MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers Meet With Bryce Harper
As the Winter Meetings inch closer and closer, teams are preparing to offer big paydays for needed replacements and reinforcements.
Big name free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still expected to take home the largest paydays this offseason.
The non-tender deadline has passed with the Mets and Mariners' blockbuster deal for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz, a number of other notable players are hitting the free-agent market earlier than expected. Veterans like Wilmer Flores, Jonathan Schoop and Billy Hamilton were all non-tendered by their respective clubs.
The rumor mill continues to churn after yesterday's news as new sluggers hit the market.
Here's all of the latest rumors and transactions around baseball:
• The Phillies have spoken to the Giants about a trade for southpaw Madison Bumgarner. (Jon Morosi, MLB Network)
• Starter Patrick Corbin agreed to a six-year, $140 million deal with the Nationals pending a physical. (Chelsea Janes, The Washington Post; Jamal Collier, MLB.com)
• The Yankees are still engaged with Nathan Eovaldi, J.A. Happ and Lance Lynn in case Patrick Corbin signs elsewhere. (Mark Feinsand, MLB.com)
• The Cardinals and Diamondbacks have discussed a trade that would send first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis. (Jon Morosi, MLB Network)
• A Dodgers contingent led by co-owner Magic Johnson met with Harper in his hometown of Las Vegas. The White Sox, Phillies and the Yankees are other teams interested in Harper. (Jeff Passan, Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports)
• Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says the team is still in pursuit of "special talent" Patrick Corbin. (YES Network)
• Despite adding pitcher Garrett Richards, who will miss the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Padres remain interested in pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. (Dennis Lin, The Athletic)
• The Cleveland Indians are likely to wait until one of the coveted pitching free agents like of Corbin, Eovaldi or Dallas Keuchel sign before trading a starter like Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. (Jon Morosi, MLB.com)
• The Phillies could still pursue a 9th-inning bullpen option even though they acquired relievers Juan Nicasio and James Pazos in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. (Jayson Stark, The Athletic)
• Teams can bidding on Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi starting Tuesday morning. (Joel Sherman, New York Post)
