9:55pm: Harper’s camp actually negotiated with two teams in Las Vegas on Saturday, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. It’s not clear who was vying against the Phillies, though, nor is it known whether the other club made any progress in talks.
9:41pm: Middleton is still in Vegas, and there’s “optimism” the Phillies and Harper will finalize a 10-year deal by Monday afternoon, Nightengale reports.
9:19pm: Middleton’s plane is returning to the East Coast, but the two sides had a “busy day of meetings” and talks will continue, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly tweets.
8:39pm: The Phillies are engaged in “deep and serious negotiations” with free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Team owner John Middleton, who’s meeting with Harper’s camp in Las Vegas, doesn’t want to leave without a deal in place, according to Nightengale.
The Vegas-based meeting between the Phillies and Team Harper, which also includes agent Scott Boras, is their second summit since Jan. 10. After the sides’ initial sitdown, Nightengale named Philadelphia as the favorite to sign Harper, which has remained the case in the ensuing weeks. Now, with the season fast approaching and the current class’ other elite free agent, Manny Machado, having come off the board this week, a resolution for Harper may finally be on the way.
Machado’s months-long stay on the open market came to an end when he accepted the Padres’ 10-year, $300MM offer. The Phillies also had interest in Machado, but they weren’t willing to approach the Padres’ proposal, leaving Harper as the clear-cut best free agent available. Having watched Machado come off the board, the Phillies “will be much more reluctant to walk away” from Harper, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer relayed this week.
Whether with the Phillies or another team, Harper seemingly has a good chance to exceed Machado’s guarantee – the largest ever given to a free agent. However, the 26-year-old Harper’s market hasn’t quite come together as expected this offseason, evidenced in part by his unemployed status as March nears. Aside from the Phillies, who entered the offseason promising to spend (which they’ve done, albeit nowhere close to “stupid” amounts), the Nationals, White Sox, Padres and Giants have shown varying levels of interest in Harper. Among that group, Philly easily looks like the most aggressive team in the race. Although Harper has spent his entire career in Washington, where he has starred, team owner Mark Lerner painted a bleak picture Friday when asked if the Nationals would re-sign him. Meanwhile, the White Sox may not even bid on Harper, the Padres don’t appear to be serious suitors, and the Giants are shying away from a long-term commitment.
All things considered, it seems the stars are aligning for the Phillies to land their coveted target after months of chasing him. While the Phillies haven’t finished above .500 in a season since 2011 and are mired in a seven-year playoff drought, they’re making a strong push to contend in 2019. Regardless of what happens with Harper, Philadelphia has already made major improvements this offseason by acquiring catcher J.T. Realmuto, shortstop Jean Segura, outfielder Andrew McCutchen and reliever David Robertson. But there’s still plenty of room for Harper, a Hall of Fame-level talent who could help propel the franchise back to relevance.
First. He will sign with them 10 year 320 mil, with opt out
I predict bigger than Giancarlo. 10yr 330mil
350M is my guess.
351 million, the price is right.
overbid! I bid $1!
Yeah. If the second team rumor is true they will get $350mm. If not, the $330mm seems right.
Second team rumor absolute lie for trying to bait Phillies into bid against themselves, as last standing team seeking him.
Second team is the Yankees.
Please be a Plot twist… 2nd would sting less, than being out of Harper bidding completely…
Regardless of who signs him, that team will regret the last 5 years of the deal.
There is no second team. 330 will get it done, but Phils may overpay just in case.
It just seems it’s becoming more of the Phillies not wanting to look bad for not signing Harper than actually needing him. He’s good and any team could use a player like that, but at that cost?
I concede, defeat.
am very sad. this one seems legit. Have a feeling 🙁
X – I was hoping you were right even though I knew the Yankees were a very long shot. I wish it was not us.
Oh no, my team is about to sign a 26 year old former MVP who hit 30+ home runs last year, I wish it wouldn’t happen but I guess we’re stuck with him! 🙁
“Oh no, my team is about to sign a 26 year old former MVP who hit 30+ home runs last year, I wish it wouldn’t happen but I guess we’re stuck with him! :(”
Lol thank you for this.
Phillies showing they wana win it all, must be nice. Good time to be a phanatic!
Explain to me how this hurts the Phillies? They have plenty of money still.
I understand why you all are down voting me and I get the sarcasm (I ignore 1600 under ALL circumstances). I just do not like signing any player to 10 years and while I agree it helps the Phillies, it is short term.
You all value him higher than I do. I hope he proves me wrong…
By saying you ignore me under all circumstances, you actually contradicted yourself. Congratulations.
…
Cheer up Marc – I, too, am a Phillies fan. Of course there is risk in signing any player for 10 years.
But, Harper is only the 21st player in history to have 150+ HR, 130 or more OPS +, and 25+ WAR at his age- of the other 19, all but 2 have had or are having HoF careers (the only 2 outliers are Andruw Jones and Jose Canseco). The others who aren’t in the Hall are A-Rod (PEDs) and players still playing (Trout, Cabrera, Stanton, and Machado).
I can’t put a precise number on it, but I’d say there is at least a 70% chance a 10 year contract for Harper will be worth it (and Machado for that matter).
Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if Middleton is the kind of owner who will be willing to go over the luxury tax if they can win.
Gonna make it more fun at CBP – hoping this is finally a real rumor.
