12:35pm: Harper’s decision is expected to come this week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. At the moment, the only three teams in the mix for him are the Phillies, Dodgers and Giants.
10:00am: The Dodgers’ interest in Harper is still on a shorter-term pact, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Harper and agent Scott Boras are still eyeing a long-term deal. Mark Feisand of MLB.com tweets that the Phillies are the only team currently negotiating a “true” long-term deal with Harper and agent Boras. The Giants, like the Dodgers, are still only interested at shorter terms than the 10-year offer Philadelphia is reportedly willing to put on the table.
7:38am: The Dodgers have jumped back into the Bryce Harper bidding and held a meeting with him as recently as last night, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Dodgers officials, including manager Dave Roberts, were seen in Las Vegas to meet with Harper. Per Jeff Passan and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter links), the Dodgers re-engaged with Harper’s camp two weeks ago, although at the time, they were still hoping to secure Harper on a shorter-term pact. Harper, however, has been seeking at least a 10-year deal and has not budged from that thinking, Passan notes.
While there has not been any firm indication that the Dodgers are now willing to put forth a decade-long offer (or longer), the meeting is nonetheless quite notable at this juncture in Harper’s free-agent saga. Over the weekend, Phillies owner John Middleton also visited Harper in his home city, and reports at the time indicated that there was optimism surrounding the possibility of finalizing a 10-year deal with Harper as soon as tonight. That could still prove to true, but the question for many onlookers had been whether the Phillies were bidding against themselves. That no longer appears to be the case, as the Vegas meeting between the Dodgers and Harper suggests a rather sincere level of interest on their end.
Los Angeles has already added one big-ticket outfield item this winter, signing A.J. Pollock to a four-year deal worth $55MM, and bringing Harper aboard would give them a new right fielder to go along with their new-look center fielder. It’d also muddy the outfield mix a bit, leaving only one spot with Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger in need of at-bats there. Bellinger could also see time at first base, of course, although that would come at the cost of playing time for 2018 breakout slugger Max Muncy.
That said, the Dodgers are never ones to shy away from cultivating extreme levels of depth, and bringing Harper into the fold would create an extraordinarily deep mix of offensive options for Roberts. Of course, the Dodgers have also reportedly explored deals involving Pederson this winter as well, and signing Harper could also prove to be a harbinger for the trade of another outfielder.
The Dodgers already traded away Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Alex Wood in what looked at the time to be a trade that opened both roster space and luxury tax breathing room for a possible Harper addition, but the only notable signing they’ve made since that swap was Pollock’s four-year pact. Adding Harper would definitively skyrocket the Dodgers into luxury tax territory, as they’re already only about $4MM shy of that threshold, per Jason Martinez of Roster Resource.
This is where he wants to be. Close to his hometown of Las Vegas.
With any other agent he would’ve been signed already, but Boras will do everything he can to convince him to take the most money no matter who it’s from.
Players who pick Boras are only concerned with money. There is no need for him convincing Harper. So I am guessing this is just a technique for the Phillies to up their offer.
I can think of 1 Boras guy who wasn’t money 1st. Varitek. Boras might have used his normal gas pipe theatrics with him during FA, but he always resigned with Boston and even when Tek was good, it was at a good price.
Jered Weaver signed an extension under market value and Boras was his Agent.
Surprising how few people understand that an agent works for the player
So you take jobs that give you LESS money. I would have to call you on that one. We all want to make as much money as we can you and nor I are exceptions to that rule.
Bingo bongo
somewhat agree on its the money here, but harper is asking for a number of years, which become A LOT of money. If harper/boras are saying full no trade clauses, no team would want that. It would hurt harper as well if he signs with a team that doesn’t make the playoffs much, for example pujols in anaheim and rodriguez in texas. Long drawn out negotiations must be on opt out/mutual agreement clauses and $.
Depends why youre taking less money.
If I make less money but my commute is 5 minutes no traffic I might take less money instead of driving 30 45 60 mins sitting in traffic both ways to make more money.
There is a difference between most of what the world does for a living and choosing between multiple offers all over 100M
Believe it or not a bunch of people work for less than they could make elsewhere for either loyalty and/or quality of life. $ is not the end-all. I currently work at a place for $20K less than my ‘market value’ because I get to work with friends and in an environment that makes me happy. I also could squeeze more money out of my employer, but in doing so would mean that my other crew would make less, and I care about their income & quality of life as well.
No ,Philly has the offer he wants but he wants to go west,those team are offering shorter term,this would be over if he wanted to go to Philly
I did recently. Company I was at was toxic and full of donkey holes. They acquired our company. Took a pretty significant cut to be at a company that I am loving life at. Would do it again it a heart beat. Life’s too short to be stuck someplace you don’t want to be at.
Happiness>Money
Jered Weaver is definitely an outlier though lol. You know Boras had to be mad about that deal.
I left a large firm to work for myself, taking a large pay cut in exchange for having a life. So yes, some of us do take jobs that give us less money because we value other things more.
LordBanana, yes that is true, but Agents can influence their clients opinions.
@Pitches Love Velocity
exactly this. some folks take fit, culture, and quality of life into consideration rather than every possible dollar they can get.
Anthony Rendon
Bingo
I think everyone is assuming that. What if the Phillies didnt go over 300? They didn’t with Machado.
Strasburg signed an extension a year before hitting Free Agency as well. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Rendon signed one before the end of the year as well instead of testing the market.
Point being, not all about the money all the time. It comes down to what the player wants as well. Some want top dollar, no exceptions. Some just want something close to market to avoid FA. I think with the way FA has gone in recent years too, more players are going to be likely to sign extensions to guarantee the money. Teams have been reluctant on long term deals in recent years.
>> “Players who pick Boras are only concerned with money.“
If one has a family or is planning one, ‘money first’ becomes an honorable strategy in most societies. A socially and environmentally-aware form of ‘money first’ strategy is usually considered to be even more honorable.
But these are ethereal policies and by no means required by law. Plenty of people operate under a cloak of honorable intentions to disguise and help rationalize any damn-fool thing they think will make them richest quickest. Once they’ve assembled their pile, the social and environmental facets of their strategy often tend to fade away. (see Curt Schilling, et. al.)
The answer is not to try and guilt Baseball players into signing for less money. The answer is to first live by those principles you’d like to see strengthened in society. Not an easy thing to do. Beyond that, teaching the youth about how and why to live a principled life would help. But you’re not likely to have much positive influence over adults who have already mapped out their own personal strategies and priorities.
IMO.
well said
Argument is bad when your talking 200m + deals. Also is an injury prone player who was worth less then 2 bQAR last season worth such a huge deal?
I think players hire Boras to get the most advantageous contract from the team and care less about their relationship with the team. I think money is a major consideration with the players that use Boras but no trade clauses might be a close second. I’m not a big fan of Boras as many of the contracts he’s gotten have hurt the teams long term. The deals for A-Rod, Ellsbury, Werth, Benes, Van Poppel, McDonald, Bonds, Beltran, Millwood, JD Drew, Matsusaka, Jones, Oliver Perez, Texiera, Fielder, Holliday, Lohse and Appel all hurt their teams.
but if harper signs for $400 million contract the media will be all over that in stating the highest paid player in baseball or sports in general.
How can any contract given to Barry Bonds, the greatest freakin’ hitter of all time, hurt the team?
lol If you really believe Harper would have signed already If Boras wasn’t his agent, you haven’t been following free agency the past couple years. I understand ignorant fans have a problem with Boras trying to get his clients paid after years of minor league space wages and 6 extremely team friendly years of control after, but to say If he had literally any other agent is foolish and idiotic
W. E. S. T
Wasting Everyone’s Sacred Time. Yes, this Harper saga is doing that.
Yep Bryce Harper owes MLBTR commenter slowcurve to sign on his timeline
Yes, why would a guy locking up his life on a 10 yeah deal and possibly leave ten of $millions on the table not rush into a decision? SMH…
He can take all the time he wants. My issue is all of the talking heads and beat “writers” flooding everyone with non-news just to meet a quota. Not mad at MLBTR writers, they just relay that info. And yes I get it, it’s trade rumors, but it’s a ton of guessing and it has dragged on for-ev-errrrr!
Maybe you ought to steer clear of a rumors website and stick to USA Today or ESPN who will announce when he is signed.
So you’re saying you have enjoyed the 4 month barrage of tweets and articles about basically nothing? We went into the offseason thinking he’s headed to Philly w/ a few other suitors. I’m literally streaming a Spring Training game right now and we don’t really have any new information.
Not rush into a decision? How many months has it been? Spring training has started, fella. If you wait til the last possible minute, your gonna have to rush at the end!
Nah, I read as much or little of this as I care to.
Nailed it, slowcurve. A lot of writers lost credibility with me. Particularly Jon Heyman who didn’t break any news and just spouted gossip daily, even contradicting himself on occasion.
Pure. West.
If this is a reference to Adam West’s appearance as the original Batman on The Simpsons, then an upvote for you!!!
He was better on Family Guy.
At this time every team is reemerging. Time for Jeter to step in and make an impact on South Beach.
