SUNDAY: The Giants plan on making Harper a short-term, big-money offer, but they’re uninterested in giving him a long-term contract along the lines of the 10-year, $300MM proposal he rejected from the Nationals, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
SATURDAY: The Giants’ meeting with free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper took place this past Monday, and it lasted twice as long as expected, per reports from Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Harper’s summit with Giants CEO Larry Baer, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Bruce Bochy was supposed to span two hours, but it went four. After their Las Vegas visit with Harper, “there certainly was an increase in optimism” that the Giants could reel him in, writes Pavlovic, who adds there’s “an increased sense” in the clubhouse that the superstar wants to sign with San Francisco.
The Giants, for their part, are understandably bullish on Harper. On Saturday, one day after Zaidi made it known the Giants are indeed going after Harper, Baer did the same while lavishing praise on the longtime National.
“Bryce Harper is an amazing player,” Baer said. “It’s very hard, and these are competitions, and I can’t handicap it. I don’t know where we are. But we’re giving it a shot. That’s all we can do.”
Baer also made note of Harper’s age, 26, as one of the six-time All-Star’s main selling points and even referred to the Giants’ successful courtship of Barry Bonds in 1992. Then 28, Bonds, like Harper now, reached free agency after establishing himself as one of the game’s preeminent players. And the Giants managed to wrest Bonds away from Pittsburgh, where he spent the first seven years of his career, and fend off other suitors by offering him a then-record contract worth $43.75MM over six years. As Bonds did nearly 27 years ago, Harper could now be in position to set a new high-water mark when it comes to baseball contracts. It seems Harper’s aiming to approach or surpass Giancarlo Stanton’s historic $325MM pact, having reportedly turned down a $300MM-plus offer from the Nats earlier this offseason.
The Giants didn’t make an offer to Harper when they met with him, nor do they expect the protracted race for his services to end this weekend, according to Pavlovic. But as a big-spending franchise that sported the National League’s least valuable outfield in 2018, San Francisco’s second straight horrendous showing in the standings, it seems as logical a landing spot for Harper as any team in the game. And now, after winning three World Series from 2010-14 but falling from grace lately, the goal is “to bring championships back to the Giants’ fans,” Baer noted. While adding Harper may not vault the Giants back into title contention immediately, Baer’s of the belief that “one player can make a difference.”
Please…..just sign somewhere….
You don’t have to read the articles
I’m with PhilliesFan
I’m with stupid
Where you guys at?
You don’t have to respond to comments you unnecessary
Haha! …golf clap.
Why? Don’t people love the drama of excitement of baseball transactions? When it’s actually happening everyone complains. Would be really exciting if they both waited until the first week of April and then signs. Gamechanger to have an MVP candidate suddenly on your team a week in to the season
Sign late to mammoth contract, then perform like slug because skip spring training!
Why are people writing comments like Confucius lately?
This kid is 13 and has appeared in the comments all of the sudden. But his grammar is atrocious.
Chinese New Year?
Lol I’m 31 and have been commenting here going on a dozen years. I sincerely apologize that I write my comments in a string of consciousness and don’t edit. You get my point
I’m glad that you’re here to comment about grammar and not baseball. It really brings up the quality of the comment section to have you around <3
I don’t think English is his first language, take it easy.
so is yo momma
He who go sleep with itchy butt wake up with smelly finger.
Fans don’t love “it” because it’s mid February and owners haven’t signed 150 – 2018 rostered players yet ! WTF?
We don’t love it or are tired of it because these 2 selfish clowns (Manny-Bryce) continue to hold the rest “hostage”, ducking over a few years more or $5M more x year ! How greed takes over- I get it guys but I’m tired of paying over $125 for 3 to attend a game sitting in OF and $9 beers and $50 to 60 in food for family !
Get real with America & your fans !
I don’t get how either Bryce or Manny not signing has an impact on other FA’s and their contracts. If you are a GM looking for a hitter, you probably already have a target budget which would obviously include or exclude Harper and Machado. Their markets are not overlapping much if at all. How does that hold the rest of the FA class hostage?
Not picking on you yankeemanu023, but I have read this before and I don’t see the logic.
When will people realize that player salaries don’t directly effect ticket prices!
Be mad at the owners for exorbitant concessions, tix, and merch.
Just as in any other industry, it’s all about greedy executives wanting more than their share, squeezing the consumer (and usually lower level employees) to get it. Prices have little to do with what a team pays their players.
Just think about it, how much must an owner be making to have it be profitable to pay someone $30+mil a year? That means the owner is making more than $30mil per year by having that player on their team. The players put butts in the seats, but the owners decide how much the seats cost.
If owners didn’t need to make such ridiculous profits, tix would be closer to what they were 40 years ago (plus inflation) before blind greed became socially acceptable again in the 80’s.
For more evidence, consider that whatever teams sign Harper and machado won’t change prices for the upcoming season all of a sudden
If I won the lottery I’d buy the rays and make everything $5; tickets, beer, pop, burgers, brats. Popcorn and peanuts $2.
And you would be the guy that won the lottery & is broke 5 years later
Many teams are hesitant to sign certain players because they are fall-back options if they can’t get the player they want. Many teams have a finite budget. Also, some players are probably waiting because they really want to play for, say, the Yankees, but the Yankees haven’t decided whether they are going to pull the trigger on Manny, so they are waiting instead of signing with a team like the Pirates.
It’s truly a domino effect.
So, I’m broke now so what’s the difference?
Why is it holding up your life somehow?
What’s with the negativity Steve? I thought you were back in the high life again
I’m just gonna roll with it…
I’m sure we love Steve Winwood more than Dennis and Dee but seriously your not sick of this yet? Manny and Bryce not finding homes with Spring Training right around the corner. I more shocked Dallas hasn’t found a home yet.
I agree with this also. Why on earth is Dallas K not signed? As a Phan, I’d love to see him in Philly.
Yeah obviously, i am unable to leave bed every morning due to this…it has nothing to do with the never ending saga of who will sign where and the flurry of articles you see daily about it
What else would you read about until the games actually start?
Not somewhere …philly!!!
He’s always wanted to go West and to boot he’s probably going to beat Stanton’s Contract who the Giants were in on too so not that much of a surprise on a 26 Year old that would sell Tickets.NO BRAINER business decision
Good luck.
This doesn’t make them NL west favorite or a wild card spot.. I don’t see why Harper would want to sign there unless they offer the most money. Horrendous farm with old oft injured big league players is not a good mix. Bum FA next season as well
It’s not just about 2019. The Giants have proven to be successful every six years for every even year so 2020, 2022, and 2024 is what Harper should be aiming for.
If that’s the case, then the Giants should wait for Xander Boegarts and Mookie Betts to enter free agency.
You don’t pass up on a guy with the hope that you’ll sign a different guy a couple of years down the road. Just as Philly should try hard to sign either Harper or Machado, or both,instead of waiting for Trout. It would be stupid to not sign a guy waiting for another guy and wind up with neither.
Is that what you are going with.
Except for their atrocious 2016 and 2018 seasons (and every even year before 2010)
Money. That’s mostly what it will come to. Sure these guys want to win, but this is their job. They’re going to do what’s best for them and their families. So Giants, Padres, White Sox…every team has a shot. It’s all about the biggest contract offer
For a California team they have to outbid all the other teams by 10’s of millions on their deal to make it the biggest offer for the player financially. Due to their tax laws.
Have you heard of this thing called opt outs?
I mean, if there’s one thing the Giants aren’t shy about, it’s spending money.
If you were gonna choose a place to spend your prime years, you can do worse than on a team with high expectations and deep pockets
If he doesn’t have the option if a team already in contention, SF ain’t a terrible plan b
And if there is one thing Giants fans are not shy about it is ridiculing other teams for spending money while the Giants are blowing a ton of money on awful contracts.
Huh?
Evidence of this?
