hip group "refused to approve" a trade involving Bryce Harper the day before MLB's July 31 non-waiver trade deadline http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Saturday.According to Rosenthal, the Nationals had a preliminary agreement in place with the Houston Astros before the deal was scuttled.Rosenthal wrote the Nationals would've received minor league pitcher J.B. Bukauskas. The right-hander is the No. 8 prospect in the Houston minor league system, per MLB.com, and finished 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 14 appearances across five levels.Two other prospects would've joined Bukauskas in the trade.Rosenthal reported the Nationals owners decided against trading Harper because they "feared that trading him would harm their relationship with the player and reduce their chances of signing him."It's impossible to say whether Harper's presence would've resulted in a different outcome in the American League Championship Series. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Astros in five games, scoring 27 runs as they reeled off four straight victories to claim the AL pennant. Boston succeeded in attacking the Houston pitchers, so Harper may not have changed anything.The Astros weren't the only World Series contender to make a play for Harper. The Los Angeles Times' Jorge Castillo reported Wednesday the Los Angeles Dodgers offered Yasiel Puig in a trade package to no avail.The Washington Post's Chelsea Janes reported Wednesday the Nationals offered Harper $300 million over 10 years in late September but that the 26-year-old turned it down.If Harper signs elsewhere, then Rosenthal's and Castillo's reports could put more heat on the Nationals. Losing Harper would be a tough blow for the franchise, and the fanbase may grow even more frustrated with the knowledge Washington could've flipped Harper for prospects or an everyday MLB outfielder. If he departs, the Nats would only get back a compensation draft pick. PORT CHARLOTTE Mike Napoli Jersey , Fla. (AP) — AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will go into his first career opening-day start with a lot more financial security than he envisioned just a few days ago.The 26-year-old left-hander said Thursday he was almost certain he wouldn’t receive the raise he felt he deserved until he hit arbitration next winter until he and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a $50 million, five-year contract that will keep him with the team through 2023.“I’m excited we got it done. Honestly, surprised,” Snell said, adding that negotiations intensified in the past three or four days.The deal covers three seasons of arbitration eligibility plus one year after he could have become a free agent.It also comes less than two weeks after the Rays renewed Snell’s contract at a salary of $573,700 for the upcoming season. That would have been a raise of just $15,500 from 2018, when he led the major leagues with 21 wins.The new contract includes a $3 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of the deal’s approval by Major League Baseball and a raise to $1 million for this season. He gets $7 million in 2020, $10.5 million in 2021 http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , $12.5 million in 2022 and $16 million in 2023. His 2023 salary could escalate by up to $2 million based on Cy Young Award voting in the first four years: $1 million for each win, $500,000 for each second-place finish and $250,000 for each third-place finish.“It’s just a perfect deal for me, a deal I’m very comfortable with,” Snell said, reiterating his strong desire to remain with the Rays,Tampa Bay launched a youth movement a year ago and still wound up winning 90 games — more than any other team that didn’t make the playoffs.Rays general manager Erik Neander called Snell the driver of last season’s turnaround and said this demonstrated the club’s commitment to winning for years to come.“To say it’s well-deserved is an understatement,” Neander said Yonder Alonso Jersey , adding “while the dollars are big, his achievement is big.”Snell went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA last year, setting franchise records for wins and ERA. It was the best combination of wins and ERA for an AL pitcher since Rob Guidry won 25 games with a 1.74 ERA for the 1978 New York Yankees.“I am happy to be here. I want to be here. I don’t want to go anywhere,” Snell said. “I think with the deal I made with them, it’s going to keep me here longer than if I didn’t. … I like the team we’re building, and I want to be here.”It was the second long-term deal with a young player announced in as many days by the budget-minded Rays, who were 29th among the 30 teams in attendance last year at 1.15 million.Rookie infielder and outfielder Brandon Lowe, who made his big league debut last August, agreed to a $24 million http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , six-year contract on Wednesday. That deal includes club options for 2025 and 2026 with escalators based on MVP voting that could make the agreement worth $49 million over eight seasons.“I was very happy to see they are investing into the team. … They understand our youth is good and they’re trying to lock it down,” Snell said. “They are just showing they want to win, and they want to win now.”Snell will make his first opening day start next Thursday against the Houston Astros and Justin Verlander, who finished second in last year’s AL Cy Young balloting. The lefty said the new deal will allow him to relax and just focus on pitching.“The goal is still the same for me. I’ve got to get better,” Snell said. “The money is good security, but I’m here to get better, here to be the best.”