His impact was gutting a contending team for “Project Wolverine” to make money.
This is all B.S and about the all mighty dollar. Boras is a p.i.t.a. to work with you can stay in your home state and guess what, it doesn’t matter. If you’re a professional athlete you’re away from your family anyways training and traveling. If you aren’t, they are a distraction. This is all about money and when the opt out years and club option occur.
People please stop. He is just driving the Phillies deal up. No team is going more than 4 except the Phillies. So he is going to sign for 4/160 or 5/200? No, it’s Boras trying to drive the Phillies up to 10/350. He is NOT, and I stress NOT taking a deal under 10 years, Boras will not allow it Bank on it
no one worth that kind of money. Its baseball for crying out loud. Harper must have a huge ego if he can’t live on 300 million. Its absurd. I wouldn’t want someone like that on my team. Its nuts..
Firemen policemen, er doctors people like that should be paid more, not a ball player
Just trying to drive the price tag up…
Nailed it… imagine how or why the Phillies would want this news out there? They wouldn’t. Imagine who would? You think the dodgers wouldn’t want this out there to cloak and dagger him away. It’s literally only team Bryce and boras who want that out
Yeah cuz how could anyone from the west coast possibly prefer LA to Philly? ♂️
Homer post.
Didn’t know that Las Vegas is on the west coast…
It’s a 45 minute flight so…
Same way Philly is considered an east coast team.
Vegas is further West than LA and San Diego. Now in terms of being on the coast…
You might want to take a peek at a map…
No homer post, no dog in the race. Given the Dodgers salary level there is no way they will meet the contract Philly can so way even try to get involved in a bidding war. Like going to the auction and some clown keeps bidding the price up knowing damn well they have no intention of actually winning the auction.
Getting tired of the whole thing. If Harpers not sold on Philly then the Phillies should just wait the 2 years and save the money for when they sign Trout.
Get that name out of your filthy mouth!
Maybe they trade Joc Pederson to the White Sox?
I would look to move Joc for a bullpen arm and try to send the Indians a package with Verdugo/Ruiz for Kluber
As much as i want kluber im not trading ruiz for a 33 year old pitcher. All that being said indians wont move kluber now so its a pipe dream
It would be much better to just sacrifice a draft pick and sign Keuchel.
If it meant finally winning a ship would you? Yes..yes you would
Joc and verdugo hold a lot of appeal to the Indians.
I’d offer Verdugo Pederson a pitcher to replace Kluber like Santana or White and Yadier Alvarez for the Indians pen.
Indians fill 2 areas of need in OF and pen.
The White Sox should prioritize Cody Bellinger or Alex Verdugo over Joc Pederson. There would seem to be a plethora of matches possible including one that could turn into a mega blockbuster with players like Jose Abreu, Wellington Castillo, Carlos Rodon, Ivan Nova, Alex Colome and Nate Jones all being potential fits for the Dodgers from the White Sox.
I don’t envision LA dealing Bellinger but Verdugo would be a great get for the White Sox in RF and hitting #3 ahead of Eloy Jimenez in their lineup. An OF of Jimenez in LF, Luis Robert in CF and Verdugo in RF could be exceptional to say nothing of a top 4 batting order that has Robert leading off, Nick Madrigal batting second followed by Verdugo and Jimenez. Make it so Rick!
Theres no one on the entire White sox roster worth Bellinger. Heck even Verdugo for any those guys sounds awful
Indians. The White Sox would try and pull a fast one and flip him to the Giants
None of that is getting Bellinger, and the only one that might get Verdugo would be Rodon.
Paul Molitor? Kent Hrbek? Joe Mauer? Dave Winfield? No. Steve Adams is Minnesota’s true gift to the baseball world.
Muncy can also play 2B when Taylor has to play SS. Hopefully this doesn’t trump NHL Trade Deadline today.
NHL..lol..it’s hockey.. a Yankee’s vs Red Sox spring training game gets more TV viewers then an NHL final
umm false
You realize that moron probably lives in the self-focused Northeast media market, where, in their minds only, they are the center of the universe.
Hey nmahan.. I bet it’s true in 95% of southern households where most people couldn’t name 3 NHL teams, nor care to name that many.
I just don’t see the Dodgers adding Harper. Great if done, but the Blue Crew continues to preach low cost/high value players. Can’t argue with their success with said system…
I’m not sure the low cost/high value is completely true. Kershaw jus got a 3 year/ 93M contract; that is not low cost. The Dodgers strategy is rather less years/more money upfront if necessary to remain flexible; Dodgers don’t want or need the Angels/Pujols scenario. My idea is that the Dodgers will offer Harper a 6 year/220M contract. That is 5M more than Machado a year, just on a shorter length
Then he doesn’t sign.
Probably not, one thing is for sure, the Dodgers front office doesn’t make desperation moves; all are calculated in future deals or trades. Please see Kemp/Gonzales scenarios. Dodgers don’t need deals like that ever again; although Agon was a great addition, the Dodgers paid a lot to get him, and that’s one of the main reasons Colletti is not around anymore. Deals like this put GM’s in tough spots; especially once the players start breaking down or underperforming, then everyone plays GM after the fact…
how would this be a desperate move?
Dodgers brass need to pay him 35 or 36 million for 1 yr with the promise that they will do an extension when money becomes available next winter. That would give Harper most annual salary ever. Then he could sign for most money ever next winter. Harper would get his ego fix, and Dodgers would win the NL one more time if no one got seriously hurt.. Harper and Boras win, Dodgers win. Win. win.
There are rules against avoiding the luxury tax like that.
No offense, but it hasn’t worked.
Joc to the Bravos!
Straight up for Alex Minter or Vizcaino
No need for him, and his defense is suspect, which AA puts a high value on defense.
Braves could get Adam Jones for 1 year and $3 million, why give up a stud pitcher for Joc? Sure Jones has a downward arc, but Joc’s batting average and defense are hardly elite.
Braves are trying to move forward not backwards. Both of those options are terrible for the Braves. No team that is competing would give a spot to one of them. Have you actually looked at the numbers for those 2. No thanks.
Adam Jones is arguably an upgrade on 4th outfielder Adam Duvall, who I guess follows 3rd outfielder Nick M. on depth chart . But I agree with your general point. My point was that Braves will not trade a solid relief pitcher for Joc. Maybe only half a dozen teams could use Joc, like Fish, Giants and White Sox.
Ahhh. I see. Who do you think they are going to trade for? They have to make another move by the first week of the regular season or the fan base will lose it on AA. Just saying.
I wish Bryce will sign soon so I can reserve a copy of MLB the Show 19. No matter where he ends up, I am shipping him to the Marlins in the game.
Ha! Good plan. Looking forward to playing this game also.
I think the injury to Kershaw has the Dodgers re-thinking the whole plan now. If you sign Bryce, it opens the Kluber trade talks back up and you can now send Bellinger to Cleveland to headline a package for Kluber.
The Dodgers aren’t including Cody in a trade for Kluber. For DeGrom? I could see that.
Well they aren’t getting DeGrom and if they want Pederson to be the headliner, they’d also have to include Santana and Peters and would be getting Bauer back, not Kluber.
That would not be enough to get Bauer.
Yeah certainly not
How are two years of deGrom on a higher AAV worth more than three years of Kluber?
The Dodgers have so many quality pitching options in order to never be in the situation you claim they are are in. If Kershaw can’t go they have Urias and Stripling. 2 guys that would be locks in most rotations in the MLB.
I don’t see the Dodgers moving Bellinger. He and Seager are under team control for 4 more years, super young, and already proven Allstars. They should build around them.
Bellinger in deal for Kluber?? What bizarre world do you live in?
The one where Bellinger isn’t reliable enough to make every start in the world series.
I believe that Bellinger is reliable enough to have started every WS game and would have with pretty much any team other than the Dodgers.
Frustrating to me how often the Dodgers FO seems to do things just to show everyone else how clever they are, rather than taking a more balanced approach like each the teams that beat them in each of the last two World Series.
That’s along the same lines of my thinking as well. I have a feeling Kershaw went into camp trying to magically throw 97 again and ended up tearing or straining his rotator cuff. Whatever the injury is, it’s enough for LA to think through it. Maybe they already know Kershaw is done for the year but they want to make a trade without seeming desperate. Additionally, they’re going to need more offense to offset the potential for lost pitching in regards to Kershaw. Assuming this theory holds any weight. I’m a LAD fan, and Kershaw is one of my all time favorites. I don’t want to see him injured. But something smells fishy here.
I completely agree. I saw an interview with Roberts and Kershaw yesterday and they both used the same term, that they are feeling “encouraged” by Kershaw’s progress. But they also said he is still shut down from throwing for the foreseeable future (at least several more days).
When multiple people on a team (any team, not just the Dodgers) start using the same exact quotes to describe an injury, I smell a smokescreen. I think they know Kershaw is in bad shape and don’t want to deal from a point of desperation.
If they do sign Harper, you know a trade for pitching (likely either Bauer or Kluber) is immediately going to be announced too.