249 batting avg really
leading both leagues’ in walks, really
entering age-26 yr? Possible hasnt hit prime! Yes, really
darylict – Thanks! Depressed is not the right word. You remember watching many others that were so promising only to be hurt. My big concerns are 1) Harper’s streakiness; 2) His injuries. Look at how many seasons he has been hurt. Good player if he is healthy and 3) Who are we bidding against???
I do not care if he likes Philly or what-not, but those above are my concerns. I do not want a bogged down contract and be hampered.
But I know your stats are correct.
10 years at 26 is different from 10 years at 30. Much different.
Within a few years the DH is coming to the NL. Being able to keep Bryce out of the field a couple games a week should help him stay healthy. Philadelphia is the 4th biggest media market, so going forward the payroll should consistently sit north of 180 million. Paying Harper 32ish mil a season shouldn’t prevent the Phils from adding players in upcoming seasons.
LOL! It’s tough being a Phillies fan. >=}
The short term? He’s going to be at least good for the next 5 years.
Not before 2022 at the earliest.
2022? How do you figure?
Not debating your metrics, darylict, nor his talent (however overpriced). Key part missing in your analysis is the intangible human piece someone like this brings to a clubhouse and it’s impact on the organization and team’s chemistry going forward. If this whole FA drama is indicative of where Harper currently is as a person and (allegedly) as a team player, he’ll be dragging the same narcissism and toxicity into Philly that we’ve watched throughout his time in DC, and even going back to his over-hyped signing before he hit the bigs. And to those who’ll justify this insanity solely on metrics (past or projected) and supposedly his added-win-value for a team, why aren’t the Nats dripping in NL pennants and WS titles. The “star” played an ample number of years there with good teams surrounding him, so where are all the trophies? And, more to the point, where’s his sense of decency and loyalty to an organization and fan base that’s been nothing but supportive of the guy? Sorry; if he indeed signs with Philly and is attributed for the team’s postseason success following the deal, this price tag — and not talking of just the dollar amount — simply isn’t worth it. In this case, toxicity far outweighs talent; walk away.
More like phailure
2016 AVG .243 AB 506
2017 AVG .319 AB 420
2018 AVG .249 AB 550
= $300-350M over 10 years??? What is happening to baseball??
10 years $300-$350M???
2016 AVG .243 AB 506
2017 AVG .317 AB 420
2018 AVG .249 AB 550
What is wrong with baseball?
I have been a season ticket holder in right field since 2005. Going to baseball games were a blast before Harper took over right field. I literally couldn’t stand being in right field last year. Good riddance Bra!
He also is injury prone and let’s be honest… he’s probably not going to see numbers like he did his MVP season again. Thanks to whoever over spends on this guy, as long as it isn’t the Cardinals.
PS. The Home Run Derby was rigged in 2018. Harper Hit many less HRs than Schwarber. He had the best seed, so he just his 13 and 13 and 19. Saved his energy. Haha. Hoax.
i have mixed feelings as well. i was always in the camp of the more consistant player who played the more premium position. (how well being debatable, granted) i dont want them signing a player as constant as Bryce to absurd money just because he had one MVP season and is still only 26, nevertheless, i feel like i can rest easy knowing that 33 million a year is much better then what the original projections were, and he’ll probably have at least 5 above average years of the 10.
hothothotinc…”what has happened to baseball”?
They have moved on from using batting average as an important stat.
What is wrong is using batting average as the primary value driver. This isn’t the 70s.
hothothotinc: AVG and AB? What is wrong with you?
At the very least use PA’s since Harper walks so much because he’s among the most feared hitters in MLB.
Just curious what a worth it deal is for that kind of money . One championship or multiple ?
You’re right. Too many injuries being young… Think when he gets older… Stay away… He’s not Albert Pujols… He’s worst.
Last two seasons: Extra Base Hits(Harper, 125), (Castellanos, 146). Total Bases: (Harper, 523), (Castellanos, 611). No market for Castellanos, as his Metrics are so bad he no longer takes a glove on the field anymore. Comical contracts, Metrics.
By using AB, I showed the substance of the AVG. Great batters have great averages period. I think that Harper is all hype. Move on….
Ken Griffey Jr comes to my mind when I think of Bryce Harper and his injuries. Griffey was on a trajectory of being an all time great before his legs gave out in Cincy.
That ya a great point. Although not considered as important as in once was, and for good reason, the great hitters just naturally register a very good to great BA. think Trout, Betts, arenado, goldy. The others do not. Think Chris Davis, Khris Davis, Antony Rizzo. Nice played, but not elite.
My above stats are off balance some what. Castellanos had about 264 more AB’s in the last two years. Probably reflects the high walk rate of Harper, and perhaps his injuries.
I just threw up in my mouth a little when you compared Harper to Griffey.
He also hit 34 home runs drove in 100 runs.
How old are you Xabial? 10, maybe 11? That’s the impression I get based off of your comments here.
Xabial is a child. No on likes the kid
I don’t always agree with Xaibal and believe he makes his life worse responding to trolls.
That said, the childish ones are those who have made it their mission to comment each time about how much the don’t like him etc. Seems growing up is not limited to one.
Alfred E. Newman is a very old man now so Xabial could actually be an old geezer himself. He could use a shrink. All gluttons for punishment of any kind do.
Are you conceding defeat with regard to Harper or to PickleRiccck for commenting first?