With all the inane anti-Giants fan whining on this site, you’d think they were the Yankees or something
PETRIE
message me on reddit so i can give u link to the board everyone else in there
– yadi/kenny
A former GM said it best about farm systems and prospects. “We have reached the point where it is not just the prospects that are overhyped. The hype itself is overhyped.”….”You will never hear of most of these so-called prospects again”….”Some publications rank the top 30. You don’t really have 30. Some of those guys are there to play catch with the guys that are going to end up playing in the show”.
So they’re supposed to wait and not sign players because it won’t help them this year? Everyone wants to complain about how slow the market is and then when a team actually engages they want to complain it’s not the right team. Get out of here man! What, you want him to sign with your team only?! Stupid
Wouldn’t it be something if Harper signs with SF and Machado signs with SD? Two teams no one saw coming to start the offseason.
That would be cool, sounds quite possible.
They are both a waste of money.
Giants aren’t really a team that “no one saw coming” as to Harper.
That’s been bandied about since June.
please, make sure he doesnt sign here for us. he might be good next year, but he’s not consistent enough. would rather wait on Betts or Trout really. i can honestly live with Williams as a third OF.
Who said Betts and Trout want to play for the Giants.
Yes, Yes. Don’t sign a great player because you would rather have another player you don’t even know if they will hit free agency. I don’t think he should sign with the Giants, but not, at all, for the reasons you said.
Great player? You know we’re talking about Harper, right?
Seriously!
Inconsistent, poor attitude, too expensive
He’s not the second coming of babe Ruth! Calm down
Did you really just ask SF not to sign Bryce because he’s too inconsistent? In a “down” year he’ll hit 30 hr’s. SF hasn’t had a 30 hr guy since Bonds. Putting Harper in the middle of the line up takes tons of pressure of Posey, Longoria, Belt, etc. Call SF current hitters old now, but put Bryce in the line up & watch everyone elses numbers go up. Then instead of old, they’ll be experienced
He’s only hit 30 or more HRs twice in his career. Inconsistent is pretty fair to say looking at his numbers. Personally I think he’s just a good player, not great, and knock on him is his injury history. I don’t get the hype over Harper. I also think he wasn’t even the best player on his team. Max was better and Rendon as well.
I hope signs there. Totally random off the wall destination. Still wouldn’t make them any better than the Dodgers though
Giants are a bunch of has beens and never will bes. Have fun playing in last place for the next decade. Padres are the future!
Will you be less miserable then?
I’ll be super unmiserable if my boy Bryce signs with THE FUTURE
Nobody is calling the Padres “the future” except you, some know-nothing keyboard warrior who thinks a team of ragged out players can somehow contend in a ballpark built for pitching but home to a team which has none.
Good luck bringing in sluggers, Petco is the NL equivalent of Safeco. Power goes there to die.
Um Eric Hosmer, dude. Maybe you’ve heard of him? 18 bombs last year..
Hosmer 18 bombs last year….wow that would have lead the league in 1910.
I’m not a Padres fan but to say they will not possibly be a really good team soon Is a little much. We don’t know that they will hit on a few of their prospects and get some free agent pitching. Why the need for sluggers? Royals went on a huge run and they didn’t really have a slugger.
Whoa, Padres are triggering these kinds of emotions from Yankee fans?? We are so honored to be noticed
Mark Langston struck out Tino Martinez. We know it and the whole world knows it.
Ummmmmmm that’s T-mobile park your talking about buddy. Get your facts straight
If the GANTS are has been’s, that means that the PADRES are never been’s. The last time the Padres were good was in 2010 and they still couldn’t beat the Giants. People that don’t know baseball should shut the hell up !!
Agreed! I don’t know why these people open their mouths in the first place. Read an almanac or something right? Maybe they can read how the Giants are trash and will be for the next decade.
with the exception of the knicks, most big market teams are able to turn it around pretty quickly. so i really doubt the giants suck for longer than 3 or 4 years. once they get cueto, samardjiza and others off the books they will be fine. there is no salary cap in baseball so the giants really can just solve a lot of their problems with more money. remember it wasnt too long ago, a lot of people said the yankees would suck for a long time and the bluejays or devilrays were the future. like 2 years later and things went back to normal. the padres may very well be relevant, but it wont take much for the giants to pass the dbacks and rockies
Ha!
3 rings in 5 years just happened, now we have a good GM again. He’s been there like 5 minutes, give him an entire offseason and they’ll be back to wildcardin’ again in no time
Im so tired of this lazy Giants will be bad forever rhetoric. How r the Cubs/Royals after winning one WS? There’s an inevitable regression after winning a championship, which is exaggerated by multiple titles
Baseball is fun because it’s unpredictable, all of our teams could be good or bad in the future, and things can change dramatically from one season to the next.
Why is rooting for your own team not enough? For anyone tired of trolls in this world, take a look in the mirror and don’t be one
And what makes you guys think I’m a Padres fan?
Love life man. We all enjoy baseball, no need to bash someone as a person. Baseball is for entertainment and recreational purposes, the outcome is glorious..bringing people together. Try seeking the bigger picture & find beauty in life.
Right on.
Baseball is partly about leaning how to accept failure and losing, with dignity.
I do believe the giants era has come to an end. I will say it has been a very good era for them. Three W/S wins in five years is something I would like to see for the Dodgers. I would be happy with one W/S win. But like everything. There’s an end.
Hey what about the dodgers. They are good also.
Ya but I don’t like the Dodgers, therefore they’re not very good. I train my brain to think this way every year but it doesn’t seem to work tho.
At one time I was a San Diego fan. I was in stationed there for two years. I seen plenty of games. But my heart was in Los Angeles. I would like to see some new faces in the W/S this year. Tired of the same teams year after year.
Rather be a has been than a never was.
“Padres are the future,” said no one. Ever.
Leave a comment when the Padre’s win a World Series. Padre’s are the future. Lol. They don’t have the money, nor the tradition to compete with SF & LA. I dont care how many great prospects SD has. Prospects & 50 cents will get u a soda. While your waiting for your prospects, have fun watching SF & Bryce in the playoffs
THE FUTURE
Speaking of 10 years…remember when the ’10 padres lost 10 straight and the Giants leapfrogged them at the end of the regular season and went on to win the ’10 World Series?
Next year marks the–you guessed it, TEN-year anniversary of that monumental slide by the pads.
“Amazing player” with only one amazing season out of seven. Makes sense.
That’s not true.
How so?
Are there alternative facts that we’re not aware of?
“Alternative Baseball Reference.com” – where Bryce Harper’s numbers are swapped with Mike Trout’s.
Pretty sure Boras started the site
SF is a good spot for Harper. They aren’t going to tank/rebuild and they don’t have much of a farm, so getting young players like Harper for a long term makes sense. They can start a changing of the guard.
I know 27 years is a while, but to think that 6/$43.75M was what it took to sign the best player of that time is pretty amazing. Even using an inflation calculator, that’s “only” $78.30M in 2019 dollars…about $13M AAV…
You should look at how much the owners made back then compared to now!
The escalating value of sports franchises is pretty absurd!
Strike Four Then why don’t you tell us how much the owners mad last year?? Hot air is cheap or should I say empty keyboard strokes.
Is this the ghost of George Steinbrenner?
Who’s defending owners? Gross
Worst ballpark for hitting, would would want for Harper?
Ultimately, Bryce Harper will don Yankee pinstripes.
Ultimately, the Dodgers are the best fit for Harper. Giancarlo going to opt out and go home to LA too soon.
If Stanton opts out of his contract he should change his last name from Stanton to Stupid. He’s not getting a better deal than the one he has right now.
Reaper he should also look at the opt out ages in the contract. If anything a trade would be the best rout, even if that was viable.
Agreed. Stanton’s contract is backloaded. No way he would opt out.
Steve it would make no sense to opt out of a deal that takes him guaranteed into his 40s. His agent would be livid if Stanton thought about an opt out.
That’s what I’m talking about. Honestly Harper is over selling himself. But the idea sounds good.
Money talks with harper, how deep will the Yankee’s go into the luxury tax to sign harper, and Machado?
Both states (CA & NY) have high tax rates…..
