MLB Roundtable: Harper's mystery team, spending surprises, and more

With spring training set to open in two weeks, theScore's MLB editors Michael Bradburn, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, Bryan Mcwilliam, Tom Ruminski, and Jason Wilson answer some of the biggest questions left in the offseason.

Which club would be the most interesting mystery team for Bryce Harper?

Angels. There's talk of the Phillies making a possible play to team Harper up with Mike Trout when he becomes a free agent following the 2020 season. The Angels should do it now. While parity seems to be going out of style in the Junior Circuit, the American League's second wild-card spot seems to be up for grabs. Adding Harper would very likely make the Angels the second-best team in the AL West and keep pressure on the Astros. Plus, they can afford it. According to Cot's Contracts, the Angels are slated to have more than $30 million in salary space before hitting the first luxury-tax threshold. Anaheim is certainly big enough to house two superstars and, honestly, keeping Trout beyond 2020 might depend on fielding a contender this year. - Bradburn

Blue Jays. Toronto is not in a position to immediately return to contention, making them outsiders at best for a player like Harper. But with the best hitting prospect in baseball (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) poised to make the leap into the majors early this upcoming season, visions of the two going back-to-back for a decade should inspire cheer in the frozen hearts of Blue Jays fans everywhere. Besides, waiting for Guerrero, Bo Bichette, or Nate Pearson to reach their pro potential to fill in the blanks around them would mean missing out on talent that could expedite the rebuilding process. Harper may not make the Blue Jays a playoff team in 2019, but signing him increases their chances in 2020 and beyond. - Wilson

Rockies. The idea of seeing Harper play 81 games a season at Coors Field is intoxicating. Just imagine the video game numbers the former NL MVP could put up in Colorado: 50 home runs? Fifty doubles? One hundred and fifty RBIs? Outside of personal stats, the Rockies' already dangerous offense would be taken to another level with Harper joining the likes of Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, Daniel Murphy, etc. The team would have to figure out what to do with Ian Desmond, but adding Harper is obviously worth it. Colorado becomes an instant World Series contender if the team gets him under contract. - Ruminski

Which team surprised you most with how much it's spent this winter?

Nationals. Washington wasn't going to pin all its hopes on Harper, but spending more than any other team - who expected that? The Nationals have dropped $182 million on free agents, including Patrick Corbin's six-year, $140-million contract. In total, Washington has spent more on free agents than the Yankees and Rangers combined. Not impressive enough? It's also more than the Dodgers and Red Sox combined - last year's pennant winners. The Nationals are a better team for it, and look like a contender once again despite possibly losing a transcendent 26-year-old outfielder to free agency. The 29 other teams could probably learn a lesson. - Bradburn

Rangers. While the Rangers haven't forked out a radical amount of cash this offseason, they still dropped over $55 million to add veteran players to a team that doesn't seem likely to contend in its division. The club's most surprising move was investing three years and $30 million in Lance Lynn after the veteran posted a career-worst 4.77 ERA. Inking Asdrubal Cabrera as Adrian Beltre's replacement was also a surprise, but credit to Texas for spending money in free agency despite coming off a 67-win season. - Mcwilliam

Cardinals. The one major signing St. Louis brought in was lefty reliever Andrew Miller for two years and $25 million. Additionally, they acquired first-base titan Paul Goldschmidt in a trade with the Diamondbacks. Both moves addressed significant holes for a team that should be in the thick of contention, but is it really enough? As steep as his price tag may be, Craig Kimbrel would help solidify an improved bullpen, and the Cardinals should absolutely be kicking the tires on both Harper and Machado. St. Louis has gotten better overall, but the team is also hedging. Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna are set to hit free agency after 2019 and the Cardinals have a lot of outstanding young pitching worth building around, making this offseason feel a lot like a wait-and-see scenario. If it works out, great. If not, maybe future success is just as good. - Wilson

Which player rumored to be available would you most want to trade for if you were a GM?

J.T. Realmuto. The best catcher in baseball being available via trade doesn't happen often. The Marlins have been shopping the 27-year-old for the entire offseason, and even though the asking price is high, teams should be motivated to find a way to acquire him. His 4.8 WAR was the most among qualified catchers last season and the most by a backstop since Buster Posey in 2015. Although Realmuto's framing could use work, his 8.2 UZR still ranked seventh-best among qualified catchers. With an additional two years of control, rebuilding clubs and contenders can find value in the All-Star. - Mcwilliam

Nicholas Castellanos. The Detroit Tigers outfielder doesn't appear to be on the move as open interest in his services has been tepid at best. The former top prospect has emerged as one of the most consistent bats for the Tigers in recent seasons, slashing .285/.336/.495 with 67 home runs, 107 doubles, and 248 RBIs in 424 games since 2016. While the asking price for Castellanos is apparently high, he shouldn't cost an acquiring team as much as Realmuto, and he offers a potent middle-of-the-order bat. - Wilson

Robbie Ray. The 27-year-old lefty could solidify a rotation for any contending team. Ray only pitched in 123 2/3 innings for the Diamondbacks in an injury-plagued 2018, but he was lights out during an All-Star 2017 campaign when he went 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA and a 12.1 K/9. With the D-Backs working through a transition, Ray, who has two years of team control remaining, could fetch a big return. - Ruminski

Marcus Stroman. The Blue Jays right-hander spent time on the DL with shoulder issues and a blister last season, but Stroman's a pitcher that every team should be calling about. He's still just 27 years old, plays elite defense at his position, and despite an inflated ERA last year, he posted a 3.91 FIP, on par with the rest of his career. He's also under team control for two more years. Stroman's not likely to be traded unless the Blue Jays are blown away by an offer, but teams looking to improve their rotation should consider the fiery hurler. - Sharkey-Gotlieb

Which contender will make one more big signing?

Yankees. They've sniffed around free agency's fringes all winter, making a few shrewd signings. But stopping at Adam Ottavino, DJ LeMahieu, and the Troy Tulowitzki lottery ticket just doesn't feel right when we're talking about the Yankees. This is an entity worth $4 billion, coming off a 100-win season, and approaching 10 years without a title. So it's a little strange that they still haven't grabbed Machado - a natural fit - while sitting out the Harper sweepstakes altogether. There's plenty of time for the Yankees to swoop in with another big-money signing. Baseball-wise, it's the right time for them to do it. - Sharkey-Gotlieb

Phillies. Harper and Machado remain unsigned, but even if the Phils come up empty on both, they can't be expected to stay quiet. Missing on Machado could open the door for Mike Moustakas to take the reins at third base, as another full season of Maikel Franco is far from a certainty. Bolstering the rotation with Dallas Keuchel - the top starter left - would be another encouraging choice. Not landing either Harper or Machado would be incredibly disappointing, no doubt, but the Phillies aren't done. - Wilson

Astros. One of baseball's best teams is in need of starting pitching. After Charlie Morton departed for the Rays, and with Lance McCullers Jr. on the shelf thanks to Tommy John surgery, Houston could look to reunite with Keuchel to fill the void. Keuchel's spent his entire career with the Astros and has a Cy Young under his belt, but the 31-year-old's reported asking price will likely need to drop. While interest from competitors has been heavy, Keuchel doesn't have much time left to make a decision before pitchers and catchers report, so going with what he knows might work best for him. - Mcwilliam