As a Mets’ fan, I don’t care for either team, but don’t see the need for the Yankees on top of Judge and Stanton.
Hopefully they front-load the contract and give them more flexibility to sign a free agent, specifically following the 2020 season.
I am glad the Yankees are staying away. They already have Stanton for ten years and after seeing what has happened to the free agent market the last couple of years I highly doubt he opts out. Judge is going to be another huge salary in a few years and I would prefer for him to be soaking up $30+ million of the Yankees payroll in his mid 30’s than Harper. That is how you have to look at it. You have to assume Stanton is staying and in 4 years Judge is going to be looking for a similar contract. $100m between 3 players is more than any team can handle for 5+ years. That’s not even taking into account the contracts Torres, Andujar, Sanchez and more than likely Severino are going to command when they hit free agency. Harper just doesn’t fit the budget if you want the Yankees to be contenders in 5 years.
You have gardner for left field. Lol
White Sox are in touch with Harper.
Don’t count them out just yet!
Harper in right; Eloy in left. Great combo for years to come.
you clearly didn’t read what I just did. they’re probably not even going to make an offer and if they do, it won’t be close to the Phillies.
It would be if JR took his 8yrs/$250M Manny Machado offer and guaranteed Bryce Harper those two extra vesting options. That would put the Harper deal in the 10 yrs/$310-$340M range. Machado’s total package could have earned him $350M with those vesting years + other incentives. Why not offer Harper the same deal but guarantee those dollars instead?
From a baseball standpoint Harper was always the better fit for the White Sox. He gives them the high OPS lefty bat they lack system wide to pair with uber slugging prospect Eloy Jimenez. Machado was going to make either SS Tim Anderson or 3B Yoan Moncada expendable once 2B prospect Nick Madrigal debuts, likely next season. Harper replaces either Daniel Palka or Nicky Delmonico once Jimenez makes his LF debut sometime in April.
From a marketing standpoint, both locally versus the Cubs and nationally there’s is little doubt that Harper has more value to the White Sox than Machado.
White Sox could be second team. I think missing on Machado May have woke JR up to the fact he had to spend more.
Don’t believe everything you read.
Not to mention the fact that Jerry Reinsdorf’s already declining popularity among White Sox fans was at an all time low based on social media response since the whiff on Machado. If he’s like a certain more powerful chief executive twitter user he may not care about public perception but JR might be concerned enough with the lack of fans rushing to buy tickets. Some season ticket holders have even claimed to cancel their seats over the Machado miss and the reported fold in the Harper bidding.
Yeah, opt outs every 90 minutes throughout the life of the contract. That’s why the negotiation has been so protracted.
“Harper May opt out of doubleheaders”
Are they using lube? Sounds deep
Are the Phillies bidding against themselves at this point?
Certainly
Heck yes.
Harper’s mom keeps calling Boras who pretends it’s the Giants, Padres and Sox young the bid.
Yes! The mystery team is the Phillies mystery owners. montco.today/2017/04/search-mystery-phillies-owner…
Scott Boras has Middleton’s Double Play partnership group bidding against the Buck’s Tri-Play associates.
doubt they are if they never see this supposed “other team.” if Boras says both are in Vegas, Middleton wants to see if for himself.
This is getting old..
Then let’s start a new subject, over or under 2 years..time until Stanton is sporting a Braves jersey?
In 20 minutes? Depends on your MLB The Show settings.
rhe number of years he has left on hos contract maybe.
Oh because nobody gets traded before their contract is up…
So Harper is signing elsewhere given how wrong Nightengale always is
That’s funny! So true too.
Please, please, please, let this be over with.
Same story over and over and over and over and over
Hopefully Middleton didn’t go to Harpers house if he says he isn’t leaving without a deal in place
Bro twins just signed Bryce to a 1 year 10 mil deal
hahaha #fakenews
It’s a given he’s going to Philadelphia but will they over bid? Seems they have no competition to sign him…
Pretty much anything is gonna be an over bid for him
Which means only about three more months to wait.
really wanted that idiot MLBINSIDER to have to delete his twitter if harper didn’t sign with philly tho……
10/340 with opt outs after 5 and 6.
10/345, which would give him the highest AAV as well as largest overall contract
yes but I am thinking opt out at 3rd year for Harper.
As a Mets fan i dont like this…but Philly is the only team i feel that will give him the 10yrs and the $326+ million he is seeking. Im still not worried about Philly that much because behind Nola, that rotation is at its very best a slight tick above average…and thats generous. If i were them…go for the gusto and grab Kuechel…at the very least Gio
Phillies’ pitching is not fantastic at all, but you obviously did not watch them last year at all as your representation is grossly underestimated. But it is streaky.
It’s also been out for a week or two now that Arrieta was pitching with a knee injury last year and had surgery in the off season.. He could be much better this year.. Shame there aren’t better starting pitching options than Keuchel but still solid for a rotation that could certainly use help.
As a Mets fan you should be more worried about all of their offseason moves leading to another 4th place finish
Don’t underestimate that young pitching staff.
I like the young starters slotted in behind Nola & Arrietta. However, I would field better to have Kuechel to slot in the #3 slot, reducing the reliance on the young starters and allowing the Phils to move V. Velasquez to the bullpen.
I don’t disagree. And I can see this happening with or without Harper, but Keuchel is asking for a lot.