Luxury tax is an mlb-imposed “tax” on big spending teams to give small-markets a better chance to sign big-name players.
State income tax is player-related. Not what he’s talking about.
I think his point is that the players may be less likely to sign when they see how much they’ll pay in taxes. If the Rangers or Astros were interested in paying for them, Texas would be a preferred destination financially.
X, did you see what Hal said on Thursday?
Xabial, Harper will hit his doubles at home and his homeruns on the road…..
Harper makes a ton of sense because of unique San Francisco things: even without a decent team, star power can bring people to the park. He is young enough that he may be an important cog in a team that is competitive three or four years down the line. While it is not a “wise” move for their baseball team (spend money that is highly taxed and increases their tax burden in subsequent years, possibly blocks prospects at a time when they need to see what they got on the farm) it is perhaps a good move for their bottom line (puts butts in seats at a time when there may not be much to cheer for).
Giants fans come out for their team no matter what – drew 3.2 mil last year (4th in MLB but 16 games under .500) and 3.3 mil in 2017 (3rd in MLB despite worst record in MLB). They don’t need butts in seats. They need good-to-great players. And a quite a few of them. Harper’s boost to the lineup could draw other top free agents in years to come to San Fran when big money starts coming off the Giants’ books (Shark, Melancon $33M in 2021 and Belt, Crawford, Cueto $53M in 2022 and possibly Posey’s $22M if they don’t pick up his option). Harper knows he can wait out what looks like 2 more tough years for the Giants before they are a serious threat again. This is one of the few teams that can print money. And he knows it.
You mean opt out
Considering their roster and farm system, signing Harper doesn’t make much sense for the Giants.
Makes more sense than the White Sox..
Does it? The White Sox have an up-and-coming system. The giants are going backwards with big money still in contracts of players who are on the wrong side of their prime, and a lack of system to replenish
The White Sox have a 6 of the top 100 prospects in baseball, including the #2 overall in Eloy Jimenez. They also have a ton of cash to spend on free agents. What do the Giants have?
Don’t worry about it, the Cubs will be the sleeper team here, don’t forget that Boras will check in with Theo before any signing !!
Lol
3 rings, more money, more fans, better weather, better fans,better ballpark, less crime in their city, but ultimately I think the Sox have a brighter future.
$$$!
Prospects are suspect…
The rings aren’t relevant.
Considering their contracts, the Giants do not have more money to spend then the White Sox.
More fans is debatable. The White Sox will draw when they start winning, as they did in 2005.
Better weather? Harper will no doubt spend his offseason in Vegas. Summer weather in Chicago is great for baseball, so your point is not valid.
Better fans? I hate to break this to you, but nobody likes Giants fans. You guys have a reputation for being rude, obnoxious, and violent. Youtube it.
Better ballpark? Is this based on personal experience?
Less crime? Chicago is a bigger city with way more people than SF. Per capita, Chicago ranks 21st in violent crime last time I checked. Not bad for the third largest city in the US.
One thing we can agree on, the future is bright for the White Sox. The Giants, eh, not so much.
Rings aren’t relevant? Huh? Why play the game if you don’t want to win?
How are the rings relevant to the current roster? The White Sox won a ring in ‘05. It’s simply not relevant to 2019 or beyond. What is relevant is what I mentioned above; talent, money to spend on the roster.
The White Sox have prospects. Ok? It doesn’t say much about how the big league club will perform. I don’t think the Giants have had their system ranked above 20 in the past 20 years. But, they have 4 WS appearances, and 3 rings.
You understand the Giants arent the same team that won years ago, right. Rosters change, players decline. The Giants aren’t presently a contender, and signing Harper alone doesn’t change that. The Giants would either have to commit to a complete overhaul if the roster with trades and FA signings the next few years, or tank and rebuild to contend again. It’s not magic, Vince.
ChiSoxCity that’s a lot to read and make very valid points and I give that to you. The giants have a ton of money coming off the books in the next 2 years. The weather in San Fran is better than here and probably Vegas. It’s super hot there I’ve heard
The Giants do have more money to spend. They own their ballpark outright, and have large real estate investments, They were willing to go over the CBT threshold 4 consecutive years. How often do the Sox spend like that?
So you’re saying White Sox fans are bandwagon? That they’ll go to the park when their team starts to win? In 2017 the Giants were tied for the worst record in MLB and still drew over 3.3 million in attendance.
Yeah summer is great in Chicago. What year was it when something like 500 people died from the heat?
Great, Chicago is the 21st most dangerous city in the country. SF isn’t even mentioned in any list I’ve seen..
Keep banking in those prospects. I’m sure they’ll all develop into stars, you know like Yoan Moncada,
Boom goes the dynamite
You tell him Tad! You’re killin it on every point
Chisoxcity is delusional
By ‘sleeper’ I assume you mean soporific.
Players come to Chicago to play for the Cubs. The White Sox are the A’s of Chicago, without the record.
If it’s a short deal, he can check on those prospects in 2 years. The outfield (& SP) are glaring weaknesses on the Giants.
You people really buying what Tad is selling?
Faidi Zaidi ain’t going over the tax. He’s too Oakland to do that.
Chisox have more money to spend and an easier path to the division title. Nobody wants the AL Central. NL West has more firepower to stop the GIants.
GIants do not have more money to spend and won’t have more money to spend until 2021. Anyone can check that in less than a minute.
As for San Fran as a city….no criminal feels good about killing guys taking a poo on a sidewalk. Even they have their limits.
So because Zaidi operated a certain way in Oakland, he’s going to operate that way no matter what team he works for? Brilliant. Like it has nothing to do with each team’s finances.
The ChiSox were just included on a list of last year’s worst rotations. Not sure, since they haven’t done a ton in that area, that they have any kind of decent path to the playoffs.
Keep looking at one facet, the money on the books, and totally ignore that the Giants have a ton of money. Ignore the fact that they have been willing to exceed the tax threshold. They were willing to last year for Stanton even though they were already in 50% territory.
Wow; exaggerate much? It’s clear that you have never been to SF. I worked in the City for years, and I can guarantee you, the streets are not littered with feces. Certainly not anymore than they are in NY, LA, or Chicago.
Lastly it’s kind of sad that you need tostoop to attacks like that in a discussion that’s suppose to be about baseball.
ChiSoxCity – You know, I don’t usually jump into baiting sessions like this, especially from keyboard jockeys that don’t know what they’re talking about. But you really have no idea about SF, its fans or even your own team (which BTW, plays in one of MLB’s ugliest and most inhospitable stadiums; yes, I’ve been there).
Never have I heard anyone characterize Giants fans the way you do. I was a season ticket holder for years before moving out of the area. Giants fans are among the most loyal AND respect visiting fans of other teams.
The Giants are a class organization, with MLB’s most beautiful park that the owners paid for. They consistently sell out, even when the team has sucked, and we’re grateful for the three rings in five years. We understand the cycles in baseball.
The weather in SF is terrific, especially since it lacks the humidity and winds of Chicago. Nevertheless, I like Chicago, the city. But please don’t tell me SF’s crime is a problem—not when you hail from Chicago.
I hope for your sake that Eloy and Madrigal and Kopech pan out. Every team deserves its moment. But keep your uninformed, non-baseball opinions to yourself. Root, root for the home team.
Tad – Giants don’t have the money. I saw how much they have tied up this year and next. I looked. Giants have the money for 2019, not 2020. They need Bumgarner and it will take 20+ per season to lock him in. Adding Harper’s contract they will be over $200-mil committed in 2020.
If you believe they are willing to spend beyond the threshold, you are dreaming. The Giants would have already done it. They would have already signed Harper and prepared for 2019. They would have done it to sell more merch, more tickets and boost advertising in all entities.
They are not ready to spend beyond the threshold. Faidi Zaidi isn’t going to do that or else he will be fired if the Giants do not reach the playoffs while breaking the threshold. No way he’s risking that.
Giants were interested in Stanton. Had they landed Stanton they wouldn’t have obtained Mccutchen and Longoria. You glossed over that part.
