WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Bryce Harper is the biggest name in baseball right now, despite still being an unsigned free agent as spring training begins for the 2019 season.
Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, Marwin Gonzalez … it’s a long list of widely available well-known names, and it’s been the main topic inside clubhouses as pitchers start firing away for Opening Day.
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But on a sunny Thursday morning at the Fitteam Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, general manager Jeff Luhnow connected an ongoing 2019 conversation back to the summer heat of ’18.
The architect of the Astros’ rebuild and first World Series title confirmed that the franchise had a deal in place to wrap Harper in orange and blue prior to the playoffs. The Astros won a franchise-record 103 games in 2018 before falling 4-1 to the eventual champion Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.
“There was an agreement in principle in place and it didn’t get over the finish line for whatever reason, out of our control. But, yeah, we had interest,” Luhnow said toward the end of a media interview. “We had worked out an agreement with players both ways.”
The Astros’ trade-deadline connection to Harper was first reported by The Athletic.
Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Keuchel, Gonzalez and (almost) Harper.
“Certainly a player like that would have helped us,” said Luhnow, referring to the 26-year-old outfielder, who hit .279 with 184 home runs, 521 RBIs and .900 OPS during seven seasons with Washington, winning the 2015 National League MVP and earning six All-Star selections.
The Astros could be entering a new spring with back-to-back world titles, aiming for a three-peat and clearly on the verge of a dynasty.
“That one didn’t get reported for a long time and then someone mentioned it late this offseason,” Luhnow said. “I think fans would be surprised at the types of players at times we’ve gone after and how close we’ve come on some of ’em.”
Some within the Astros wanted the club to acquire former Miami/current New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton during the early stage of the Astros’ rebuild.
In reality, the rebuilt Astros have won 204 games the last two seasons, made the playoffs in three of the their four years under manager A.J. Hinch, and are title contenders again in 2019.
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Few thought the Astros would actually end up with Verlander as the final trade deadline approached in 2017. A January 2018 trade for Cole surprised the league.
The lefthanded-hitting Harper slugging bombs inside Minute Maid Park in the final baseball months of 2018?
It really did almost happen.
“It is an indication that every year during the summer we’re going to do — we’re going to look at all alternatives to helping our club, especially if we’re in a position where we think we’re looking good for the playoffs and we know who our opposition might be,” Luhnow said.
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