I see the Kuechel signing to be similarly set up to Arrietta’s. 3/75 with two team option years.
Agreed. I think the Phillies overpaid for Arrieta in the hopes of luring free agents this year. It worked. Will they overpay for another SP? We will see.
I was keen on Dallas for awhile. but have been reading a bunch and he’s just not much of an upgrade other than he will give the Phillies a lefty which I feel they do need..
@. dematteo1982
Phillies rotation is good, not great..The pen might be one of the best in the game right now.
They have more than a few Iron Pigs that are ready..I expect Vince Velasquez to be moved to the pen sometime during the season..
Without Harper, they are slated at 87 wins which is tied for 3rd in the NLE..It won’t take much to push them closer to the top.
A lot depends on Kapler. If he wises up and learns from his terrible shifts ( billjamesonline.com/evaluating_the_phillies_infiel… this is just one of many articles regarding that) 87 wins may be low. He also needs to settle the lineup and look at the numbers.
He is supposed to be a numbers guru yet the obvious ones escape him. Hoskins is a waste hitting 2nd and his splits between 2nd and 4th prove it.
I swear if I hear Kapler say “we like the way his stuff matches up against their hitter” after making a boneheaded unnecessary change gone wrong, I’ll scream.
Like you said the staff isn’t bad. Much of the ERA was due to Kapler. Their K/9, FIP were second only to LA and other underlying #’s are better than average too.
End of rant….lol
(*_*)n Like I posted many times last year, “The Gabe” needs to get out of his own way…
Interesting. Middleton was at the game against the Pirates today. So he had obviously left Las Vegas. Does that mean he whiffed on Harper?
Its a 20 minutes drive from Clearwater to the nearest airport that can handle his plane. It takes 4 hours to fly from Tampa to Las Vegas, but he picks up 3 hours.
So if he left the game in Clearwater at 3 pm eastern, about the 8th inning and arrived at the airport with his plane on the tarmac and ready to take off, he could have been in Las Vegas at 4:30 pm local time and meeting with Harper by 5 pm.
Since reports on this website are that his plane was back in the air by 9:19 pm central, that means he had 1.5 hours or a few minutes more to meet with Harper today.
Doesn’t mean he’s gonna sign there. . .
They will have to overpay bc no one wants to play/live in Philly
old wives take perpetuated by New York media and the gullible fans of said media.
nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/despite-rumors…
NY media vs Philly media
Funny but that’s such a bad comeback old tired reply once again
According to the aforementioned person who is close to him, Harper would have no qualms coming to Philadelphia if the Phillies win these sweepstakes. The person said that Harper has gotten good reports on the city and the fans from current and former Phillies with whom he maintains friendships.
That’s really funny if you’re a Mets fan.Because players do wanna play/live in New York,just not for the Mets.
Arrieta, Realmuto, Halladay, Lee, Thome, Lidge…no one wants to play in Philly eh?
Philly is like a smaller version of NYC, but with better hangouts like The Mutter Museum, The Betsy Ross and Edgar Allan Martinez Houses.
Well…..wrong again
back in it!
10-11yrs/$345MM-$360MM
Can we just stop with all these Harper “rumors?”. Tomorrow it will be yet another “mystery” team is in the mix
Two hours ago it was the Padres
You’re on a rumors website
it’s the same rumor with slightly different wording.
Only place I can get The Human Rain Delay preaching about The Human Signing Delay (Harper)!
11 years, 370, front loaded
370 seems like a lot. Despite the rumor mill, I don’t think anyone else is seriously bidding. I also think Harper has no reservations about playing in Philly or anywhere.
I was hoping he’d leave the NL East, because he’s done a number on my Braves throughout his career, but I almost hope they do sign Harper. They’ll overpay him, he’ll underperform and then they will be financially handcuffed with that albatross of a contract, making it hard for them to do much else.
Sadly I agree with your hatred and direct contempt towards this.
Harper contact won’t hurt them… They’ll still sign Trout in two years.
12/375
Ugh. I hope not. 10/330 is fine. No one else is even bidding.
Apparently there’s a second team in Vegas.
I don’t buy it. Heyman is Boras’ guy.
Robert Kraft was deep too….oh wait, wrong post. dang it!!!
330 for 11 years with opt out after a few years.
If he feels the need to pass Machado offer him $300,000,000.01.
that’s what NFL players focus on for whatever reason so the same should apply lol
Or $325,000,000.01 if he feels the need to surpass Stanton’s extension.
Harper wants SanFrancisco, Boras wants Harper to get more money to make himself look good. In the end, Boras will win, Harper will go to Philly.
Pretty sure Harper hasn’t been shy about wanting his money first and foremost.
Pretty sure he also hasn’t been shy about wanting to play in the West Coast. If the difference is a couple million, I’m sure Harper would take spending more time with his family by being close to them.
Can you find me one single quote of Harper expressing his preference to play anywhere?
The gossip mill is nonsense. No one knows where Harper wants to go.
Harper wants LA not SF. LA just doesn’t want Harper.
Machado was the one who cared about money most. He already showed he stinks in postseason play.
Thats some drivel. Machado was huge in the Braves series and the Dodgers dont get past Milwaukee without him.
Then Boom-shocka-locka!!! White Sox kick doors in with a mega deal, shocking the whole world. Go crazy folks! Go crazy!