Not sure what you’re referring to when you say “stoop to attacks”. You clearly did it in your original comment. And you were more aggressive toward my comment than me to yours. Makes you a hypocrite. Your baseball thoughts already made you stupid. So I’ll chalk it up to stupid in life too. Enjoy your team placing 4th in the NL West this year.
Beardless Bryce
Why?
How long can this go, Giants fans don’t get your hopes up we have seen this before?
SF had a lot of players that were injured and/or underperformed last year. At the deadline in 2019, they need to look at who is playing well with an eye toward trading some expensive vets for some up-and-comers.
Harper might as well book his offseason tee time now if he signs with SF. Madbum and Cueto will be gone by the deadline, if they can still pitch that is.
The follow-up to the Bonds story is the Giants never won a World Series with him and spent every year putting passed-their- prime players around him trying to make it work…many thought the failure was because Bonds wasn’t a team player
Is Harper a team player and a “good teammate “?
I am seriously asking the question…
I think he’d be a good enough teammate. Look at how Posey is already singing him praises. Harper has been around long enough to have played against and established respect for the WS Giants vets and vice versa. Strickland is gone, and I don’t think any one else wanting to choke Harper, Papelbon-style.
Dfpro: very good point my man!
I hated what Bonds did to the team while he was there, you’re completely right.
And we never won anything with him, good freakin points!
GET HIM. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The owners can all catch fire and so can the bootlicks in the comments
When was the last time anybody invited you to a party?
Harper would clearly be choosing proximity to Vegas over proximity to winning if he picked the Giants “stupid money” over the Philllies or Nats “stupid money”.
Or maybe he just doesn’t want to get hit with batteries when the contract goes sour.
You think Harper is monitoring MLB trade rumors for advice?
He’d be wise to do so!
Look how spot on they are with arbitration salary predictions!
Why even have arb hearings? Just call
MLBTR!
Maybe Harper doesn’t want to walk through streets filled with human feces and needles. San Fran has one of the worst reps of any city in the nation.
You watch Fox News to much.
San Fran has some of, if not, the highest real estate prices in the country.
Cities that have streets filled with human feces and needles tend to have low real estate value, just FYI.
People with money who can afford to live wherever they choose almost always choose to live on non-feces filled streets without needles.
Unless you’re willing and able to spend $1.5M on a 600 sq. ft. home, SF’s not where you want to live.
So you hate Capitalism. Is this a site about baseball, or politics. I live in San Francisco. What does this have to do with baseball.
This is a baseball website. Why are you talking about real estate?
Vince — so you like capitalism. We get it. But don’t tell people what is or is not relevant because you say it is. This is a baseball site that is focused on trade and transactions, trade and transactions under a capitalist system. I think the system in place is fair game when discussed in the context of baseball. If you don’t like the comments, you can politely discuss why you disagree or you can leave the discussion and talk about something else.
Hahahaha!
Tell that to the millions of tourists that come to SF from around the world and the thousands that move there every year…
I’d love to know where you’re from that has a better rep/stats.
The Giants are solely focused on putting butts in seats. The reality is their roster is terrible, and they’re overdue for a rebuild. Signing Harper won’t change that. Most likely they’ll have to trade him in a year or two when reality finally sets in.
If that’s all they care about, fine!
Because how does one best put butts in seats? By having a great fan experience. How to give the best fan experience?
Winning!
Which is why I’m confident that they’ll be good again sooner than you obviously think.
Have fun with your team that isn’t concern with those things?
But good point man, yeah…really insightful
Baltimore should sign him!
So, Harper supposedly doesn’t want to sign with Philly. That’s fine. This city isn’t for everyone. He may/will get booed when he goes 0-fer with the Golden Sombrero. Chants of “stoo-pid mon-nee” will likely reign down. He may be able to take it. If he helps win a World Series, he will be revered like Utley and Rollins. Does he have the “stomach” to play in a tough market like Philly or New York? I don’t know. I think most players have the strong enough ego to be able to do it. If he signs somewhere besides Philly, I won’t be disappointed, but would be happy if he does. That said, I think 35-plus million a year could be better spent filling several other needs. But man would Harper look good hitting in our bandbox between Cutch and Hoskins in our lineup.
Yeah, not a fan of the softball field in Philly.
From a baseball standpoint Philadlephia would be a great landing spot. A top hitters park, up-and-coming team, rabid fan base, great downtown, vibrant metro, beaches an hour away. But maybe from a personal point he and his wife might feel more comfortable putting roots down closer to home. in a city they like more. I can definitely see SF being a top contender in Harper sweepstakes.
The areas surrounding Philly, with the exception of Delco, are very nice and affluent places to live
Delaware County has some nice communities to live in as well.
Eh, a couple. Radnor and Concord Township come to mind.
scrapple, Newtown Twsp, parts of Haverford Twsp are on the Main Line too. Some of the areas around Media (Mike Schmidt used to live there IIRC) and Wallingford are nice as well. And you also have the inner areas of Chester County. Also, the Main Line boasts 3 of the top 25 school systems in the entire country (TE, Radnor, LM) if you want to go that route.
Philly bashers don’t know the area or the city, including the maroons who make comments on national broadcasts, who I doubt spend more than a night or two in the city every 5 years, and certainly don’t make it to the surrounding areas..
Lived in the DelVal my whole life. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
believe me he’s not going to s.f. these writers get excited cause they met. What happened with Stanton he told them he wasn’t coming.
Yeah, but Stanton wanted to be in pinstripes. Harper seems to like SF. I think he’d sign if the contract was right.
Stanton wanted to come to the Dodgers first he’s from the area.
Why should we believe you?
Stanton never wanted to go to the Giants, you never saw any posts saying he had any love towards SF, my guess would be growing up as a dodger fan he probably hates the Giants as we Giants fans hate the dodgers.
Harper on the other hand has multiple social media posts about his love for the city of SF.
The two things that play against him signing with SF are the taxes in CA, and the fact that the Giants starters need to stay healthy if they have a chance to compete, injuries will immediately put them in another huge hole.
What Stanton did compared to Harper is apples and oranges. Stanton was a trade, already had a contract, and was going to get paid the same no matter where he went. Harper is a FA. Just because Stanton chose NY over SF and St. Louis, does not mean every guy is going to turn down SF or St. Louis.. Hunter Pence loved SF, and I can guarantee he’s not the only guy who would want to play there..
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY WILL SOMEONE JUST SIGN THIS GUY????
I bet he never plays again lol
So tell me; why do you all think Harper is all that great and deserving of a 10 year contract?
I don’t think any player is worth a contract like that, but I’m a complete cynic when it comes to money. I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars to get goods seats at a stadium.
I love baseball and I have to accept how things are sometimes. I want the Phillies to sign Harper or Machado, and it will take hundreds of millions of dollars to do so. It is what it is.
Well he’s great because of his bat…
10 year contract only makes a bit of sense because of his age. I still don’t know if I’d dish out something that long though.
TERRIBLE FARM SYSTEM
Since they signed Barry Bonds in 1992,
Just what are the “name” outfeilders developed by the Giant’s Farm System.
And because of that 27 year wasteland of system developed outfield talent,
Here they go dipping into the record setting free agent pool yet again.
HINT = Learn from your mistakes.
Pretty dumb comment considering all the other talent they developed to make them contenders and winners. They really haven’t developed OFers however pitchers and infielders sure seemed to do the trick with some good trades and signings included in there.
The stupidest thing a FO could do is focus on developing outfielders, the easiest area to supplement from outside the organization, and make pitchers and infielders at lesser priority.
Word up Tad, on the nose once again
Outfielders, this guys talking about outfielders?! (AI “playoffs” rant style)
So Harper signs with SF, let’s say….
Giants are probably screwed in 2020. They lose Bumgarner to Free Agency and will probably have over $190-mil projected in guaranteed money, giving them very little wiggle room to get a pitcher to replace Bumgarner, or re-sign him. Or option 2 is to screw the luxury tax altogether.
Can only speculate that another move would be coming after the 2019 season. Longoria would be tough to move and I don’t think they’d consider moving Crawford, so that leaves Belt.
