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Bryant, Harper To Be Honored in Las Vegas

 width=Two of Major League Baseball's hottest stars are coming home to Las Vegas for a special ceremony.

National League MVP Bryce Harper, outfielder for the Washington Nationals, and National League Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant, third-baseman for the Chicago Cubs, will be given keys to the city by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman to celebrate their accomplishments.

Harper went to Las Vegas High School and took the College of Southern Nevada to the Junior College World Series in 2010.

Bryant went to Bonanza High School and won the Golden Spikes Award while playing for the University of San Diego.

The native sons grew up playing together and against each other.

The public ceremony will be hosted in downtown Las Vegas' Fremont Street at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17.

>>Pete Rose Reinstatement Rejected, Commissioner Says Former Star Still Bets on Games

The all-time hit king will remain banned from baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred has rejected Pete Rose's latest application for reinstatement, he announced Monday morning. The decision was detailed in a three-page legal document.

Manfred and Rose met at MLB's offices in September, at which point Rose made his case for reinstatement. This is hardly the first time Rose has applied for reinstatement. His first attempt was made back in 1992, when Fay Vincent was still commissioner.

Rose, now 74, has been banned from baseball since 1989, when a bombshell Sports Illustrated report detailed allegations he had bet on baseball. Rose insisted he only bet on games as a manager, but evidence has since surfaced indicating he may have done so as a player as well.

Following the league's initial investigation, Rose accepted a permanent ban in exchange for MLB making no formal finding regarding the gambling allegations. He was officially placed on the ineligible list on August 24, 1989, and has remained there since.

Commissioner Rob Manfred's report on upholding Pete Rose's permanent ban from baseball indicates Rose initially lied to the commissioner only to later "clarify" that he does, in fact, still bet on baseball.

A footnote from the commissioner also reads quote-"Even more troubling, in our interview, Rose initially denied betting on baseball currently and only later in the interview did he 'clarify' his response to admit such betting."

Rose can still work for FOX and cover baseball. He can still take part in ceremonies, such as he did last summer before the All-Star Game. He just can't work for or with any major- or minor-league teams.

>>Giants Ink Coveted FA Johnny Cueto

The Giants have reached a six-year, $130 million contract agreement with free-agent right-hander Johnny Cueto, reports CBS Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman. Heyman reports that the deal includes an opt-out after two years.

Earlier on Monday Heyman reported reported the Giants had jumped back into the mix for Cueto. Heyman reported last week that the Dodgers turned to Cueto after losing Zack Greinke to the Diamondbacks, so the two NL West rivals may have been the finalists.

The Giants pursued Greinke before he landed in Arizona. San Francisco turned around and signed Jeff Samardzija a few days later, and now they've also added Cueto to a rotation that also includes Madison Bumgarner, Jake Peavy and Matt Cain.

The D-Backs pursued Cueto before signing Greinke, and reportedly offered a six-year deal worth $120 million or so. Cueto was able to top that, and if he pitches like vintage Cueto in 2016 and 2017, the opt-out sets him up for another significant payday.

Cueto was easily the best free agent starter on the board after Greinke and David Price signed. The 29-year-old had a 3.44 ERA (117 ERA+) in 212 innings for the Reds and Royals this past season, and helped Kansas City to the World Series title.

While Cueto did struggle down the stretch for the Royals, he did have some ace-like moments in the postseason, most notably his performances in Game 5 of the ALDS and Game 2 of the World Series. He also has an excellent track record.

Heyman reports that the deal will be slightly frontloaded, with $46 million of the $130 million coming before the opt-out in 2017.

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