The tornado that is MLB’s Winter Meetings continues to snatch up free agents and trade proposals as the week goes on. The big names like Harper and Machado remain in play, but the most interesting exchange came from Harper’s agent, Scott Boras on Wednesday.
VOLUME UP!
THE man, MY man Scott Boras with the biggest flex of the winter meetings. Quite literally on a soap box holding court in the middle of the breezeway at the Mandalay Bay. Ultimate power move. Security is NOT happy. Love every minute of this. pic.twitter.com/3vq74aHCJT
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) December 12, 2018
The cock of the walk Boras that we all know and love planted himself in the middle of Mandalay Bay in Vegas where the meetings are being held. Not only that, he revealed (kind of) some of his clients potential landing spots in a cryptic way only Boras can use. Harper was on everyone’s mind as he spouted on about different clubs.
We wonder what Jerry Reinsdorf and Scott Boras could be talking about 🤔#WhiteSox #WinterMeetings pic.twitter.com/qVEOClw5EO
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) December 12, 2018
The #Phillies are “certainly on Bryce Harper’s list,” Scott Boras said. Boras said Harper has “great comfort” playing in Philadelphia.
— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) December 12, 2018
Scott Boras on the Harper talks: “When the nurse walks into the room with a thermometer, the issue is not what the thermometer says that day. The issue is what is their health when they’re ready to leave the hospital.” So yeah, I don’t know where he’s going.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 12, 2018
Scott Boras has every fan base of potential Harper landing spots in the palm of his hands. He’s great at saying everything while saying nothing at all. It’s an art form, but it gave us no real insight into the superstar’s future.
Unfortunately, outside of the Harper news, things don’t get much clearer. We’ll start with by far the longest saga of the day.
Walking this back. Indications are #Yankees are close on Happ, but no agreement in place. https://t.co/FvR5bwUVDw
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 12, 2018
Yankees and Happ are working to finalize deal. Looks like it might be 2 years plus an option once done.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 13, 2018
With the Yankees out on Harper, and a current outsider looking in on the Machado sweepstakes, they have set their focus on resigning J.A. Happ. It obviously doesn’t make them any better than last year yet they spent nearly the entire day negotiating with the 36-year-old starter. And still no deal.
Wednesday was full of a lot of dancing and chumming, but not much definitive action. That is outside of one trade that saw the Reds and Nationals swap Tanners on the mound.
#Reds today announced the acquisition of RHP Tanner Roark from the Washington Nationals in exchange for RHP Tanner Rainey. pic.twitter.com/45bgb6kqWa
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) December 13, 2018
Although Roark has teetered the last couple of seasons, he was at one point a premier pitcher for the Nationals. In 2016 he posted a 2.83 ERA for the Nets in 33 starts. Not too shabby for a Reds team looking to pick the pieces of a 95-loss season.
There’s only two days left in this year’s Winter Meetings. Deals will continue to get done and it’s likely the league will have some answers sooner than later on where some of the top commodities will be playing next season.
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Feature Image via @WinterMeetings on Twitter