Correct. Dodgers get Harper and then it’s announced that the Padres swung a deal for Bauer!
Now reporting because he is from Vegas,Joey Gallo and the Rangers management are in town. Yes
He wants to play on the West coast. Texas on the East coast.
Buy a globe, buddy
Alternative Globe teaches that plenty of Texas lies along the Gulf of Mexico, which has a long eastern coastline.
Hahahaha!
>> “Alternative Globe …”
Are those the ‘Flat Earth’ people?
Or more like SCTV’s Dave Thomas’ wall map on The Great White North?
Coo luc cuc cuc cuc cuc coo coooh!
I tried to paste a Map of the US here……….with Texas Highlighted
It won’t let me do it…….LOL
Math is Hard.
Geography is Much Harder (I guess)
Never said nothing bout Bryce, wouldn’t want him in Texas to strap payroll for 10 years,We have Gallo whom I believe is better,has the power but not the average, Bryce is just above average on defense as in Gallo,and Joey Gallo is from Vegas. Hopefully Texas will lock him up for about 3-5 years.
Joey Gallo is not better than Bryce Harper. Not even close. Gallo is lucky he’s not in Korea.
You can fairly argue that Harper is not worth the extra money to replace Gallo, but you cannot possibly argue that at the same salary Gallo is better or will be better anytime soon barring an injury to Harper.
Gallo hit 80 plus bombs in last two years in league to Bryce’s 64, sure Bryce has average and on base ahead of Joey but not defense
Joey Gallo is better than Bryce Harper… that’s a take and a half
Ernest and Julio maybe, but not Joey. That 40 HR would have been low-mid thirties in an average park and the 80 point gulf in obp the last couple of years between the two players would be even more with park factors added in. That makes a huge difference. Gallo is getting out almost 70% of the time.in one of the best hitter’s parks. He has some value, but comparing him with Harper is unreasonable. Having said that, I don’t know that I would want anyone at 10 years guaranteed, so I agree with that much anyway..
I hope he signs in LA but I don’t think he makes any team a winner. He’s got the Jynks me thinks.
This will get the Phillies to the $350 number Team Harper is looking for.
Yea. To me this seems like an attempt to drain more stupid money out of the Phillies. Could be just smoke. Can’t see the Dodgers meeting Harper’s demands. And although Harper would gladly play in LA, it seems pretty clear he isn’t taking any discounts. He’s going after the money, as he should.
I could be completely wrong. Maybe LA figured out a way to move money around, but I don’t see it. I also don’t think Harper is a huge need for them, especially given Kershaw’s injury. They need arms.
I am starting to think the Phillies haven’t even hit 300 yet. They know no one else is bidding so they’re low balling. The risk of that is last minute bids. Maybe the Dodgers can pull off something creative.
Pollock got 4/55 bryce and Boras are probably demanding a 3 next to the first 5 and a 1 in front of the 4. And that would still not satisfy Harper at 25mil aav.
Who cares. Sign a f#$&@+g deal already and get out to a field.
Muncy is projected to play a lions share of 2B this year with Taylor, Pollock and Joc being the 3 outfielders. If they sign Harper they can relegate Taylor to being a super utility guy again and a platoon 2B/pinch runner.
That is not at all what has bee laid out. The outfield will consist of Pederson, Pollock, Bellinger. Muncy will see minimal time at 2nd and will also probably be platooned with Freese.
Harper wants to be on the west coast. At the end of the day, $330-$350 million isnt that big of a difference. the biggest question is what team is going to win that Ring? 9/10 i pick LA, but if phillies sign harper they will get kimbrel and dallas making their team a force to be reckoned with
I cannot see the Dodgers going to 330. I also cannot see Harper taking less money to play anywhere. I think at this point, the best offer wins.
I don’t think the Phillies need Kimbrel. They could use a lefty in that rotation, I’m not sure Dallas is worth it. Just my opinion. They have 3 closers now.
While Harper May be a great addition to the Dodgers, a proven playoff pitcher may be a better fit if the Dodgers want to win a World Series. A couple of years ago, the Dodgers failed to sign Verlander, well, he was one of the decisive pieces in the Astros World Series achievement.
They didn’t “fail to sign Verlander”— they signed Yu Darvish who at the time by all accounts was the prize pitcher at the deadline. The Astros, on the other hand, failed to sign Darvish and settled for the next best option: Verlander.
Both of you are way wrong. Neither the Astros or Dodgers signed either guy, they were traded to those teams not signed. Verlander was traded to the Astros from Detroit and Darvish was traded from Texas.
Thank You JPADA……..
It was that Verlander was more expensive, not that Yu was the better pitcher.
Proven playoff pitchers arent exactly hanging on trees. Harper would make them by far the best team in the NL and really boose their title odds
Agreed, but that is exactly what the Dodgers need…
Remember before any deal is signed anywhere. The Cubs have demanded to be notified beforehand. lol!
I don’t know if I can see the Dodgers going longterm for 300. If they can, they’re a legitimate threat.
I think Boras is trying to get the Dodgers back in it. If the Dodgers are willing to go above 300/10, then I think they’re the team to land Harper, but I have a hard time seeing how that’s financially feasible.
This could be a power move forcing the Phillies to up their bid. Phils should call their bluff going 330/10 no higher.
Let the best team win. Exciting to see another legitimate threat involved. I wasn’t buying Padres, White Sox…etc.
I think the LAD have plenty of money to afford Harper and pay the lux tax. If they truly met with him yesterday they are serious about landing him.
I’m not denying the meeting, but I hear the Dodgers want short term. I don’t think Harper wants that.
Knowing that Harper has 10/300 offers or even higher in hand already, why would the Dodgers go to Las Vegas and make a lower offer? That just makes no sense at all. Somehow I don’t think Friedman is stupid and doing that would not be a smart investment of time or money.
Maybe the Dodgers think he dislikes playing in Philadelphia enough to settle for 5 years with a team he would prefer playing for.
If Manny Machado didn’t have multiple 300m offers, why would Harper? I don’t buy it. The Nats offer he rejected was insulting, requiring a number of incentives. I don’t think Harper is getting the money he wants, hence the delay.
The Dodgers have the money, but the only way Friedman would spend it on a contract like that is if Kasten ordered him to do so.
Once again, this is not about whether the Dodgers can afford Harper or not, this is about what is best for the team long term. I can afford a Lexus and not buying one soon…
Looks like the Phillies will have to throw more stupid money into the pot if they want Harper.
They need to be careful not to fall into any of Boras’ traps. Just make a final offer. I say 330/10. If Harper wants more call Boras’ bluff. Move on.
I’d vote for them already having made their final offer. For someone who is supposedly fine with being in Philly, feels like an awful lot fo jerking around going on – and if it’s a play to extort more money, this is still something good for the Phils? Really? Walk away/move on. Now.
Boras is infamous for this. It’s not uncommon.
Maybe the Phillies haven’t even hit the 300 mark yet. Boras needs Harper to sign for more than Machado, but it seems like no one is biting.
Enter the Dodgers. They won’t go long term, but maybe they’ll come up with a creative AAV deal. It doesn’t seem likely that Harper would settle for a short term deal, but he’ll take the meeting, hoping it drives up the Phillies offer.
So reinforce this “not uncommon” tactic by playing further into it? Have said from the beginning that, skills or no skills, this guy is clubhouse-toxic – and this protracted crap show will do absolutely nothing to modulate that. Sorry Bryce-supporters; ends doesn’t justify the means. Walk away.
I don’t really see a lot of evidence of the Harper toxicity that people mention. A few spats with Papelbon don’t really bother me. As for the free agent games, it doesn’t bother me. This is their livelihood. They’re trying to get paid.
Now if Boras wants more than 330 of course walk away.
The Phillies didn’t evaluate Machado being worth 300, but presumably the Phillies front office evaluated Machado slightly above Harper. So that makes me assume the Phillies aren’t falling for Boras’ tactics and are low balling Harper. They know they don’t have a lot of competition so they’re standing firm and showing patience.
I’d personally like the Phils to go to 330 because I think that’s enough to seal the deal without impeding future signings, but I think the Phillies are being smart about this.
The Nats have made their final offer: 35M a year for ten years, with $34,500,000 deferred yearly at no interest until Stardate 21240.56……..
Bob, great. Please provide a link where it was announced. Thanks.
Captain’s Log of Jean Luc Prichard, describing the photon torpedo battle between the Rizzo Empire and the planet Klentak……..
….resistance is futile…..
LOL…I stand corrected..I read too fast..I love sarcasm..just missed it by this much {}
You spelled Picard wrong, next time boldly use spell-checker where you have not before.
Depends on the way you enunciate, Number One……engage…..
Dodgers simply trying to pull media/fan interest away from the Kershaw injury.
I think anti-inflamitories are supposed to be doing that.
This is an absolute leverage move by the Harper camp to get the Phillies to up their offer. It’s so obvious that the Dodgers wouldn’t touch him on a 10 yr deal, and the last thing they need is another lefty outfielder. Hopefully the Phillies aren’t dumb enough to fall for this obvious ploy. I wish they’d screw Harper over and sign Kimbrel and Keuchel instead.
bush1 – YES!!!!!!