Idk what trout is planning/ if the phillies want to wait two years, but I think they should be careful with Harper and not force anything. I think they feel the need to sign him simply because it has been talked about all offseason that they’d get either Harper or manny, and it may look bad if they end up with neither.
………
The further you go down the comment section the bigger the hypothetical deals get.
20 years $1 billion
I think 10 year s $330..Philly is a great city..people knock it down so much..it’s better then NYC…
That’s like saying the herpes is better than chlamydia
So it is or it isn’t?
That’s saying that having to choose between either isn’t ideal because both are unpleasant
But herpes is a lifetime.
wrap it up.
Yankees fan here, but I prefer Philly as a city.
If the Phils get Harper, where does Keuchel and Kimbrel go?? Because I’m pretty sure the Phils still want room on the payroll for Trout, right?
Phils will sign Kuechel after the Harper signing. His agent is Boras as well.
first of all Harper knows what team he wants to go with i blame this whole thing on boras
CLKR, I would be shocked to see Kimbrel go to Philly..I actually think he’s a better fit in the ATL..his agents asking price and years need to come down though.. as for Dallas Keuchel, I have a gut feeling his agent and the Phillies do in fact work out a deal..The Phillies could use a lefty..I’m not real high on him, but then, it’s not my money..
As for Trout, I still feel he signs an extension before he hits FA. If he does hit the market, clearly the Phillies will be in on him..and, do not be fooled, They have the cash as do most all teams….Harper doesn’t change that dynamic…
They could be taking about Dallas as well as Harper right now, he is a Boras client.
One area we disagree is I think Trout will test FA unless Moreno does something spectacular and builds a winner in 2 seasons. Even Olney fantasized about it.
twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/1099648207544557571
If Trout does hit FA, then we might see $400m
Probably, but I really do believe he will be the one to go where he wants to go. No long drawn out back and forth like Machado and Harper.
I know you know a bit about South Jersey, it’s eons away from city life. He is already set for life, has his 300 acre farm/woodland, married to his high school sweetheart who works as a teacher even though she doesn’t have to. It’s like a schmaltzy Hollywood script. Even the Vette he got for being AS MVP sat in his parents garage until a little over a year ago.
I have posted this link before, you may have seen it. It’s a good look at who he is and where he comes from.
nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2014/05/in_mike_trouts…
Yes, I did..TY
Hypothetical deal. 10 years 345 million with an opt out after every even year except leap years
I could see 11 for $330. Opt out after 5 and 8 years. Structured to make it very appealing for Harper to opt out…like $35 in each of the 1st 5 years, declining in years 6-8 and plummeting in years 9-11. Harper gets the highest total contract to top Stanton. The Phillies reasonably assume it never gets past 8 years without renegotiating
12/350 Phillies
Poor kids stuck in Philly. He wanted to go to SF or SD.
With four opt outs.
With a $70 million club option for a 13th year.
Harper will likely be over-payed like most players but at least the Phillies are trying to win. Same can’t be said about the Braves.
Braves are still taking 1st in the NL East. Doesn’t matter if the Phillies get Harper or not.
No, the lack of depth is showing. They have prospects, yes, but if those prospects are still not ready for the MLB and an injury happens to one of their major players, how many proven MLB commodities do they have in the minors? Not many. The core of Acuna/Freeman/Albies is as good as they get, but the bullpen is thin outside of who they have stated for opening day, rotation is largely unproven as Folty could have very well had an outlier year as some peripherals suggest he might.
But is committing 20%-25% of their payroll to Bruce Harper for the next decade the way to solve the Braves’ depth issues?
If I’m doing the math right, a deal with an AAV of $30M+ would make Harper 20%-25% of the Braves 40-man payroll for the next decade if they landed him. I know it’s hard to watch the Braves stay out of it, but are you really convinced sinking that much payroll into that particular guy is what the Braves need to do to win? As a fellow Braves fan, I’d be pretty nervous about that level of commitment, especially to Bryce Harper.
IDK, Donaldson was a good get
If true, despite all Heyman’s tweets, it was JRoll who broke this news for me.
Boras will say, all things being equal, Bryce would rather stay near his home on the west coast. He be happy to come to Philly for one more year and $1M more per year than Manny. 11 yrs / $341 is my prediction. Contract will start to look bad 1/2 way through like most of them.
Imagine if after all of this effort another team just swoops in and signs Harper lol
Harper asking price is said by some involved teams to be in 350/360M range. The case is that while Harper and Machado may be comparable on field and similar age, Harper has real value off field due to cachet/fame. Some owners concede this tho some claim it’s “hard to quantify”
twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1099511679115821057
He’s a cancer.
Libra actually
lol nice
Don’t outbid yourselves!
It’s like the old movie Groundhog Day with high priced free agents. Player signs a lucrative long term contract and all of the fans rejoice. Dreams of a World Series ensue. A few years later the dreams have turned into screams. Team is struggling and the reality of having a bloated contract on the books is weighing down the team from moving forward. Fans are bummed and there is no end in sight. Team starts facing reality and scrambles to find someone willing to take this albatross of a contract off their hands. Frustration sets in as it becomes clear that the team will have to eat a significant portion of the players contract in order to move it. Not only that the return will be meager. The GM is ridiculed by fans and the media alike, all while being placed on the hot seat.
