo have publicly expressed interest in working out an extension to keep him in D.C. for the rest of his prime and beyond. Rendon is represented by Scott Boras.
The Washington #Nats, who had been out of the Bryce Harper sweepstakes for months, only for no one to believe them, now will try to sign Anthony Rendon to a long-term extension.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 1, 2019
Rendon, who will turn 29 in June, has been one of the best players in baseball the last two seasons, hitting .305/.389/.534 (138 OPS+) with 85 doubles and 49 home runs from 2017-18. His 4.2 WAR for Washington last season was just second behind Max Scherzer.
Padres sign Adam Warren to one-year deal
On Friday, the Padres announced the signing of right-hander Adam Warren to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2020 season. Fancred's Jon Heyman reports that Warren's deal with the Padres is worth $2.5 million guaranteed. The deal includes a $2 million salary for 2019 and a $500,000 buyout on a $2.5 million option, according to Heyman.
The #Padres have signed RHP Adam Warren to a one-year contract with a club option for 2020: https://t.co/4Bh47ZpteF pic.twitter.com/bm1RyJGHwt
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 1, 2019
Left-handed reliever Jose Castillo was placed on the 60-day injured list to create roster space. Castillo was shut down with left forearm tightness at the start of the week, and the issue is apparently a significant one.
In 47 relief appearances between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners last season, Warren went 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA (18 ER, 51.2 IP), 1.32 WHIP and 9.06 SO/9.0 IP ratio (52 strikeouts). Warren will join Kirby Yates, Craig Stammen, Matt Strahm and Aaron Loup in a solid Padres bullpen that ranked in the top five in MLB for WHIP, BB/9 and K/9 last season.
Trout gives Angels tight extension window
Angels superstar Mike Trout is two years away from becoming a free agent, but the team may only have one winter to lock him up. After Bryce Harper's megadeal with the Phillies, Trout was asked on Friday about his own contract situation. The 27-year-old told reporters that he did not want to negotiate a new contract during spring training or the regular season. More on Trout's situation here.
Jones still waiting for right opportunity
Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel headline the group of free agents left on the market after the Harper and Machado signings, but another available player is former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that Jones is working out daily, still waiting for the right opportunity with the right team.
Free-agent outfielder Adam Jones is in Arizona, working out daily, awaiting the right opportunity. Still a productive player at 33, and also adds value as a leader and mentor. People who have seen him say he looks and feels great.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 1, 2019
Jones is a veteran Gold Glover and five-time All-Star, who even on the declining end of his career can still fill an outfielder need for plenty of teams. Jones hit .281/.313/.419 with 15 home runs last year for the Orioles. At 33-years-old, he's unlikely to get a multi-year offer, but Jones is certainly good enough to grab a one-year guaranteed contract.