How do you know Bumgarner is going to leave?
Bumgarner is not under contract beyond this year so he’s free to sign wherever. If San Fran is rolling with a payroll hovering around $195-198 heading into 2020, Bumgarner ain’t re-signing with San Fran unless they unload a contract (Belt).
Belt is the guy because Posey needs to play 1B and maybe once or twice a week. Belt probably won’t be traded anytime soon as there is no market for 1B right now.
Does that all make sense?
They’ll pay Bum whatever
Belt has a no trade clause
A lot can happen between now and 2020
How long does it take for GMs to be able to make an offer? Asking genuinely
Should happen soon, maybe has, even. I’d guess the two extra hours spent with Boras were spent discussing scenarios. Shorter term high AAV? Opt outs? etc, etc.
It’s a great city, a great park, great fans, great ownership. If nothing else, Harper gives them a bridge into their next window of contention. A 7 year deal, maybe with opt-outs at 3 and 5.
They can afford it; they have GOBS of money.
It makes more sense then some are saying.
SF a great city LMFAO.. Yeah if you like human feces and needles on your streets and bums everywhere and let’s don’t even get to the tax rate. SF stinks. I mean literally.
You’ve never been to SF.
actually quite frequently….tho I admit it was years ago…..
My comment was aimed at teddyj. Every city has their good and bad sides.
The needles and feces don’t bother me so much. It’s the 60 year old guys walking around naked.
Since you brought it up, what age of naked guys are you into? You are thinking about naked guys. Why are you trolling a baseball website?
SF is a great city for multi-millionaires, or a techies making $250K per year.
Well Bryce Harper certainly fits that bill, so the argument is pretty invalid then
Do you have a problem with successful people? What is your problem with people that made the effort to be successful.
Vince,
I understood ChiSoxCity as having a problem with San Francisco’s high cost-of-living.
If ChiSoxCity didn’t mean that, then I do. San Francisco high cost-of-living is disgusting.
This is coming from a Yankee fan… you know how much a decent apartment in Manhattan is nowadays?
Re-check the Giants payroll. Gobs is an exaggeration.
It seems smarter to wait until most of their bad money is off the books rather than pay harper 30+ a year on a bad team for 3-4 years. SF’s farm sucks and they only have a few major league core players to build around plus Joey bart at some point in the next 2 years. I’d be overhauling as much talent as I could before “spending dumb” like the Phillies owner said. Makes no sense to spend 200 million on a loser. Hard to be very good when you have that much money currently invested in underwater contracts.
It seems Giant fans think San Fran has a ton of money to spend. Some media people and organization reps are lying to their fans if they believe that.
Yes
Please sign Harper to a long massive contract
Please sign Machado to a long massive contract.
GO MIDGETS GO!!!!!!!
The Giain’ts are the tallest midgets…er I mean little people.
Yeah, but you guys still won’t win a WS lol
Harper signs with Cubs .
It doesn’t matter because once looney Ocasio gets the new green deal pushed through , there won’t be anymore air travel and the game will be totally different..
What are you talking about? Who is shutting down the airlines? You need to layoff the drugs.
Vince, he is referring to the green law the senator from NY is trying to pass. It is out of this world crazy.
Ummm…Ok…It is not a law. She is not a Senator. It won’t shutdown airlines. And what does it have to do with baseball?
The comment does not need explaining. It, and your input, have no place here though.
Huh? I don’t get how I’m a jerk because some guy doesn’t want to talk about baseball on a baseball website. This is not politics website.
You’re not the jerk. The jerks are the ones trying to bring politics into what should be a discussion about baseball.
Yeah Vince you’re not a jerk. You’re just not very bright. There’s a big difference and people shouldn’t be coming down on you for that.
Gotta love the Giants hate. Attack them all you want, they will probably win a championship before your favorite team does. Dodgers, White Sox, Phillies….lol
Nothing hateful about it. The Giants don’t have enough talent to contend anymore. They hitting lineup is anemic, and Madbum is a shadow of his former self. The best thing that can happen this year is moving Madbum and Cueto for good prospects. Rebuild and save up stupid money for a run at Trout or something.
Who in their right mind would trade anything for Cueto? Right now, he is only worth a 32nd round draft pick.
Depends on how Cueto pitches diring the first halve of the season. If he returns to form, the Giants might get lucky with a few mid-level prospects. Obviously I’m being optimistic. I don’t think either one of them stays healthy this year.
He’s not scheduled to return until September, after the trade deadline. If he pitches like he did the start of last season, he’s easily worth a top 10 prospect.
In that case they’re probably screwed.
No. It means your baseball intelligence is horrible. You past judgement on the SF Giants without any credible knowledge of the SF Giants roster.
He will be joining Robles and Soto to form the most talented outfield in the majors…basically the antithesis of the Giants outfield.
This would clearly be a move for the fans. Let’s be real the Giants aren’t going to be good for probably 4-5 years, and that’s only because they have money. Their farm is awful but Harper will keep fans in the seats until they rebuild. It only costs them money that they have plenty of. Assuming he opts out, he will only help the Giants screw up their draft slot
Dont worry im sure the Padres are gonna be a dynasty. lol
zimerust, what are you going to do, post ten times here and ‘lol’ each time?
The SF Giants are right where the Phillies were in 2013. Big market, Bloated payroll, bad contracts, players in decline. The Phils route was to shut it down and turn the franchise into a dumpster fire for the next 6 years and let me tell you as a Phillies fan that plan is horrendous.. I applaud the Giants jumping right back in with a 26 y.o. franchise player. This is where the Phils started dumoping payroll saving money and bringing in Delmon Young,Casper Wells,
They need a rebuild in the worst way. It doesn’t have to take 6 years if done correctly.
If I follow your math, the Phillies are still a dumpster fire? Follow along.. (2013 + 6 = 2019)
We could sign Valerie Harper to play right and it’d be an upgrade over Shaw/Duggar/Williamson
Bryce has a much larger chest……
It just occurred to me Valerie’s been ill….sorry bout that…..
Vince, he is referring to the green law the senator from NY is trying to pass. It is out of this world crazy.
Man I’d love to have you as the talent evaluator for the Giants, giving up on Duggar and Shaw after playing less than a quarter of a season. Good job there top scout.
Slater is solid and deserves a full shot, hopefully he and Duggar get real shots this season, and if Harper does sign somewhere else hopefully Shaw and Williamson get full seasons to show what they can do. Williamson needs to stay healthy.
What is wrong with Duggar?
What’s wrong with your literacy, Vince? He did not say anything disparaging toward Duggar.
If Harper goes to Giants it would be a huge mistake. It’s not a hitters park. He’s just going to collect a big paycheck that’s it.
It makes sense for Harper to sign with the Giants. When the Nationals were considered sure WS winners, the Giants beat them. If you can’t beatem’, join em’.
The Giants will miss the playoffs again with or without Harper.
Yea that’s when the Giants didn’t suck. They are getting old and aren’t very good. Not sure if this is a valid point to join a team you can’t beat. How many years ago was that? I mean if that’s the case he should be joining a lot of teams if he’s going off that philosophy because there’s a lot of teams the Nationals aren’t beating. I think he either stays in Washington or goes to the Phillies. The fact that the Padres are onto other players tells me they are out of the mix now even though I’m not sure how much in the mix they really were.
The Giants are awful and even their farm system sucks.
This is beyond ridiculous. Unless he’s turning down an extra $40m… He’s a Phillie. The end. The Giants can’t come within $40m. Philly can ludicrously front load the contract and pay him $55m in year one, still sign Keuchel and not even come close to the luxury tax… Go ahead everyone, make your best offer. Boras knows where Bryce is signing… Just trying to up the price.
The White Sox have 2nd lowest payroll in baseball, with $70M+ to spend on the roster if they so choose.
Nationals or Cubs most likely. The Cubs will trade Heyward to the Giants to free up payroll.
Nobody wants Heyward. He also has a no trade and there’s a good chance the Giants are on that list.