History keeps repeating itself. It’s almost like clockwork with these long term mega contracts…
Theo Epstein’s jet just landed at McCarran in Vegas
I want this storyline to extend to 2020.
Well, that sucks. Was really hoping to see San Diego shock the world by signing both Machado & Harper.
and still come in 4th in the NL West
That’s has nothing to do with it. With ALL this talk about how teams aren’t spending money, especially the “big market” teams, it would be awesome to see a team like the Padres sign two players to $300+ contracts.
Congratulations to Bryce Harper and the Phillies for moving the needle to get this deal done.
Very big of Harper to be the bigger man and accept $300+ million.
Lots of $$$ for a part time superstar, part time replacement level player.
$300,000,001
Just $1 more than Machado. Lol
More than Stanton!
The White Sox are waiting for the Phillies offer so they can match it, they’re not leaving this free agency empty-handed
Why would this year be any different? Face it, good players don’t voluntarily play for the white sox.
Same thing could be said about the Padres, and about 3/4 of mlb teams
Middleton drove to Alaska. More at 11.
$1, Bob.
I see what you did there
Dodgers ! Dodgers ! Dodgers !
Two teams again? Yeah right.
Prediction: Harper will sign for a metric butt-ton of money by some team who will do will with him and ultimately regret it 7 years in.
If it takes a full 7 years for them to regret the signing, then it was probably worth it to them.
7 years?! They will regret in 2020 when they CBA will cause the players to strike. And there won’t be anymore baseball for a while and when the strike eventually does end. Attendance will be down so much the team owners will be kicking theirselves in the head for spending all of this money now. It’s not going to be 7 years. It will be a lot sooner then that.
First, right now, I agree that the storm clouds are forming..I hope I’m wrong, but it sure looks like a strike is coming..
Second, while fans will revolt, they will come back..
Third, don ‘t cry for the owners…their TV deals and residuals they get from MLB keeps them flush..
Fourth, because of the current animus between the two sides, real progress between the sides bringing both leagues playing under the same rules (The DH), might not happen..
I don’t like the DH, but hate different rules more!
Good article here…just read it this morning re: a possible strike
usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/gabe-lacqu…
Cat, that was excellent and exactly how I’ve viewed things..
many fans that post on this site see the players as greedy..that is clearly not the case..salary caps just don’t work in baseball..at least not as currently constituted (LuxTax)…
if the owners have their eyes open and see what many of us see, then they might want to make some serious concessions..keeping talented players down till May to avoid them getting to arbitration for an additional year just ferments additional animosity…
Tanking teams should draft last..let rookies break camp..also, expand rosters..equalize the rules….etc etc etc..
Do It Now! Do not wait to sit down till time has run out.
Agreed. This one sentence sums it up…………… “The conditions players feel are suppressing their earning power – a luxury tax that serves as a de facto salary cap, a heavy reliance on analytics that leads to wage suppression, a segment of ownership disincentivized and perhaps ambivalent about winning”
Why would this year be any different? Face it, good players don’t voluntarily play for the white sox.
Negotiating with two teams. Phillies and bizarro Phillies.
Please be the cubs please be the cubs. I say that cause if he out of nowhere signs with the Cubs you guys will all lose your poopppp!!
Let’s put ourselves in this kids shoes. Cause he’s still a kid. He has one chance to decide where he goes for how long in this craft that he has mastered. Everyone just wants him to sign somewhere and “get it over with” so you don’t have to hear about it anymore. Do you want to make that decision about 5-10 years of your future just because? I certainly don’t. I’d wait as long as possible, but this is it, this is the last weekend. Games are starting and he’s already a bit behind. So let the kid make his choice and get off his tookus
One problem.If he didn’t want it to be about his whole life he could easily sign a 3 year 110 million dollar contract would be set for life and then in 3 years he could decide if this was the right decision.He’s the one insisting it’s such an important decision so don’t make it out to be he has to make a life altering decision. It’s his ego saying I want the biggest contract of all time. Hell if he really wanted to he could sign a one year 40 million dollar contract and be set for life.
Yeah but if you were 26 and an agent is saying you could get 325 million dollars what would you do?
You know what. Last time I checked it’s his life and not scot boras’s life. Last time I checked after Harper signs this contract Boras can live whereever the heck he wants. I’m tired of Fans saying they are doing what the agent tells them to do.The agent works for them. If Harper said he wants to play on the West Coast length not that important the agent would do it.If Its just that players are greedy don’t blame the agent. If Harper gave him a list of teams he was willing to play with his agent would get it done. And any deal and Harpers set for life. Corbin said he wanted to play in NY. They made him an offer but were outbid. He would have been set for life with Yanks bid but he chose the Nats.It’s his right to do that but don’t put that on the agent. They work for him not vice versa..As to the idea Harpers only 26. Last time I checked when your 21 you can smoke drink vote and you’re past the age of being able to enter the military.. You are an adult.Back to the question. If someone asked you at the age of 26. You can sign this contract and might be miserable for 325 million dollars or you can sign this other contract for maybe 250 million dollars and probably be very happy which do you want. I believe I would’ve chosen the latter.How about you
Say Hey, it’s not about Bryce being a man..or maybe it is..his agent does in fact advise him..the reason so many choose Boras, is because he gets them the most for their given skills…remember, while most of us work our entire lives and retire anywhere between 62-65, baseball players earn their money in a narrow length of time. 10 to 14 years..Yes, most will have earned enough to be set, but they are all thinking about their children and their futures..I see nothing wrong in getting every last dollar..keep in mind, he wouldn’t get it if the owners didn’t have the cash to pay him and others..just MHO!
