Bryce Harper Rumors: All-Star Unsure Of Philadelphia
Bryce Harper is the biggest free agent on baseball’s market after the San Diego Padres snatched up Manny Machado with a massive deal on Tuesday. With spring training in full swing, Harper needs to find a home soon. Luckily for him, things appear to be moving in that direction.
The 26-year-old outfielder is a six-time All-Star and was the 2015 NL MVP. In 2018 he hit .249 with 34 home runs, 100 RBIs, a .889 OPS and a 3.5 fWAR. Obviously he’s a huge prize.
Here’s a look at the latest rumors surrounding Harper’s free agency.
The Philadelphia Phillies have long been considered the front-runner for Harper but reportedly, the lefty slugger isn’t sure about playing in Philly:
Have been hearing lately Bryce Harper unsure about Philly. They'd better convince him for their sake.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) February 19, 2019
While he is still unsigned, Harper may be one of the biggest winners of the Machado signing.
After agreeing to a deal with Machado, it appears the Padres are out on Harper, who they were also chasing:
By the way, the #Padres are out on Bryce Harper.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) February 19, 2019
That said, Jon Heyman claims the team hasn’t fully ruled him out yet:
Padres are pulling off one surprise (once Manny’s finalized) but here’s another shocker : they aren’t ruling out Bryce Harper, too. 110M payroll (with MM) is still lower than most.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 19, 2019
The offseason may not have gone how Harper wanted, but Bob Nightengale is reporting the Phillies may wind up giving him an offer better than the 10-year, $300 million deal he turned down from the Nationals:
Bryce Harper, who has been waiting for someone to meet his price, appears to have found that team in the #Phillies. There is no deal yet but he will ultimately receive more than the 10-year, $300 million contract he turned down from the #Nats in September.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 17, 2019
Heyman also reports that Harper has multiple long-term deals on the table for more than $30 million per year:
As things intensify, Bryce Harper has multiple long-term offers for more than 30M a year. Philly is viewed as the favorite, as said here, but it is also said to an “evolving” market.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 18, 2019
The San Francisco Giants are in the middle of making a last-minute run at Harper, and apparently are still in the mix for him.
Meanwhile, the White Sox are clearly miffed by missing out on Machado, but they seem unlikely to land Harper. They weren’t willing to go over $300 million in guaranteed money for Machado, and Harper is almost certain to top that deal:
Bryce Harper seems like a long shot for the Chisox then. Little doubt he’s going over 300M now. https://t.co/RKn4sbeOwi
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 19, 2019
And just for those fans who want to torture themselves, there is no reason for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs to be out of the sweepstakes for Harper. But, apparently, it doesn’t look like either team is going to get involved. Sorry guys.
We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.