I don’t think the Phils really need pitching as much as people say. They want these young starters to develop and the bullpen is looking pretty great on paper.
I’d love Keuchel in the rotation, but I am not sure the Phils should meet his price. He isn’t the pitcher he used to be. Solid 3 or 4, but I don’t think he is a huge upgrade over someone like Pivetta.
Now having Nick Williams/Altherr in the lineup? That needa an upgrade.
id only take Keuchel on a 3 year dea to be the #3, Pivetta as #4, and VV/Eflin can fight for #5, or VV go to the pen.
Yea. I’m cool for that. Just got to be careful not to splurge on a #3 when yoi have decent options as is.
i believe they sign dallas kimbrel and harper!! which is scary considering their in the same division as my braves
It’s a totally wild point but the Yankees just agreed to a (crazy) extension with Hicks for 7/$70. Hicks has 8.6 WAR over the last two years. Harper has 6WAR over the same span.
Obviously, Harper is the far better player, but…
Got a feeling Philly has placed their offer on the table and Bryce is doing one final reachout to teams he really wants to play for to see if they can come close.
The Dodgers aren’t sweating it right now. They pretty much have the NL West wrapped up or close to it. Come trade deadline they will see where they are at, evaluate what they need (offense or pitching) and will just trade for that missing piece they need.
Where there is smoke there is fire.. how many thought Machado would actually land in SD when the rumors start?
The Padres were always a legitimate threat. I didn’t see it as a surprise. Any team willing to go 300/10 would have got the job done. I think the same may be true for Harper.
If this is a ploy to drive up Philly’s price, Philly should just sign Span or CarGo and say bye to Boras. Then watch the millions flushed down the drain.
Or Philly can look at their team and be satisfied with Mccutchen, Herrera and Williams in the outfield with Realmuto behind the plate and a decent infield.
If teams are smart they’d realize they have Harper on the ropes.
If the Dodgers are in the picture now I’m wondering if the Giants are going to jump back in with both feet. I can see Zaidi as getting emotionally involved in competing with the Dodgers.
Zaidi said recently what division rivals do doesn’t change “his plan”. This was referencing the Padres signing Machado, but at this point I think it’s wise for the Giants to just sign Harper.
Larry Baer wears the pants in that family….
My gal looks great in pants, … and even better out of them
Harper is going to the Sox and they will trade him at the July 31 deadline.
Ha-ha! It would be just like Jerry Reinsdorf to opt-out well before Bryce Harper can in the next deal he secures. Of course, Scott Boras will be sure to include a no-trade clause in any deal but the “swell-out” he’s fond of might actually work better for a White Sox front office that refused to offer Manny Machado a player opt-out like the Padres did.
If the White Sox actually took their Machado offer to Harper and guaranteed those 9th and 1oth year vesting options their bid would be very competitive to the one that the Phillies are reportedly offering. The Boras swell-out after the 5th year might also be something the White Sox would be amenable to since it would be a mutual one instead of a player only opt-out. This could work if JR would only pony up like his front office promised he would do to facilitate and expedite the White Sox rebuild going forward.
The Dodgers were my prediction from the jump for Harper, but that was assuming my other prediction (Manny to the Phillies) was gonna happen. Now that Philly didn’t sign Manny, I think they’re gonna severely outbid the Dodgers, especially after that dumb comment “we’re spending silly money”. All that did was throw chum in the water for the Philly fanbase. At this point…. I just want the season to start.
Phillies don’t have as much money as SF or LA, just that SF and LA are smart enough to know that spending “stupid money” isn’t the right path. I think they can possibly entice Harper with an opt out though, which might be their best chance at striking a deal.
they have plenty of money. and of course there is an opt out.
“Plenty” isn’t more than SF or LA.
How do you know, genius? Stop spouting crap you know nothing about.
I know because the Giants owner is the richest in all of baseball, the Giants recently got sponsored by Oracle, and the LA Dodgers make the most revenue of any team with their attendance and Spectrum deal.
The “stupid money” quote has been used more this offseason,than any money used stupidly by the Phillies.
I just want to clarify Phillies have an absolute ton of money and they’re less likely to hit the luxury tax threshold than LA.
Right, that’s why I’m still not doubling down on my initial prediction. When the offseason began I predicted Harper to LA and Machado to Philly. Now that Machado signed with SD, I think Philly will severely outbid the Dodgers to get Harper. That comment about stupid or silly money kinda put the Phillies FO in a corner. They can’t end up empty handed.
Despite the comments, the Phillies showed that they are not willing to spend stupid money. They let Machado walk at 300 mil. I think that’s why we’re at a stalemate here with Harper. IMO The Phillies are not going over 300 (yet). Harper wants over 300. But the Phillies don’t feel like anyone else is really bidding. Harper is trying to get more bidding going on. Takes meetings with Dodgers to hear them out; even if they can’t outbid Philly it’ll light a fire under the Phillies butt. If Phillies put 330+ on the table I think they’ll land Harper, but I’m not so sure they’re willing to do that.
They could give 10/400 and still not hit it
Harper would already by a Philly of they offered 10/400.
They’re not going that high.
Boras is the best.
….Or The Worst……depending on “which side of the table you are on”……LOL
Your ‘uncle Boras’?
Hmmmm, stay in the NL East in Philadelphia, or go play in LA, in the land of sunshine and movie stars, plus closer to home?
Of course he wants to play in LA.
This Braves fan hopes he goes West, or even to the Mariners 😀
Gang capital of the world, getting shot for wearing the wrong color, having to understand multiple languages, earthquakes, being forgotten as your games are on and over when everyone east is sleeping and then there’s the taxes and costs of living in California…
Fox news much?
“Facts don’t care about your feelings”
Well if you’re going to cite the pluses for one side don’t cherry pick and leave out the negatives.
I’m from Cali and polish hammer is spot on
Still believe that it’s going to be either Giants or Dodgers, both will competitively bid against each other which will drive the price high enough to Harper’s liking.
Giants aren’t a serious rival for the Dodgers anymore.
Phillies can outbid both of them
The Giants and Dodgers would smash Philadelphia in a bidding war! Two of the Richest teams in baseball right there. I wouldn’t pay Harper for ten years either, who would want to pay for the last five years of harpers bad years? He only hit (.250) maybe last year. Homers might hang around for five more then the decline. Giants and Dodgers are right to offer only 5-6 year contracts. If either team reaches 10 year marks, Harper chooses either one over Philadelphia. No doubt
Balk, Middleton sold his cigar company to RJ Reynolds for over 2 billion dollars..add to that, the Phillies signed a huge contract with Comcast..In 2022, they will only have $64m on the books…
Don’t worry about the Phillies and their cash
Oh I’m not worried about the Phillies and there cash. That was the point of the post. People want to act like they have more money then the other clubs cause they don’t have a lot of money on the books means nothing. No one cares about what’s on the books. If the Giants or Dodgers want to get into a bidding war with the Phillies then they could and just go over the tax. Period! On top of that, the Giants just changed their name for a crap ton of cash, along with their park already paid off, along with their new development along side the park. Way more cash along with the richest owner in baseball!
I don’t see the Dodgers going over the tax threshold. I think it’s a two-team race. Phillies vs Giants. I think the Phillies are in a better place in terms of contention. I also think Citizen’s Bank Park is better for Harper’s stats. SF on the other hand, is closer to Vegas. So it all comes down to money IMO.
Who wins the bidding war? I don’t know.
I could also be completely wrong and the Nats or someone could come in out of nowhere.
I highly doubt they’d “smash” them in a bidding war. Stop it
If he lowers his year demand I could see several teams calling boras with interest none of which would be the yankees.
Harper is in it for the money. Boras’ ego will not let him take a short deal. Dodgers cannot offer a 10yr 300M + contract. They can….but they wont. It’s all economics at this point
It’s his one big shot at a long term and big dollar contract, he should take as long as he wants. He has to be happy first and foremost, the agent will have to be pleased but the union will most certainly have something to say if he rushes and leaves money on the table. So of course a signing of his magnitude takes time.
The Dodgers are just hanging on the periphery to ensure that the Giants don’t get him. I’m guessing he’s still going to Philadelphia but there’s no way LA is letting him play in SF.
If I’m the Dodgers, I’d want Giants to sign him and waste all those resources just to sign a player for his marketability when everyone knows the Giants arent going anywhere for several years.
If this comes down to Dodgers or Phillies and Harper signs with the Phillies just because they were the only team to offer a 10 year deal I will never understand it. Then again I don’t understand players taking Insein contracts no wing odds are they will never see a World Series during that time. If I was Harper I would be more than happy taking a shorter deal for more money per year and odds are see a handful of World Series appearances.
At Golden! LOLOLOLOLOL
It’s a job. Job security is important. What’s not to understand? How many World Series have the Dodgers won in the last 20 years? 0. How many have the Phillies won? 1. a World Series is never a guarantee. Both are competitive organizations in big markets. You go with the best offer.