Most fans don’t care how much players get paid – at least I don’t. I just don’t want to see the team I root for saddled with bad contracts that aren’t worth the money.
If the MLBPA is smart, they’ll stop ignoring the plight of minor leaguers, and work to shorten the time to free agency for minor leaguers as well as MLB players, because it will have a ripple effect – it will force teams to actually pay minor leaguers who they deem not quite be ready enough money that they don’t choose minor league free agency and sign with another organization that has a clearer path to MLB. It will also help create more competitive balance and reduce tanking and the non spending that goes with it.
Reduce the time to MLB free agency to five years and MiLB free agency to five years and lots more players will be FA’s a couple of years younger where they might get paid better.
all those things and more
Thumbs down for craft that he has mastered. You mean one that he is overrated at.
He is better than us. And he’s about to get paid quite a bit.
Will they sign Trout when it’s his turn? Hmm…
Who WON”T try to sign him if he elects to become a free agent?
He’ll play with Trout, the Angels are the mystery team;)
“9:55pm: Harper’s camp actually negotiated with two teams in Las Vegas on Saturday, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. It’s not clear who was vying against the Phillies, though, nor is it known whether the other club made any progress in talks.”
Has Heyman ever sent a tweet or written a story that wasn’t to the benefit of Boras?
Even just once, to throw people off?
Giants Still in it Baby !!!
Im sorry Phils fans. I regret to inform you, ur team is about to commit Ryan Howard II.
I will believe it when the players signature is on the contract.
I think it is kind of a shame he’s going somewhere he doesn’t want to go. Kinda obvious he doesn’t want to be in Philadelphia. But they seem to be the only ones willing to break the record that he seems determined to break. So the ego could trump happiness in this case. Could.
Because, let’s be real. Even if he took less money to go to San Fran, he’s still be set for life. And, based on what has been reported, it is more in tune with what he personally wants.
So the hypothetical…. would you take 120 million over four years and love where you are or take 320-330 over 10 and dislike where are.
Since we don’t actually know him or what he likes, this is all hypothetical. But if those were your choices, what would you do?
I’d take the 120 and spend that part of my life where I want to live. And maybe, if I don’t injured, I’ll get to make another decision in 4 years.
I can’t type with my fat thumb on this phone. Forgive my typos.
So, you write with certainty that he dislikes going to Philly, then, you write in your last paragraph”””” that “we” don’t actually know him or what he likes””””!
You join a long list of commenters that continuously write that…All this krappola started by Sherman in NY..
Just once, site a link where Harper or anyone associated with him is quoted at saying that..JUST ONE!
I wrote with NO certainty. I wrote it seems obvious to me. But I never claimed to be certain, as I said. And most of my comment was a hypothetical, so as to begin a discussion because I think it is an interesting dilemma the young man might find himself to be in with his champagne problems.
You don’t have to read it. You certainly don’t have to reply or join the discussion if it offends you so terribly.
I did not write it to begin a debate with a negative nelly troll.
Relax pops. Or child. Which ever you are.
Why come here to discuss anything but baseball and baseball life decisions?
If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, pal.
Huh? I read it because I enjoy reading about baseball..I replied because b because MLBTR affords me the chance…it doesn’t offend terribly at all..I just disagree..
negative Nelly troll??? What does that even mean?
How can you disagree with a hypothetical scenario? I’m not claiming to know anything. Just asking a “what would you do if” what I wrote were your options.
For all I know, Harper loves Philly.
I, simply, don’t believe he does.
The only team bidding against the Phillies is the Phillies.
Not a single person has any clue what’s going on. Not even Harper himself. The whole thing is so messed up, and who knows when it’s gonna end. It’s gotten ridiculous. Sign a contract where ever you wanna go. Just sign.
All the cheeks in Philly clenched pretty hard with the 9:55pm update.
Well here’s the situation between the Phillies, Harper and Boras. The Phillies are clearly the only team willing to offer anything close the the asking price of approximately 300m. But if you are going to sign a player any player to thus length of contract and dollars you are expecting the player to be the face of your franchise. Question, does Harper sound like someone looking forward to bring the face of the Phillies franchise? I think that is more the question here now at this time in the negotiation that needs to be addressed. And if the answer is no then you pull out and move on. You can’t risk this type of contract on anyone that isn’t seriously interested in representing and spending the rest of career representing the team and fan base. It’s time to move on and I would for one respect that decision. The Karma here is the money involved would reduce to the point of embarrassment for him and the agent and rightfully so.
Congrats to Bryce Harper and the Phillies.
Someone call Bobby Evans and fire him again please. The Giants ownership is also to blame. They are giving their fans nothing to look forward to. No excitement! They’ll distract the fans with the usual bobble heads, promotional trash etc.
What a mess the Giants are in. 2019 will be a garbage season that will give their fans little to look forward to. Another season full of injuries and not one player will hit 20 homeruns.
Embarrassing
awww poor you. Then again, the Giants did in fact overachieve early this decade so technically, i agree. The Giants are bad.