Boring!! Harper will either go back to the national on a long year contract or go 6-7 year with opt. If he wanted to play for Phillies he would of signed alteady. Harper wants to go to, the Yankees, cubs, dodgers, national. The Phillies will probably get Machado and keuchel. Kimbrel Will stay in the America league. Also even if Harper signed with the Giants, still wouldn’t do anything for them. Buster is no longer a beast player. He will get moved to first. Someone will come out of nowhere and snatch Harper and Machado, the Yankees will get one of them.
If this dude signs with the Giants I will be really mad. Furious actually lol. Come on, Dodgers! Your offseason has sucked and then you let the Giants get Harper? I can’t believe it. It better not happen lol. I mean, for the Giants and their fans, it’ll be awesome and good for them, makes the division funner to watch when the Giants and Dodgers are battling it out as well but I just can’t be happy about them getting him if they do especially since I feel like this offseason has been a failure for the Dodgers so far.
As a Giant’s fan I love this comment.
It’s not like Harper is going to make the Giants good by himself. Plus their farm system isn’t good either. Just chill man..
Pitching wins one player does not. You should remember that from the WS
You don’t have a ton of wiggle room. 196 million already on the books for next season. Giants only 165 million.
funner – best comment on this thread…
No way he signs in San Fran. They’re going no where. It’s a terrible LH power park and bad power park in general. No lineup protection, a bad farm system. Makes zero sense. I respect the Giants and what they’ve done, but there’s no doubt they’re set up terribly in near and long term future.
Yet the greatest homerun hitter of all time was a lefty and hit hundreds of homers there. Harper’s Power would still play at Oracle and/or he’d be a doubles machine in triples alley.
Smart. People don’t realize right field is really short in the Oracle (I’m kinda to like name. I grew up with Pac Bell). Bonds utilized the right field line.
Yeah, and he used steroids.
Bonds…..greatest hitter of all time. No proof he used, just speculation. Even if he did, which he probably did, he still had to hit the ball! Dumb kid
If this happens I hope it is for no more than 7 years. I don’t know if this would get it done but 7 years at 35 mil per.
Harper and Bonds in same article…..time to drink juice
I think Harper fits the best with the Giants. He could have a long n prosperous career there. This coming from a Redsox fan that wishes they both find a home soon.
As long as he doesn’t resign with the Nationals, I really don’t care. IMO, having watched just about every Nats game during his career, he isn’t consistently good enough to justify locking up that much payroll. It just makes it too hard to build a team around him. In three of the last five seasons, his WAR has been below 2.0. He’s also a hot head, and I’m guessing he could be a pain in the ass as a teammate (see the DC Strangler incident). Just sign somewhere (Not with Nats) already!!!
On Feb 26th 2018 JD Martínez signed with Boston. So maybe Machado & Harper, will make a move in the next couple of weeks.
4 or 5 years between 160 and 200 million?
5 years, $200m. One more major deal when he’s 31.
I like it
Phillies can easily top that.
He doesnt want to go to the Phillies, how many times does he need to say he wants to be close to home?
He has NEVER said that. If he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t have sat down with them for FIVE HOURS. He has also said in the past how he enjoys playing in Citizens Bank Park in front of the fans.
I was hoping for a backloaded contract but Giants do have more and more coming off the books over the next couple seasons and lost almost 40 million in contracts since just last season. I still don’t think it’s a good idea and Giants are probably just doing it to hike up the price for someone else? No clue…
Doesn’t matter as long as he signs.
So they’re not that interested after all.
After the Giant’s ownership swung and missed on Giancarlo Stanton, the Giants fan base will be absolutely heartbroken and pissed off if they do the same with Mr. Harper.
Their ownership needs to keep the fans interested during the years of trying get younger while simultaneously building the farm system. No more signing older washed up players. Harper is young and a generationol talent. Giants fans will love having Harper in the outfield. Tickets, jerseys, etc will more than compensate for his contract.
For example, the minute he signs, I go online and buy tickets for the family. Giants fans have waited long enough for an All Star outfielder in San Francisco.
Like Harper will accept 3-5 years. He should, but wont.
The giants did not swing and miss on Stanton. Stanton blocked the trade.
I just don’t understand they want to sign Harper but they don’t want a long term deal but he wants big money so there willing to offer him 275 million for like 6 years
If that’s what they’re planning to offer him, then the Phillies can easily outbid them.
East coast vs west coast team lol….Harper wants to play in Arizona for spring training….wants to play near home…Philadelphia can outbid, and Giants can outbid Philadelphia if they want…but I’m not Harper, neither are you, but if the offer was that good for Harper from Philadelphia why hasn’t he signed? I don’t think he wants to play for that team.
He seemed extremely impressed with the Phillies after their 5 hour meeting. Also he has never stated that he preferred to play in the West Coast. He deeply loved living in DC and certainly wouldn’t mind staying there if the Nats offered him the right deal. He has also stated how he enjoys playing in Philadelphia. This whole thing with SF is meant to get more $$$ from the Phillies, White Sox and Nationals.
Ok bro, he did say he wanted to stay closer to home, he did say he wanted to play in Arizona for spring, he did say he wanted to be where, if his family wants to come watch him or see him, they can get in the car and go, and he did say he loved D.C. but if he was so interested in staying there he sure made a big mistake there huh turning down 300 mill for 10 years! What i don’t agree with is that people think that ceo’s and management will go meet with a player to help him drive the price up. Stupid comment. Giants went there to pursue. Not play games with other clubs. You need to read more before you comment on things you know nothing about. Weather he signs with Philadelphia or with Padres or Giants matters non to me, it’s his choice, but to say that Philadelphia has more money then the Giants is absolutely nuts!! If the giants want to blow past the threshold they could out bid any team if they want, especially Philadelphia lol!
If he wants to waste his best years with a loser team like the Giants, than he’s out of his mind. Those chumps had their fun, now they’re just a bunch of old geezers. You wanna pretend like they’re still just as good as they were 4 years ago, that’s on you.
The reason neither he nor Machado has signed is because 1) neither wants to be the first to sign, and 2) they’re still looking for that $300 million, 10 yr contract. You wanna talk about a stupid comment? You don’t even understand how any of this stuff works! Scott Boras wants to get as many teams interested as possible, because more competition means better business. Philadelphia has already stated that they intend to be stupid with their money. That wasn’t just coincidence. That was meant to be a message to Boras that they will offer the best deal possible. Philly won’t just give Harper $300 million if there isn’t much competition for him, but if there is, then they probably will. That’s called LEVERAGE.
You want to pretend that your team is something great you’re crazy, don’t be mad at us fans cause your team isn’t appealing to players! The Giants are just a bigger market team bro. Period! The fun is never over here lol!
They were better than the Phillies for a good chunk of 2018 lol
I could easily say the same about your crappy little team. You Giants fans are unbelievably delusional. You still think Mad Bum is a Cy Young caliber pitcher. You still think Posey is the best catcher in baseball. And don’t get me started on your barren farm system!
Last time I checked they were NEVER in 1st Place.
Dude I’ve been playing and watching baseball before you were born. Don’t tell me I don’t know how this works, your comments are all over the place. Sure they’re waiting on a deal, but not even your little Phillies team has given him the offer he wants So shut the hell up kid! Your team sucks, keep waiting for that ring sucka!
Sounds like I touched a raw nerve. Be grateful for the run you guys had. All good things must come to an end. I had to accept that when the Philles’ core of Utley, Rollins & Howard got too old, and you need to do the same with your core.
Who was never in first place, the Giants last year? First place means nothing! You don’t know baseball do you? 2014 wild card World Series champs baby! First means nothing! Just sit back and enjoy the ride kid, Giants always surprise!!
Phillies have a worse farm than the giants at the current moment. What is this guy going on about?
Those guys you’re talking about sucked from the beginning in Philadelphia. No hall of famers there bud! Our core is still better then your core! Lol
Haha, i love your schtick. All the “bro” and “kid” talk to try and demean somebody else. Then to top it off you reference your playing days. C’mon, just face it that you and your fellow Giants fans have been drawn in to this Bryce BS and you’ll find out very quickly how frustrating the daily reports of possible new suitors and his preferences are likely all a part of squeezing out every red cent.
