MLB Rumors: Analyzing 2019 Free-Agent Whispers as Pitchers, Catchers Report

There are few more glorious sounds in all of sports than a fastball popping into a catcher's mitt.

With pitchers and catchers reporting for 2019 duty this week, that's quickly becoming a siren's song for baseball fanatics across Florida and Arizona.

But even with the new campaign bearing down upon us, there's still so much to be sorted out with this free-agent crop. The hot stove keeps buzzing right along, and we'll examine three of the latest free-agent whispers.

Padres Meet Machado

Manny Machado's free-agency venture has gone on far longer than it should, considering he's a 26-year-old superstar who's contributed no fewer than 33 homers each of the last four seasons.

There is, however, some movement on this front, at least.

As Kevin Acee reported for the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres general manager A.J. Preller flew to Miami recently to meet with Machado and his wife. Acee dubbed Machado "the team's first choice to fill its immediate vacancy at third base."

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal confirmed the meeting, although he added there is "no indication a deal is close" and that the Padres are just "one of a number of clubs" in pursuit.

Acee noted the team brass also met with free-agent superstar Bryce Harper in recent weeks, highlighting the club's clear desire to make a splash after not having made the playoffs since 2006.

The Padres are coming off a 66-96 season in which they finished 24th in home runs (162) and 28th in runs (617). But with reinforcements potentially arriving soon—Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked San Diego's farm system as MLB's best—perhaps the Padres could use a superstar addition to spur their climb up the standings.

Harper 'Not Considering' Short-Term Deals

Maybe the mega-money offer many expected Harper to net is still coming at this point. Despite being in mid-February, the 26-year-old slugger apparently hasn't lost hope that it well, at least.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports Harper "is not signing—or even considering—short-term deals."

It's a little surprising this is even a discussion point, considering he has already performed like a generational talent. He might not be the most consistent player in the game—injuries have had plenty to do with that—but he already has an MVP in his trophy case, plus MLB-best finishes in runs (118, 2015), homers (42, 2015) and walks (130, 2018).

Still, the longer he goes without a contract, the more potential suitors might assume he'd be amenable to a short-term contract with an astronomic average annual value. It sounds like that's nothing more than wishful thinking, for now at least.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand recently ranked teams in the Harper sweepstakes and had seven clubs listed as longshots or better. Feinsand pegs the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals as the two favorites, the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox as contenders and the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees as longshots.

Giants Interested in Utility Infielder

Save for being mentioned in the Harper race, the San Francisco Giants have had a fairly quiet offseason under new president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.

With the club still employing many of the big-money veterans that previously contributed to their three-World-Series-in-five-years run, Zaidi has sifted through the bargain bin in hopes of uncovering an undervalued asset.

The latest rumored target fits that bill. NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reports the Giants have "had discussions" with 31-year-old infielder Yangervis Solarte.

Solarte played 122 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last season before being non-tendered in November. His .226/.277/.378 slash line landed below his career marks of .259/.317/.410, though he flashed his versatility by appearing at first base, second base, shortstop and third base for the second straight season.

That may be enough to interest the Giants, whose 40-man roster has only Alen Hanson and Pablo Sandoval as veteran backup infielders.

Statistics used courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.