Cubs Rumors: A look at the latest rumblings from the Hot Stove

Cubs Rumors: Did the Dodgers sit down with Bryce Harper?

According to Yahoo Sports MLB insiders Jeff Passan and Tim Brown, executives from the Los Angeles Dodgers met with Bryce Harper but that’s since been denied. However, the Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees are planning on meeting with Harper during the Winter Meetings next week.

The article goes on to mention the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals plan to talk with him as well.

These teams have been in the rumors for some time now but from the looks of things, select clubs are preparing their pitch for Harper. I’m not sure where the Cubs stand here, but they would be my pick as a sleeper as of right now.

The Dodgers are a team in win-now mode coming off two straight World Series appearances (in which they lost both), the Phillies just made a blockbuster-type move in landing Jean Segura and have plenty of money to spend, the Yankees need a big move to that could potentially put them ahead of their longtime rival Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox has an attractive set of young prospects their front office can sell Harper on, sort of how the Cubs pitched themselves to Jon Lester in 2014.

That said, Theo Epstein is still one of the best office executives in baseball and I would be shocked if he did not at least try to sneak in the conversation.

The market for Machado quieting?

Despite the move the Phillies made in acquiring Jean Segura, Michael Bradburn of The Score says Philadelphia is still in on the All-Star infielder. There hasn’t been much said about the Cubs and Machado but if he were to sign with any team outside of the Dodgers in the NL, it would be an eye-opening move.

As far as the Cubs’ chances at landing him, I’d say landing Harper has a better odds. Above all, as long as it’s not in the NL Central, Cubs fans can breathe, easier at least.