I don’t give a crap about what you think is funny, I don’t care if Harper signs or not, I’ll belittle and demean you to kid! Can care less about what other people think, I’m just pointing out that he’s all upset cause the giants entered the race for Harper. Go back to your trolling KID! Your panties are in a bunch.
5 straight division titles, back-to-back pennants & a WS championship isn’t what I call sucking. You’re clearly a delusional moron.
Only an idiot would waste the best years of his career with an aging mediocre team like the Giants. The Phillies have the most to offer him. Whatever the Giants offer him, the Phillies can top it.
Phillies are losers though.
You wish that were still the case.
Even the Mets are better in that division.
Aside from teasing you, he just doesn’t want to play on the east coast man, he clearly wants to be close to his home in Vegas.
He hasn’t said that at all. You’re just assuming that. He LOVED living in DC, and certainly wouldn’t mind staying there. Plus, who wants to pay California taxes?
Dude read today’s link by Bob! It’s states right there what Harpers is after, it says it’s no secret Harper prefers to stay closer to home!! READ! Damn. Who the hell wouldnt! And if he was so interested in Philadelphia why they hell hasnt he signed? Cause they aren’t making it enticing enough for him!
5/200
3 Year Deal. $100 Mil.
This is good because the CBA expires after then. And who knows What’s gonna Happen. . .
Also, judging by recent contracts. The First Op Out is usually after two or three years. . .
Then Harper will be 29 and could still bank hugely in free agency…
I like It…
Harper would NEVER accept that deal. Are you kidding me?
Open question…
I tried to ask this in the MLTR Chats but it wasn’t picked.
If team A offers 10 years and $325m to a free agent, does that players agent then go to team B and say “this is what you have to beat”? Or, is it totally blind bidding?
Please don’t guess. Only if you know for sure and can provide a link I can read.
Thanks guys/gals.
If teams tells each other their bids, it is collusion, a violation of the CBA. A players agent will tell teams that their is a high bid, even if there is none. Teams have to guess what the bids are.
Or the suitors could sift through all the b.s. offers being reported like the rest of us while also having a chuckle with the guesses on their own bid.
The agent can, but there’s no way of knowing if that agent is telling the truth. And no punishment for lying.
Negotiations are not ‘blind’ in the sense that there is no process that protects information from leaking, but most front offices deliberately lie and confuse to keep this information from getting out.
This is why baseball rumors get so confusing some times.
Once these two schmucks sign the Angels will sign Trout to an extension.
I can see them going 5 year deal. Some one has the bridge the gap between now and whenever Bart and Ramos are in theory ready. Shark FA in 2021; Cueto, Posey, Crawford, Belt free agents in 2022.
Harper is going to the Padres for 8 yr 280M. SD is the best place to play and their farm system is stacked. SF is too crazy to live in plus the fact they are old and “retooling”. LA is strapped for cash and cant seem to ovwrpay. Finally the east coast isnt as attractive as Americas Finest City. Funny to see how many people talk trash on the padres and their fanbase. Padre fans are loyal and excited. SD has a huge fanbase but they havent won in a while.
As a Giants fan I love the Padres fan base, shoot, your ballpark has always been a home away from home for the Giants! Lol. One thing I haven’t heard though and I could be wrong is that did the Padres even make an offer? Lol
Nah. They arent that interested. Only teams interested are the Giants and Phillies.
I don’t think I’ve even heard about an offer from the Padres. Have you?
You guys draw maybe 10k fans a game (many of those fans support the visiting team) despite having a beautiful stadium and excellent weather. The Chargers were blacked out for a lot of games and voters turned down support for a new stadium. Definitely not loyal fans.
Well when you have the vote only up to a city (500k voters) instead of the county (3.3M voters) you can’t blame it on the fans. Also when was the last time in CA a stadium was publicly financed. The Giants and Rams sure as he’ll weren’t. Smh.
Why does it make a difference if CA hasn’t publicly funded a stadium in a while? That’s not even true–Levi’s has tons of public loans and grants. Point is that SD fans don’t turn out.
I’ll have whatever the Padres fans are smoking.
Harper loves NY and Chicago and probably would have signed with the Yankees or Cubs if their financial and outfield situations were different this offseason. I also believe the White Sox would be just as “attractive” to Harper as San Diego or San Francisco but they seem more focused on Manny Machado at the moment. The Chicago market is bigger than SD and SF and the ballpark on the South Side would also be more conducive to Harper’s offense and maybe even his defense with the DH available when he needs a break from RF keeping his bat in the lineup.
Why would he accept 8/$280 when he turned down 10/$300?
uh…maybe because that’s $35M per year instead of $30M per year
If Harper doesn’t land in SF this one is on Zaidi. Harper clearly prefers SF.
STop with this “Nationals offered 10/300m” BS. That never happened. If they did he would have already signed it. No one is giving anyone that kinda deal ever again
They did. It happened. Full stop.
I see a lot of minor stories coming across the wire along with Bryce Harpers interested parties, but nothing of Machado and the Yankees discussing a proposed 200 million dollar deal.
Maybe because the second hand rumor of that Machado offer was only floated by Jim Duquette on NSY who later walked back from his comment.
The biggest knock I see on a team like the Padres signing either Harper or Machado is the corporate money the player would lose by signing with them. Even if the Padres offer the most, which is a big “if”, free agents like Harper and Machado know that they will make a quarter of the money marketing themselves to corporations as a Padre, local and national, as opposed to a large market team. They may already be marketable stars, but will Visa and Nike come knocking if Machado or Harper is a Padre? Maybe. They certainly would if he was a Giant or Dodger or Yankee or Cub. Then again, some players don’t want to be in the limelight and would be okay with making less money if it meant less attention. I see Harper and Machado as attention seekers, don’t you?
Some players do local commercials. Which players do you see in commercials? Advertising is as old as time.
What am I missing? Why a short-term offer? I would think his greatest value would be growing with the team for the long-run. Cueto is out all year and the Giants don’t have the pitching to compete this year.
My thoughts too. I’m disappointed in management right now, I think they should just offer him the 10/300 and hope that Harper/Bart/Ramos leads them to a championship in 2021-2025
It’s just a report too. Could be 6-7 year deal backloaded with nice signing bonus.
Yeah, I was assuming it would be the years Harper wants, but heavily backloaded just like Stanton’s contract, specifically so it doesn’t hurt them so much now and can be easier afforded when they’re current large contracts are off the books.
Pitchers and catchers report this week and the rest of the players not long after. First spring game is this month. Yet we still have a lot of good free agents out there and there’s still some players who should be traded still haven’t been traded yet. Pretty wild! Kind of disturbing that players like Harper and Machado are having a hard time getting shag they want in free agency. We’ve seen it the last couple years but never thought it would be this way with this guys.
If the giants do this and blow by the luxury tax, then they should sign Keuschel too! Posey could hit 330 if he bats in front of Harper!
I hope he does sign, and soon!! He lives in Vegas and would be close to home and their spring training is in Arizona, close too, sign the deal!!
Preferences change, that’s what they mean. Harper & Boras would hope that SF would be more of a “threat” than what they seem to be. It’s been exhausting but I feel that any “mystery team” or new bidder really shouldn’t be considered as favorites for at least Harper.
If “New” teams are entering its because they’re trying to work Harper into one of the low yr/hugh AAV deals that Boras is trying to buck the trend on with players (especially with his biggest names). Teams entering are trying to get Harper on the cheap; especially in SF, it makes zero business sense for Harper (whose declined in all defensive categories) to patrol even RF in SF. Also, people like to forget the 420’ alley in RCF, only the most dead pull hitter from the left side enjoy hitting in SF. It makes zero sense for Harper to take a short term deal (even with opt-outs) and play 81 games in an environment which will depreciate his offensive and defensive metrics.