Phillies are kind of at fault for this,coming out weeks ago saying there’s no deadline on a deal with 1 if the big 2…..but this is out of hand.They need to put their best offer forward,give it a deadline,and if he don’t take it,walk away.McCutchen said it right,the team has to be together,to build that chemistry.The teams together,and he’s in Vegas saying 300+ mil ain’t enough,or Philly ain’t good enough.Either way,somethings gotta give.
So, basically, the Phillies are the only team willing to offer Harper a long-term deal in the ballpark of his asking price (10+ years at 300+ million). However, it’s very clear that Harper doesn’t want to play in Philadelphia; otherwise he would’ve already accepted their top offer.
Any other interested teams might offer him a higher AAV, but with a shorter term. He doesn’t seem to be interested in that, either.
So, basically he’s trying to play the teams against each other to get a longer term deal elsewhere, and so far nobody is willing to budge.
It will be interesting to see if Harper finally caves in and accepts the best offer from Philadelphia, when all signs point to him NOT wanting to play there. Or, if he swallows his pride, and ends up taking a shorter term deal at a more desirable location.
Or, does he continue to hold out and wait for another mystery team to swoop in and give him what he wants (i.e. Machado/Padres)?
If you believe that the Phillies are the only team willing to offer Harper a long term deal just because Nightengale said it, I have some oceanfront property I would like to sell you in Phoenix.
Phillies should’ve gone harder after Machado. They could’ve had him.
Agreed
It’s obvious Harper doesn’t want to go to Philly, or else he would’ve already signed there. I don’t see why he doesn’t look for a shorter, two year, deal anywhere else. 2 yrs, $60M/$65M would be enough to satisfy the monetary aspect yet only put said team on the hook for 2 yrs. That’d open the bidding for a lot of other teams too, I think.
That’s exactly why you’re not an agent or an athlete
And in two years the CBA falls apart and gets restructured in a way he’ll never see a 10/$300m deal. It’s his one time to truly cash in, he needs to take as long as he wants.
Bryce Harper signing with the Dodgers would be more bad news for the Cubs, even more so than if he inked a deal with the Phillies.
If the White Sox are truly out on Harper, then him signing with the Dodgers might be the best alternative. This would potentially free up a young impacting left-handed bat the White Sox could use going forward. That could be an OF like Joc Pederson for a shorter duration or better yet one like Cody Bellinger or Alex Verdugo as a longer term foundation piece.
I doubt that LA would deal Bellinger since he can also play 1B but Verdugo would still be a great addition to the White Sox. He would give them their future core RF, one with a plus-plus arm 70-grade throwing arm. More importantly, Verdugo is one of the best pure young hitting prospects in MLB. He consistently makes contact and hits to all fields. His lack of SO’s would be a blessing to a White Sox club that had a historic amount of whiffs in 2018. Verdugo, along with the promotion of another pure hitting, low SO prospect in 2B Nick Madrigal sometime in 2020 would give the White Sox three batters with excellent hit tools. That third in Eloy Jimenez also comes with elite power.
I still hold out hope that the White Sox will take their Manny Machado money and offer it to Harper, including guaranteeing the 9th and 1oth year vesting options that would make their offer competitive to one the Phillies have reportedly offered. But if that is not in the cards then a future OF alignment on the South Side of Jimenez in LF, Luis Robert in CF and Verdugo in RF would be one heck of a consolation prize. A top four in the batting order of Robert, Madrigal, Verdugo and Jimenez could also be something special.
Forget it, top FAs aren’t coming to Chicago. Harper will be useless in a few years anyway.
“Harper will be useless in a few years anyway”.
Sure……
Why do you think the Nats moved on so fast. Harper is clearly declining, and his defense makes him a replacement level player as soon as his HR and RBI totals drop below 25/80.
Uhhhhh, because they knew they probably couldn’t afford and needed to address other areas of need with a payroll nowhere near as deep as other clubs
Harper is “clearly declining”
He’s 26! Stop it
And when the NL adopts the DH, his value will be raised
Why would the Sox want Joc Pederson? There’s a million cheap alternatives I’d rather give a chance to, especially given that he isn’t controlled long-term. There’s no way the Sox get Bellinger or Verdugo without giving something up something legit.
Joc Pederson is Adam Dunn.
I like Bellinger but I think the league has figured out the blind spots in his swing
Your final paragraph here shows your sox could be plenty good without him. Obviously Harper makes any team better. But like the Padres & Phillies, there is a ton to like about the future of that team
Verdugo would be a great pivot if they miss on Harper
Why do the Dodgers care about paying the luxury tax? As long as they are below the “1st rounder drops 10 spots” threshold I feel like their attitude toward the luxury tax should be something along the lines of “No problem. We’ll pay that too!”
Because Friedman cares more about being perceived as a shrewd businessman than he does about winning a championship., His mindset is such that he is satisfied with the Dodgers competing to get into the playoffs and anything beyond that is just gravy.
The fact you believe that is funny.
Phillies – fell him time is up. Pull that offer and get some pitching. Already have 5-6 outfielders.
The Phillies outfield is a huge weakness in terms of offense. Altherr/Williams/Quinn are not going to provide much with the bat. Harper is a huge upgrade and should be the Phillies priority.
That being said, I agree with you. I actually think the Phillies are being smart about this. If they were in the 350 range, Harper would have already signed. In my opinion, the Phillies are only at the 300 range (if even). Harper wants more. The Phillies don’t see anyone else as a legitimate threat so they’re calling Boras’ bluff. Boras is doing last-minute calls to up the bidding. It may work. It may not. Dodgers saw an opportunity to get creative with a short-term offer. Not exactly what Harper wants, but we’ll see.
Phillies need to take $5m off their offer for every day Harper doesn’t sign. Send a message to Boras that not only will they not bid against themselves, but they will punish him for trying to make them.
sounds like a great way to win over the guy you want!
Also…. 10+ years seems to be a big issue. Maybe the Phillies didn’t go to 10?
Seems like the Padres got into the talks for Machado by being willing to go to 10 years, maybe that’s what is going on here too?
Go get keuchel and have a nice rotation of nola, arrieta and keuchel. Straight up thats what i would do, i think harper will be an albatross when all is said and done.
Look, man, I ain’t fallin’ for no banana in my tailpipe!
You tell ‘em, champ!
Classic. Now I’m gonna have to watch Bev Hills Cop tonight.
This saga is ridiculous. Months of negations have lead no where. If I am the Phillies (or any team for that matter) I would not like getting played by Boras/Harper. I would give them 24 hours to accept my best offer before the offer is pulled off the table. Force Boras/Harper to make a decision or risk settling on a sub-par offer. If that means, my team doesn’t get Harper, I am perfectly fine with that. I would rather have Trout or Nolan A. anyways.
That is plain silly. A ten year deal is the same on March 1st as January 1st except that your window to negotiate with plan B is reduced. Decide what he is worth and pay it, but not more. What bothers me is the opt outs. If a long term deal is worth the risk, you have to have a chance of getting a good deal. Harper is worth $325 million for ten years, but no opt outs no swell opts and other such nonsense. Otherwise, offer $35 to $40 million per year for two to four years. The players union cannot complain if half the teams in the league would pay Harper 3 years at $100 million.
What incentive is there to offer a long deal if there are opt-outs for the player? You’re literally solely giving the player a safeguard in case they get injured or crater. No thanks. He should go for a deal with a huge yearly value. Machado is a huge exception; the days of players getting long deals are done, and you can blame the players that came before.
I think we are in agreement just phrasing it differently. Offer $330 million ten years no opt outs allowed, or offer $110 million for three years or $40 million for one year. Teams should be competing, but this includes long-term strategy.
You are right a 10 year deal is the same in January as it is in March. Boras and Harper have had plenty of time to accept any one of the multiple offers they have received… But they haven’t. There is no reason to allow Boras and Harper to hijack a teams off-season. Cut the cord and move on if he will not sign a contract that you have already presented him.
Moving in a different direction, has nothing to do with the players union, or any record breaking contract Bryce might sign. It can easily be justified why a team/owner choose not to spend his/there money on Harper.
You do realize that Trout or Arenado are not available options, and may not become available.
Sounds like he’s begging for a reason not to go to Philly lol. They have the money he wants but he doesn’t want to be there.
I don’t believe that narrative at all. It’s already been debunked by “sources” close to Harper. I think Harper is just trying to get the deal he wants and even the Phillies aren’t giving it t him.
Or he really just prefers another team. Waited patiently for said team and now is hammering out a deal
This doesn’t have to be a knock on Philly… It could be as simple as a preference. 10 years is a long time
Dear L.A.,
Please please please sign him to a ridiculous albatross contract so we can’t.
Love,
Philly
Just the opposite, if it’s leaked LA is trying to then that offer from Philly needs to go up. If I’m Philly I’m pissed at LA for bidding in an auction they have no desire to win.
If I am Dodgers, I would offer three years at $39 million per year for a total of $117 million, with no opt-outs. Not trying to compete with Phillies but to make sure that Giants don’t get Harper.
