ntered on perennial big spenders (the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees) and up-and-coming clubs with payroll to burn (the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies). The Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs also seem like plausible landing spots for Harper.You could toss in every other contender
Shohei Ohtani Jersey , at least in theory. But the Padres? Come on.We're talking about a franchise that hasn't enjoyed a winning season since 2010 and hasn't qualified for the postseason since 2006. In no way do the Padres sound like players for the winter's glitziest stars.But in a world where a pair of superstars entering their age-26 seasons are languishing unsigned in late January, anything is possible.Consider: Last offseason, the Padres signed first baseman Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144 million contract. It didn't work out especially well, as Hosmer underperformed on offense and defense and postedminus-0.1 WAR, according to FanGraphs' calculation.San Diego might be hesitant to make more big-money investments. On the other hand, it plays in a relatively soft division and could be ready for a dramatic move.The Dodgers are the toast of the National League West on the heels of two consecutive National League pennants
Brandon Phillips Jersey , but they haven't made any seismic signings this winter after extending ace Clayton Kershaw.The Colorado Rockies are looking to build on two straight wild-card berths but haven't noticeably bolstered their roster.The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants are stuck between rebuilding and retooling and don't figure to be especially dangerous.That leaves an opening for the Padres to blossom ahead of schedule behind a farm system Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked No. 1 in baseball. Take burgeoning studs such as infielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and left-hander MacKenzie Gore, add an established star, and stir.Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesInking Harper or Machado wouldn't make the Padres champions overnight. Guys like Tatis and Gore are likely a year or more away. San Diego needs to allow its young players to mature before they can contribute.But in this slow-developing free-agent market, the Friars could swoop in and change the gameuite literally.As recently as 2015, Padres general manager A.J. Preller added expensive players such as Craig Kimbrel and Matt Kemp in the hopes of contending. Once that blueprint fizzled, San Diego went lean at the big league level while adding MiLB chips.Is this the moment to go all-in?It might be, after the Padres refinanced their debt and opened up the option of looser purse strings
Barry Larkin Jersey , as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.The Padres are an under-the-radar outfit. They don't boast a long history of winning (two pennants and zero titles) nor do they play in a big-time market.That said, the weather in San Diego is amazing, and any player who signed there could put the franchise on the map. Imagine, for example, helping the Yankees win championship No. 28 versus helping the Padres win championship No. 1.There's glory in both, but hoisting the first Commissioner's Trophy in Padres history would arguably be more notable.Patrick McDermott/Getty ImagesHarper seems destined for a massive market with his brash personality and "make baseball fun again" antics. Machado, likewise
Chris Sabo Jersey , ought to play for a club with title aspirations.Harper has compiled30.7 WARnext to Machado's30.2as a big leaguer, per FanGraphs. Even if you don't adore wins above replacement as a stat, that's undeniably good.The Padres aren't the favorites to sign either or both stars, but San Diego's credible entrance into the Harper-Machado sweepstakes injects an alluring who-can-say curveball.Will the Pads ink one or both of the best available free agents?Maybe not. But...maybe? All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. Albies finishes with two hits in Braves win."The Atlanta Braves broke in their new spring stadium in style on Sunday defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in their final Grapefruit League game of 2019. The Braves will move into CoolToday Park in North Port exclusively for the 2020 season. Sunday’s game was a bit more than a dress rehearsal for Kevin Gausman who is still likely to begin the season on the injured list but is hoping to join Atlanta’s rotation during the second week of the season. Gausman put together his best performance of the spring throwing 77 pitches while allowing three hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Gausman exhibited good command striking out five while walking three although two of those walks came in the fourth as he appeared to be tiring. Offensively, went to work early against Tampa starter Tyler Glasnow plating a pair of first inning runs on singles by Nick Markakis and Ozzie Albies. Brian McCann brought home two more in the third to make it 4-0. Daniel Robertson hit a two-run home run off of Josh Graham in the seventh to account for both of the Rays’ runs. Luke Jackson struck out three and walked one in 1+ innings of relief. Jordan Harrison made his spring debut allowing one hit and struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. The Braves will travel back to Atlanta after the game where they will host a pair of exhibition games at SunTrust Park on Monday and Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds.