Bryce Harper Rumors: Where Will Slugger Finally Land?

Bryce Harper is still somehow a free agent. With spring training in full-swing, the 26-year-old, six-time All-Star has yet to find a team. We got more crazy rumors about his potential destination on Monday, so what follows are the up-to-date rumors on his situation as Tuesday opens.

Resolution should come soon

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale is hearing Harper is expected to decide on a destination by the end of this week. Some believed a resolution might come as early as Tuesday, but that may be a bit too optimistic.

Roberts admits Dodgers are involved

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed the team met with Harper on Sunday in Las Vegas. The Dodgers have been rumored to be trying to get Harper to ink a short-term deal but apparently Harper doesn’t have much interest in something like that.

The Dodgers recently re-entered the mix and appear to be serious in their pursuit.

Phillies remain the favorite

On Monday, Nightengale claimed there was optimism Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies would consummate a 10-year deal and that it could be finalized any time. Obviously nothing got done Monday but the two sides remain in “deep and serious” discussions.

Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily news says the Phillies “remain optimistic that they will reach a deal” with Harper. The question is how long it takes and how much it will cost. With the Dodgers now involved, the Phillies may have just seen the price tag jump.

Owner John Middleton left Las Vegas without finishing a deal but the team reportedly still believes it will eventually get one done.

Giants appear out of the running

The San Francisco Giants would still love to land Harper, but it appears the Dodgers entering the mix may have pushed them out of it.

Padres never made an offer

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting the San Diego Padres never made a formal offer to Harper, though they were interested in him. The team apparently floated a “proposal” to Harper but it wasn’t something he was interested in. San Diego remained far more focused on Manny Machado over the last few weeks and he was clearly priority No. 1.

Here is the part where I remind you what kind of player Harper is. He’s in the middle of his prime, won the NL MVP Award in 2015 and has racked up a 30.7 fWAR over his first seven seasons. In 2018, he hit .249 with 34 home runs, 100 RBIs, an OPS of .889 and a 3.5 fWAR. And that was clearly a down year for him.

The kid is easily one of the best players in baseball and it’s insane that he’s still a free agent.