The old I’ll sign him so my rival doesn’t method does not work.
All I can say is thank goodness Harper/Boras turned down the Nats $300M/10yr offerback in September. Rizzo and Co dodged a bullet on that one. There is only one player that I would even think about paying that much for that long, and he plays CF and wears a halo.
I don’t care if he’s 26, or 20. I’m not giving any player a ten year deal for that much money. You can see the industry shifting away from these large, long-term FA contracts. Just too risky.
Turned it down because it wasn’t exactly 10/$300m after all…
The only way Bryce signs with the Dodgers is on a 1 year deal for ridiculous money $40M/yr). He would then re-enter FA next year at age 27 and should still able to find an 8-9 year deal at the same, or higher AAV that he is looking for if he has a monster year in LA. I just can’t see Harper signing a 4-6 year contract with LA or SF regardless of its AAV. That puts him in the age 32-33 bracket which has been very unkind to players in that pool the last 2-3 years.
Lastly, I wouldn’t rule the Nationals out of this competition just yet. The Lerner / Boras relationship is well known and you have to think there is an agreement for Boras to give the Nats a shot at matching or exceeding the best and final offer (whenever that may be). I’m just glad this is finally coming to a resolution soon! Best of luck to Philly, would love to see them land him.
Harper and Dodgers both win one year $40 million, Harper had a bad first half of season last year, just get injury insurance, the draft pick will not be an issue for Harper. Or if the Phillies have $300 in real money on the table, and I believe that they do, take it. Decide by March 1st and you have no complaints from this fan.
More like 5/175, with an opt out after 3.
One for 40?
If offers are 6 or 7, the ask will probably be 40 per ….
If Harper has another year where he hits less then 250 he will never get any real nice contract. Teams would look at him as a 245 ba hitter who will hit maybe 30 hrs and be real weak defensively hardly a 300 million dollar player. Right now some people looking at his MVP year and think he will get there again another down year hard to see anyone still believing that
He’s not signing a 1 year deal at $40M. No way, no how. The risk for Harper is absurdly high. Maybe if a team was willing to pay $60-70M, but nobody is doing that.
If Harper has a freak injury in 2019, his hopes for a 7+ year long term contract evaporate and his AAV will take a hit as well. So what, like 6 years and $125M? He loses $100M+ by that happening.
That would put pressure on signing a 1 year prove it contract for 2020 to get his AAV back up… BUT
2021 is a CBA year… and things are lining up for a potential work stoppage. Yeah, that’s probably not a great situation.
So that’s why the risk on not taking a long term deal is so incredibly high right now.
He’s still just a kid. The freak accident issue isn’t as strong here. He has plenty of time to recover from almost anything
This seems a lot like how Manny’s situation went down. One team was loudly courting him, while another was doing the real negotiating behind closed doors.
New team gets announced….and within a day or two the signing is then announced
One day this will finally end.
This is just the free market system at work. He should try to get the best deal that he can, like any of us would do, but it is tedious for a fan of the game to follow. Esp since spring training games have started and so many “false starts”.
I’m not sure why people love to hate Harper so much. He’s a right fielder so his maximum value is certainly capped by a low value position, but he’s a 5 WAR player. I don’t think he’s some MVP caliber 7+ WAR player, but he should give a reliable 5 wins with an excellent bat and a very young age going for him.
I certainly poo-pooed the idea of a 13+ year $400-500M contract that MLBTR was predicting initially, but 10yrs at $300-330 isn’t unreasonable. I didn’t think he’d get there as the market fell apart, but now the signing of Machado and the rumors suggesting Harper is turning down $300M offers makes me feel he’s going to land in that neighborhood.
What has been typically missing from the conversation on dollars is how much less $30M / yr will be worth 5 or 10 years from now. In 10 years a $30M salary would likely be worth about $20M at the growth rate. At a 5% increase.
1. 2019 (26) = $30.0M
2. 2020 (27) = $28.5M
3. 2021 (28) = $27.3M
4. 2022 (29) = $26.0M
5. 2023 (30) = $24.7M
6. 2024 (31) = $23.5M
7. 2025 (32) = $22.4M
8. 2026 (33) = $21.3M
9. 2027 (34) = $20.3M
10. 2028 (35) = $19.3M
By the time the contract is running down, his salary will still be large, but hardly elite at $30M annually.
Are you reading all the comments? There you will find the answer to your question. Too many injuries being young, expect even more as he gets older. Check his rbi’s, runs, games played, average defensive skills or lack of a golden glove,lack of charismatic personality or team player, check what he did in Washington during the past few years – they know him – We should too. I wouldn’t pay more than $10m per year –
up to $20m more per year based on performance for 5 years – both out option after 3. Performance: games play, rbi’s, at bat, hr, mvp ranking, all star games,and specific defensive metrics, contract is void if there is evidence of EPD used anytime, or guilty of Domestic Violence.
In what world is Harper a 5 WAR player. In 7 years he’s been a 5 WAR player twice. In 7 years he has a 27.4 WAR which averages out to a 4 WAR player and that average is badly skewed by his MVP year when he was a ridiculous 10 WAR player Take that year away and he goes down to a 3 WAR player Truth is he hasn’t been a 5 WAR player since his MVP year and the only other time he was a 5 WAR player was as a rookie In his last 3 years he has a WAR of 7.5 which puts him at an average WAR of 2.5
You ask what world….then the very next sentence state that twice already he has been a 5 war player
Sheesh!
Yeah but the implication was he averages a 5 WAR. Matg Harvey had one year when he was a 5.4 WAR and one year when he was a 4.8 WAR and he’s done it in one less year then Harper.I guess Matt Harvey is a 5 WAR player too.Why aren’t people offering him 30 million per year Sheesh!
Yeah but the implication was he averages a 5 WAR. Matt Harvey had one year when he was a 5.4 WAR and one year when he was a 4.8 WAR and he’s done it in one less year then Harper.I guess Matt Harvey is a 5 WAR player too.Why aren’t people offering him 30 million per year Sheesh!
Bob Nightengale guessing again. Hasn’t been right in a while. He is due.
Has he ever been right? I mean at rumors or predictions like this, not at reporting something after the fact.
Oh come on.
Even LOST didn’t feel this long and drawn out.
minor league deal with an invite to spring. 750,000 dollars.
Phillies Gonna Go To $400 Million. ? ? ?
Nailed it!
He wanted to play in LA from day 1. Giants are probably the more appealing “fall back” option. Dodgers always made the most sense here
Nothing against the Phillies… I highly doubt Harper has a “no” list. It just always seemed like this guy wanted to play near Hollywood. I don’t get it, but good for him if he gets what he wants
Who the hell is gonna down vote this? You are exactly spot on. If he ends up with the Dodgers then he can truly say this is where he always wanted to be (or Yankees?).
As a Phillies fan this is gonna be disappointing at first. I’m sure I’ll throw a fit and curse Middleton, Klentak, and MacPhail.. Maybe the players they’ve brought in will be enough to get the team to keep pace with Atl, Wash, & NYM. Maybe they’ll land a big fish in next year’s free agency. Maybe Harper will be a spectacular fail in LA. But maybe, just maybe, he does sign with Philly and life as a fan will be that much better.
There is a lot to like about what’s going on in Philly. Harper speeds up the return to winning by a lot. But even without him, that team is exciting
I worry about all of the talk… A lot of the time that signals we wanted him but knew we never really stood a chance. Definitely could be wrong, I hope so for a lot of Padres reasons.
Fangraphs pegs that park in Philly as a top 5 park for LH bats… Maybe they are Harpers very close second pick? Would be cool to see a reverse Werth!
To keep competitiveness in the National League it would be good for Bryce to go to the Giants or then the Phillies, The Dodgers have a well balanced and stacked superstar team,would also love to see him on an American League team,just not my Rangers, He is gonna be a 30 plus million dollar payroll hit for quiet a few years and that’s no bueno. Seems he wants L.A.
I expect Harper to sign a 150 year, 3 million a year contract. Keeps the dodgers out of the luxury tax and a nice steady flow of $$$ to Harper and his family after he’s gone
If he was going to sign for 3 years, big if, it wouldn’t be for $150 but more like $100-120mil
Reading is fundamental.
The multi-million dollar question remains: Where does Bryce Harper sign?
If the Phillies are the only team offering a long term $300M + deal it would be hard for him to choose a shorter term deal with the Dodgers or Giants. not just for personal reasons but also for the benefit of his fellow players. The likely added player opt-out or Boras “swell-out” a few years into the deal ought to cinch if for the Phillies if the Dodgers and Giants don’t budge on a longer term commitment.
Look at the source of the rumor that the Phillies are the only team that is offering more than 10/300. Nightengale. Mr. 7/175 and “Machado is going to the Phillies”. If he said it, you know its wrong. 100% of the time.
Breaking news: Harper will sign with a team. Idk who or when, but it’ll happen.
.. or for how much or how long.
The Phillies must feel like an ugly kid waiting for a prom date.
“If sexy LA, or hip SF won’t take me, I guess I’ll go with Phil!”