Let’s not kid ourselves, the cat is out of the bag when it comes to analytics; even if the new CBA in 2021 changes financial structures in MLB, it won’t change how teams value players in terms of establishing a new market. It doesn’t make sense for Harper to short change himself and re-enter the market in a couple years, when he’s older (possibly out of his prime year window), and risking a drop off in metrics and/or injury.
Rynesdorf in Chicago doesn’t seem to want to set the market, so I think realistically, the Nationals and Phillies are the only logical options right now. Unless someone finds $400M in their couch soon, these two clubs both have the environment and ballpark for him to flourish. It would make more sense (on a short term deal) for Harper to sign in PHI or WSH, where he would have a more forgiving RF area to defend (compared to west coast clubs like SF, LAD, & a lesser extent, SD); and both PHI & WSH have bitter friendly parks (especially in PHI for lefthanders).
Also, Manfred, said there most likely will be no DH before 2021 in the NL; so it doesn’t make sense for Harper to take a really short term deal. Most likely, these clubs are just being used to boost the offers (primarily from PHI) that he has in-hand. There’s no way Harper receives a better offer from another team without Boras going to WSH & PHI, asking to top it.
The Phillies need a LH outfield bat but still haven’t abandoned Machado yet either. The big sports stations in PHI have been running polls all week between Harper and Macahdo and between 85-90% want Harper; Philly has been clamoring for him which puts pressure on the FO. Washington has choked in their competitive window without a WS appearance and seeing what their division rivals have done, it would seem the Nats would be motivated for Harper not to go to a division rival, let alone the Phillies who maybe have had the best offseason (depending on who you ask). Most likely, the offers from teams like SF will force PHI & WSH to have more impetuous to get a deal done sooner and raise their offers. I don’t think CWS is as invovled because Macahdo seems to be their priority. It’ll probably come down to which loud billionaire wants to throw more money at Bryce; the one in Philly or in DC.
jett. You are obviously a Phillie fan. What are the offers and who does Harper want to play for? If the Phillies made the highest offer and .Harper wants to play for the Phillies, why is Harper listening to lower offers?
And you are clearly a Giants fan.
The highest offer doesn’t mean it’s something he wants to take at the moment. I’m drawing the distinction that where someone like Harper will sign, is based on the dollar amount and not a preference. If the dollar amount is similar then I think a preference would take a hold.
There’s reason to believe that Washington & Philadelphia would go long term with a contract offer. If SF offered a 7,8,9 year deal then I would say he would be a Giant. While Bryce has to sign the deal, It’s foolish to believe that Scott Boras isn’t attached to his hip to milk every cent out. Boras is the top agent in the industry and considering the market the last 2 years, he’s bound to try to make a deal happen to break Stanton’s contract.
I simply pointed out the obvious arguments against short term deals. If this was 2013 when the market was different, then we wouldn’t have this issue but someone in the spot Harper is in, he’s looking to maximize his contract opportunity.
To keep it short and sweet, Harper hasn’t signed because he hasn’t seen the money he wants, not because he hasn’t seen the team he wants. Cliff Lee might be the last big FA that didn’t sign for the largest dollar amount offered to him. And it’s funny we’re talking Phillies because the Giants are starting to resemble the Phillies in 2010-11-12 where they’re core is getting older and has a few bad contracts. They’re not tearing it down but are probably even with Harper the 3rd best team in the NL West. I think the Phillies are more desperate to sign a star and the Nationals are probably desperate to keep Harper away from a hated division rival. And IF that’s the case, then I think they may outbid anyone else in their pettiness to one up each other.
“The Phillies need a LH outfield bat…” As a Phillies fan I disagree with this slightly. Williams is not Harper, but he has OK splits against RHP. (.804 OPS, .343 wOBA, 113 wRC+) and could be a decent platoon bat. the problem is his defense, and one has to wonder how much of an upgrade Harper would be.
Overall, Harper would be a huge upgrade at the plate, but if they can find a decent platoon partner for Williams I’m not sure the upgrade to Harper is worth the money he’s asking, given that that money could be used to upgrade the roster elsewhere.
I’d prefer they sign Manny, though I wouldn’t offer him 10 years either.
I get that and Nick Williams is an appealing player but he’s not Bryce Harper. Williams is also only 1 year younger than Harper, so it’s not like it’s choosing between a 30y outfielder and someone whose 23. I don’t have exact numbers but I feel that Harper’s defensive metrics are also hurt because he played a fair amount of time in CF. Playing strictly in the corners will probably help him and while he may not be a plus defender, he can still provide league average defense.
As a Phillies fan, you can probably also recognize Williams was in the doghouse for a while last year. While he’ll have to accept the way Kapler runs the team, Willams offensive approach isn’t something the Phillies preach now. He’s a free swinger and provided a negative WAR over 140 games last year. That said there’s probablt still a market for him IF they were to sign someone like Harper. A young athletic power LH outfield bat with some warts is still worth something. Considering what was moved for Realmuto, while they wouldn’t get a Sixto Sanchez type return, he could help restock the system if dealt. He was also an attractive piece when fans were talking Kluber/Bauer trades early in the offseason. While not a headliner, he’s still someone who could be used to facilitie a move or future moves.
Short term seems like the worst idea. They’re going to stink for a couple of years with or without him, so what’s the point in that? If you’re going to sink $70+ million into him for the next two years and still be bad, why not get a real return on your investment and have him around for the next 5 years when you might be good?
I’d ask, if the Giants aren’t interested in a long term deal, why are they even bothering? The odds, no matter how good or bad people think they were, just dropped to probable no chance territory.
@ Bert17, tad2b13: Maybe it’s an attempt to keep fans coming out and to potentially signal “retool and contend” rather than “do nothing and let the bad contracts age out”. Not only are the fans getting anxious, but so are the players. Posey has publicly declared that he doesn’t want to be on a rebuilding club. With Harper in the fold, and some good luck in the injury department from the veterans, this team could well stay in contention up to the deadline – they did last year. At deadline time, further moves could be made.
We don’t know what Giants have offered/intend to offer. “Shorter term” might mean an opt-out laden contract, or even five or six years rather than a ridiculous ten. They spent a bunch of time with Boras and Harper; I’m sure they discussed the wants on both sides.
I don’t know how smart a “short term” offer is, but if they got Harper, it would probably alter Zaidi’s future moves. There could be a flurry of them from all teams after this major domino finally falls.
What a surprise! SFG aren’t offering Harper $300M. What about the loony $420M that MLBTR suggested?
Crazy move by Bryce/Boras rejecting the Nats’ offer, Should have been forewarned by last year’s market that the mad money was going to be much tighter and that he’d already been offered it.
Yeahhhh no chance he’s taking a short term deal. Thanks for playing though
As soon as the specifics of that contract get out, another team with more plausible and better playoff aspirations will either match it or beat. San Francisco is a great city (and expensive city!) to live in but is Bryce the type to put up with at least two years of subpar baseball mediocrity in favor of a $150+M contract?
I think he is way too competitive to do that. He’s going to get paid, short-term or long-term contract.. It’s just is it worth playing with mediocre talent for an extra $10M vs somewhere where he can win.
It sounds ridiculous – $10M is a lot of money to me, but it’s thrown around like it’s chump change in baseball because it probably is pocket change to the owners.
I think the Giants brass is out of touch if they think a 1 or even a 2 year deal is going to cut it. I am by no means an expert but you might get the attention of Harper if it is a deal like 5 year 37aav but who knows at this point
While I agree that Harper isn’t going to sign a short-term contract, what makes you assume that means the Giants are thinking 1 or 2 years? Since talk of 10 year deals has been thrown around, I would think that a 3, 4, or even a 5 year deal would be considered short, relatively speaking.
I was only thinking that as a possible outcome not that they would actually go that short of a contract . But it does make sense for a 3 to 5 year deal .
You can’t penalize a player for holding out for more money MLB can certainly fine a sports agency for creating false narratives and smearing organizations for not offer record breaking contracts to .250 hitters what we don’t want is the erosion of team building from a team/owner stand point the MLB is dangerously close to what has happened in the NBA