Lived in all 3 SF is the worst right now lol
Harper and Boras have made it clear that they want 10 years and a record AAV. If the Dodgers were truly still stuck on a shorter contract they would not even be in Las Vegas wooing Harper on Sunday. They went with a contract stronger than 10/300.
The Padres also went in with a deal that would make Harper the highest paid player ever. The Giants may have also. If the Phillies are still in the game, they know it’s going to take well above 10/300. The Nationals have not ruled out a return, but it sounds like they are not going to bump up the offer they made in December that was over 10/300.
At some time you have to call bs on the writers like this because their articles and tweets have so many logical fallacies. Why does this website even pass on anything Nightengale says? Mr. 7/175 and Machado is going to the Phillies. When he has proven to be 100% wrong, that seems like a good time to stop passing on his “rumors”.
Harper has multiple suitors and soon enough he will sign and it will be for a historic amount of money and at least 10 years and no one that is meeting with him is bringing offers that are less than 10/300. Not the Dodgers. Not the Giants. Not the Phillies. Not the Padres. Not anyone. They have all explored with Boras over the phone, texts, and emails what Harper is looking for in dollars and years long before they sat down with him and it makes no sense for them to come in with a short team deal knowing he has multiple 10+ year deals in hand. That would be an incredible waste of dollars and time. No business person does that. They just don’t.
If it was my money, I might try 7/275 …5 mill buyout on 30/25/20 options.
Can become player options (same buyout each year) if over 1100 total PA in the two years prior to the option coming due
280 or 40 per minimum, 350/10 max
Can I get a Harper?
I’m sure ideas like these are exactly what the meetings are all about
So long as they can say “10+ years &…..” at the presser
How many 33 year old players had 550 PA last season? 5? 6? 7? 8 maybe? Would you make the bet that in 7 years you would be one of the handful that do it?
You can get a Harper, won’t be Bryce though….
Are you Scott Boras? (Or Jon Heyman) You must be because that’s the most pro-Boras spin I’ve heard.
The Dodgers were in Vegas because Scott Boras and Bryce Harper asked them to come. They’re only interested in a shorter contract. The best way to convince them to get off a shorter deal and make a long-term offer is to appeal to Mark Walter directly. Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times is reporting that the Dodgers haven’t changed their minds.
The Nationals have ruled out a return. Mark Lerner said they’ve moved on and haven’t hear from Scott Boras in a couple of months.
The Phillies are the only team offering anything close to 10/300. Whatever the magic number is it’s above what the Phillies are offering. So Harper has two choices, either take the Phillies offer, which he thinks is too low, or try to get other teams interested.
No, he doesn’t have multiple 10+ year deals in hand. If he did, he would’ve signed one already.
Are you going call every opposing opinion Boras?
You are entitled to your opinion, this just weakens your stance
He’s not presenting an opposing opinion. An opposing opinion would be that I think Harper will sign with the Dodgers and he thinks Nationals. He’s presenting all sorts of facts that aren’t reflective of what people are saying. Mark Lerner ruled out a return. All reports are that the Dodgers and Giants are offering short term deals. He’s claiming the opposite.
The Nationals did not rule out a return. In fact, Mark Lerner said that the door is still cracked. Go listen to the interview.
If the Phillies were the only team offering $300 million, don’t you think he would have already signed. Writers that are much more credible than Nightengale have said he has turned down multiple offers that were at least 10/300. To anyone with even a little logic in their heads, that would be a clear indication that the Phillies are not the only team offering that much and that Harper wants and will get more than that.
Team owners are great businessmen. That is how they got the hundreds of millions that are needed to be part of an ownership group. They are not wasting their time and money to go to meet with a player and his agent unless they are bidding close to or more than what the agent has already told them the other offers are. That is just common sense.
I don’t care what Nightengale or any other writer said, that is the bottom line.
I listened to the interview. Lerner said they’d moved on, spent their money, and that Bryce had moved on. It sounded like he realized that he was sounding cold and unappreciative of Harper. So he threw in there that the door was always open and then finished with that they hadn’t heard from Boras in a couple of months. If they haven’t heard from him, they aren’t negotiating. If he says they’ve moved on, they aren’t making an offer.
If Harper called them and wanted a one year deal at a low amount I’m sure they’d take it.
I don’t know what the Phillies are offering. I only know it isn’t enough. So he isn’t taking it. Last year Boras turned down all offers for Arrieta because he wanted a 6 year contract bigger than Darvish got. Eventually he settled for one that was much less. Using your logic, teams were offering over $125 million to Arrieta last year.
Team owners are great businessmen. If Scott Boras invites you to meet with him and his client, you go. Dave Roberts specifically said the meeting was a meet and greet. A get to know you deal. I’m sure Boras hoped he could entice the Dodgers to beat the Phillies offer. I’m sure the Dodgers hoped Harper was ready for a short-term deal.
If every report that’s not from Jon Heyman is that the Phillies are the only ones offering a long term then that’s probably right.
That is one long baseless comment.
If wanted to go to Philly,this would be over already his fellow players are no concern he’s waiting everybody out in the West to see if they give him the term he wants
I guess Philly was bluffing when they were talking about “Stupid” money
Stupid money would have been announced by now…
What was said is this……………….. “We’re going into this expecting to spend money, and maybe even be a little bit stupid about it. We just prefer not to be completely stupid.” and ““It’s good because it gives you the opportunity to explore a lot of different ways, but it’s difficult because it creates a lot of options. So, you’re talking to a lot of people, and do a lot of evaluations.’’ as well as “As Andy likes to tell me, ‘John, we are playing baseball after 2019, so, you can’t spend every last dime after this year. You got to have something in the tank for future years.’’
It was they media and fans who phrased it “stupid money while ignoring the rest of the statement, just like with Machado.
Fair enough
That was in the follow up interview. Now quote the first one.
Pads Fans…..
That was the original…11/16/18 ( usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nighte… ). Prove me wrong, provide a link, and I’ll apologize.
My guess is he’s probably just using the Philly offer as leverage to the west coast teams. It’s pretty apparent that he wants to play near his hometown. Though I think if SF or LA doesn’t want to up their offers or meet his 300m mark, he’ll end up with the Phillies.
✌
Scott Boras’ big problem here is that last year he was looking for a 5-6 year deal for Jake Arrieta and couldn’t get one. The Phillies said they’d meet the AAV Boras wanted and to come back when Arrieta was willing to take 3 years. Eventually, Boras did. The Phillies refused to bid against themselves and beat Scott Boras. Clearly, the Phillies are confident they can do it again and won’t be swayed by emotion.
except the Phillies overpaid for Arrieta last year and whomever signs Harper this year will overpay for him.
I don’t like Boras, but to think teams are beating him is a bit of an exaggeration.
Did Arrieta have a bad year in 2018? Who besides you is calling it an overpay??
he was 10-11 with a 3.96 ERA..
team went 14-17 in his starts.
in his 10 starts in August and September, he won 1 game (team won 2). he did have a great July leading to those 2 months though.
doesn’t seem worth $25M to me, but maybe he’ll have a great last 2 years of the deal.
I don’t really need anyone to agree with me that it was an overpay. I’m pretty sure the numbers speak for themselves.
While probably an overpay what a team did in his games is meaningless unless you think Degroms 10-9 with a 1.70 era wasn’t a great yearbecause he was only 10-9 and in that case Porcello who was 17-7 with a 4.28 era had a much better year
…and the Mets were 14-18 in degrom’s starts. Not that wins and losses matter. I’ll click the first downvote.
Harper had his 10 year $300 mil deal with the Nats and Boras blew that. Now he’ll get much less. Free agent contracts and bidding have changed. Boras hasn’t.
That offer had deferrals in it like every other Nationals big money contracts. it did not have present day value of $300M
Are there any tax benefits to the player with deferrals? Like with the lotto….I know those are completely different tax scenarios. Is there a benefit to the player too? Seems like there must be something in it for the players
Depends on what you mean. Deferrals generally mean somebody is deciding not to take salary in the current year in order to take it later. In a business environment, this would be like 401k or a non-qualified retirement plan. The ability to receive income after you’re no longer working.
For the record, lottery deferrals benefit the payer, not the payee.
There are potential benefits, but the risks are substantial as well. If the tax rates increase on the highest income earners in the future, the player would be paying more taxes on their income and with a higher income. In example, if Harper signed at 10 yrs / $300M starting at $23.25M increasing to $36.75M and tax rates (federal+state, etc) increased from an effective 35% to 44% over that 10 year period, it would mean $120M in taxes vs. paying $8M less at $112M at $30M annually in that scenario.
The advantage would be inflationary buying power. If he was an idiot with his money, he’d have more windfall later to recover and his salary would keep up with inflation.
It seems likely Harper is going to get 10yrs and $300-330M, just not with the Nationals. I’d say 95% to the Phillies right now.
I think the general feeling is that Boras and Harper have moved from their initial ask by a LOT.
Wishful thinking by Media and fans that players will play for their team and they twist everything. With it taking so long and teams jumping in late could mean that Harper doesn’t want to play for the Phillies.
Sounds like he doesn’t want philly? WSox owner hates boras so they never really an option yanks all full up and boras pal owner of tigers passed away. I’m guessing dodgers
Sounds to me like he’d like to leverage other potential suitors against the Phillies to get the biggest possible offer like what every good negotiator would do in his situation.
SF and LA aren’t close in this competition based on what we’re hearing, but Harper stands to potentially benefit a lot if Philadelphia thinks SF and LA are legitimately bidding.
“SF and LA aren’t close in this competition based on what we’re hearing”
I haven’t heard of an offer from either one of those teams. Just a rumor that it is fewer years.
Article states end of the week. Five more click bait days.
There’s nothing in the headline that misleadingly induces you to click.
Correct.
I wonder IF the Nats put their original offer back on the table, 10/$300m, whether he takes that. With his reluctance to sign with Philly and lack of other competitive bids, I feel like he’d embrace a return to the Nats for that offer now.
I agree, that offer might get it done now.
You’re probably right. Mark Lerner said they spent the intervening time spending that money on other players. The Nationals have a payroll a little higher than last year already. They haven’t behaved like they want to blow $30 million past that.
but you dont know how much of that was deferred.
The Giants desperately need Harper. The Dodgers not so much. Unlike the Dodgers, these last few years haven’t been successful at drafting and producing MLB level talent. The Giants do not have any good outfielders.
Giants don’t have many good players period
Can we just be done already? Make up your mind man.
As a lifelong Phillies fan, I hope he takes the Dodgers offer. He’s too soft to handle Philly, and we will boo the crap out of him if he signs up for $300 + million and doesn’t earn it (which, if recent history is any indication, he is unlikely to do).
You should hope he doesn’t take the deal, but he is going to be in Philly. This is just all noise, its a done deal
This is getting into “Charlie Brown and the football” territory. Every time we think this saga is coming to an end, Lucy pulls the ball away. It’s getting really old.
Philly is the best fit for him still, 10 years 330-340 take it or leave it bryce.
That would be at least 50 million more than any other offer, why would they bid against themselves.
People please stop. He is just driving the Phillies deal up. No team is going more than 4 except the Phillies. So he is going to sign for 4/160 or 4/200? No, it’s Boras trying to drive the Phillies up to 10/350. He is NOT, and I stressed NOT taking a deal under. Bank on it
are you FDIC insured?
I have my sources, and believe me he was going to the Phillies the entire time. He is just trying to drive the deal toward the 400 million range
Like I said I have my sources.
cartpagano. I don’t understand how making a lower bid is driving the price up for the Phillies.
Boras is driving the per annual up. He was only going to 2 teams, the Nationals or Phillies. The Nationals moved on. I have no vested interest in this, but I guarantee he is going to the Philles
Dodgers can free up space ($33M) for Harper by sending Homer Bailey($23), Yasiel Sierra($5), Joc Pederson($5), Kiebert Ruiz, Walker Beuhler and Gavin Lux to Atlanta for Kolby Allard, Sam Freeman, Grant Dayton and Luke Jackson.
You won’t get through explaining that deal before Atlanta hangs up.
Since Bailey’s no longer on the team and can’t be included in that deal, Braves should definitely NOT hangup on that offer.
For Dodgers, Buehler’s not going anywhere, so this deal is moot. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him top 5 in Cy Young this year.
The Dodgers released Bailey immediately after acquiring him from the Reds.
Dude is doing everything in his power to try to get the Dodgers or Giants to put in some more years. I don’t blame ya Bryce it’s a trash team in Philly with even worse fans. The day you go 0-4 with 3k’s the fans will be throwing beers at you.
SF is beautiful city and best ballpark in baseball and the Dodgers have been the best team in the NL for two yrs and are in win now mode for the next several. If I’m LA I offer 5/200 with the 5th year being a opt out when he is 30 yrs old. Gets him @ 40 mill as AAV and then he can sign with the Yanks as a DH for another 4-5 yrs and hit bombs over that little league fence in right field.
Keep dreaming dude, its not happening. Makes zero sense to take a shorter deal because his career could end and then he leaves 200 million on the table. LA is a better place to play than Philly, but unless they offer 10/330, he’s not going there. This is just a Boras tactic
With Kershaw’s season in jeopardy, moving high end starting pitching makes no sense.
How did that work out?
Are you sure? He was supposed to make his decision on February 14th
If I was a Philly fan, I’d be pissed. No way he goes to Philly when he obviously doesn’t want to be there.
Those fans want players that want to be there.
Absolutely! As a lifelong Phillies fan, including almost 6 decades of loyalty in the face of some really bad years, “pissed” doesn’t even begin to approach how strongly the feeling that this tool generates. And for the sheep who’ve been snowed into believing that he’s an indispensable piece and who have denied the toxicity he’ll bring, take a step back and look long and hard at this crap show. Walk the !@$& away!
Who cares. 300 plus million for a career .279 hitter 75 RBI’s and 26 HR’s average. Really 7 years in the league when will the “ hype” lead to results? One great year doesn’t deserve a contract like that. Bryce needs a little humble pie. I would be a bigger Phillie fan if they pulled out
I wish more Phillies fans would pull out …
MLBTradeRumors? Nightengale is ALWAYS WRONG. Rinse and repeat. He just wants the publicity you are giving him.
Damn they’re back in talks this afternoon! Crazy! Looks like he wants LA bad. Can’t blame him Philly isn’t gonna contend and the fans are the worst. Deal could be done by tomorrow they’re saying.
Its gonna be funny when the DBacks and Rockies win the west and 1st wild card. And LA doesnt make the postseason at all. And then the Phillies and Braves win the east and 2nd wild card or possibly tie for the division and have a game 163
And then, later on, monkeys will fly out of your butt.
Not too likely, Dodgers add a Seager and Dbacks subtract a Goldie, subtract a Corbin and subtract a Pollock. Let’s assume that Kershaw pitches at least half a regular season similar to 2018. Dodgers are a shoo-in to win 90 games and Dbacks are rather unlikely to do so. Rockies are harder to predict with Hampton and Tapia, but Dodgers seem like they have a good shot again in the West. Now I do think Nats, Phils and Braves all have a good shot in the East. Braves starting pitching seems like a weak link, though Acuna might be the MVP. Phils seem balanced and Nick Williams could hit .260 with 20 home runs for 300 million less than Harper. Nats have full year of Soto, Corbin and Doolittle. But if Phils miss Harper, I assume that will consider Dallas or Kimbrel in that order. Cubs have to be in the mix, had they not gambled and lost on Yu, they would have topped Brew Crew. Plug in Arrieta for Darvish and Cubs would have done better. Playoff teams: division winners Dodgers, Cubs, Nationals. Wild cards pick any two among Cardinals, Phillies, Braves, and Brewers and Rockies. I think Harper only adds 2-3 wins for Phils over Williams, but no doubt 2-3 wins could mean post-season versus no post-season..
That’s a lot of assumptions…
Yeah the rebuilding Dbags that just lost their 2 best hitters and are begging for someone to trade with them to rid them of Greinke. You’re drunk
Dbacks lost Goldie and Corbin and Pollock! Only Yasmany Tomas can save them now, LOL.
yawn.
Wake me up when it’s over.
Stupid Boras won’t let him sign for less than 10 years 🙁
Boras won’t let him sign for less than 10 years even if Harper wants to play for LA:(
Will Boras ground him if he disobeys?
Dodgers sign AJ Pollock to 55/3 he gets paid 18 million next season???
They could have saved that money for Harper. Pollock is worth 5-8 million a season max.
Harper or Pollock? The Dodgers are on the way down.
Let’s not forget Boras doesn’t call the shots. He works for Harper. Let’s stay on course ladies and gentlemen.
Pollock who is one of the better center fielders in baseball is only worth 5-8 mill?? Haha cmon buddy it sounds like you’re spending too much time in the gas lamp district.
5-8 million at best for a part time player that hits. .250
This is a deal comparable to the Giants Barry Zito deal.
If I’m Philly I’m backing out and taking my offer of the table, he clearly doesn’t want to play for Philly or else he would’ve signed already! Take the offer off the table and watch Bryce and bores freak out and scramble to get that 300+ deal then.
Agreed – wholeheartedly! Philly. Doesn’t. Need. Him.
Dodgers
What are the S.F. Giants waiting for ,it’s obvious that he wants to play for the Giants or he would’ve taken the Phillies offer because they are given all that he seeks and he still hasn’t signed.so has the White Sox’s, he wants to be close to home and be the star and the Giants offer that.so please S.F. sign him already….
I think it’s pre-mature to assume it’s down to three teams. . .
It’s more or less, does he want to play in philadelphia the rest of his life or accept short term deal?
If he’s willing to accept short-term deal, I believe it’s safe to say atleast 12 teams would jump back in.
The latest is the Japanese and Mexican league are interested in paying a record number of pesos or yen to Harper, according to a reliable source quoted by Boras in the radio. They know the super star with only one year with 100 rbi’s worth it and his advice from Barry will pay fruits to be healthier as he get older.