I feel so bad for Giant fans. When was the last time Cleveland won it all. How about the Mets. San Diego Tampa Bay.Arizona. Heck I’m a Yankee fan and if I remember correctly you’ve won 3 times since I last won and being a Yankee fan I wouldn’t think of complaining. When teams win they often pay the price down the road. Want to bet you’re competitive before the Royals are. Remember Houston and the Cubs were awful before they became good. Same with Atlanta.I was a New Yorker for most of my life. The Knicks have been awful forever. Ditto the Jets.Ditto the Nets Pretty much ditto the Mets. The NY GIants were good for awhile but now stink the Rangers haven’t won since 94 and even the Yankees haven’t won in ten years so excuse me for not really caring about the poor Giants
Three WS trophies since 2010.
Forgive me for not having any sympathy.
The Giants haven’t made the playoffs in 2 years. It is rough being a Giants fan.
Try being a mariners fan.
Zaidi needs to focus most of his attention on strengthening the Giants farm system. I never thought he was too enthused about handing out a 10 year deal his first year on the job.
Reports swirling that is San Diego that’s currently trying to land Harper
The Phillies are giving Harper a lot of money hoping on his upside. That could be a big mistake. Machado’s numbers are consistent. You know what you getting.
if you assume Machado gives the same performance after getting seriously paid.
He’ll take the money and the opt-outs and try again in a few years if it doesn’t work out there.
Padres were in Las Vegas today. Yesterday the rumors were that Preller met with the Indians in Arizona yesterday. Myers to the Indians and Harper to the Padres.
Considering Cleveland has been reducing salary are the Padres going to pay down the $68m+ owed Meyers from 2020-2023?
They might pay some of it or send a pitcher along with Myers, say a Lauer.
It better be some sum
Myers is better than people think. 20/20 is well within his capabilities. And with the DH to keep him healthy, who knows? Could easily be an upgrade to Brantley
Myers, Strock (or any other bullpen arm), and a couple of youngsters will be enticing. Myers is cheap this year. If they are really worried about his big $$ years maybe they can trade him next year after he helps them get somewhere in the playoffs this year?
If Harper is part of this deal my guess is Margot or Reyes is included too
30/30 is within his capabilities.
Myers is owed $66 million guaranteed. $3 million in 2019, $20 million in 2020-2022, and a $3 buyout of the $20 option for 2023. Kluber is set to earn 52.5 million, $17 million in 2019 with options for $17.5 and $18 million in 2020 and 2021. Nobody is talking about a 1 for 1 trade. Myers, a catching prospect, and bullpen piece for Kluber with the Padres picking up the difference in salaries, would be enough. Kluber is going to be 33 this season. The Indians are not getting a Sale type return.
Give him a 10 yr, $300M contract with an 11th year option at $30M and a $5M buyout.
And all you will see is his backside as he walks out the door.
I don’t think he is worth his asking price (reportedly $350m+) and I hope the Phillies don’t give him that, but you won’t get him for that offer.
Are the Padres really driving up Harper’s price lol. Poor Phillies.
If he signs with the Phillies that will be the 2nd year in a row tbe NL outspent the AL in Free Agency by more than a 2-1 margin. Last year was the first year ever.
All you guys who keep rehashing this unfound nonsense, ‘it’s obvious he doesn’t want to be in Philadelphia’..You’re goofballs.. A desire to play the second half of his career closer to home is understandable but is a far cry from saying he doesn’t like Philly.
He said he didn’t like Philadelphia in 2015 while he was a National.
And when he became a free agent and no longer with the rival Nationals, he was complimentary of Philadelphia when asked.. Unless he was super nasty and personal, I don’t care what he said four years ago.
If you know that only 6-8 teams are going to be bidding on your services, would you insult them openly?
If Harper wanted to play in Philadelphia he would not have offered to allow the Padres to match any offer from the Phillies.
If the Padres, Dodgers, or Giants give an offer close to the Phillies offer Harper will be wearing that team’s jersey on opening day.
As of right now, what we know from the rumors is that the Padres have offered $335 million and the Phillies $350 million with deferred money. If the rumors are true, it’s close.
Passan said on Twitter that Middleton’s visit to Las Vegas was more of a meet and greet than a get the deal signed type of meeting. Passan is right occasionally. Nightengale never is.
We will know soon enough who he chooses, but don’t be surprised if its not the Phillies.
I haven’t seen those numbers. Do you have links?
Twitter. The typical suspects that this site quotes. Do a search.
I did and the #’s I have found is his asking price of $350-$360m
Also seems to be some discrepancies between sites with the Meyer’s #’s
BB Ref
2019 – $5,500,000
2020 – $22,500,000
2021 – $22,500,000
2022 – $22,500,000
2023 – $20,000,000 ($1m buyout)
Cots
19:$3M, 20:$20M, 21:$20M, 22:$20M, 23:$20M club option ($1M buyout)
Koamalu…………
“Twitter. The typical suspects that this site quotes. Do a search.”
I went back a week in twitter of all the usual suspects, from Olney to Morosi and not one mentioned the numbers you quoted. Have to call it BS. I also searched news articles using “deferred”, $335, Padres etc in various forms…. nothing
The only deferred money mentioned was Washington. There is no source.
@Koamalu
“”””””If Harper wanted to play in Philadelphia he would not have offered to allow the Padres to match any offer from the Phillies.””””””!
Where in this world do some of you get this nonsense?
Take a moment and give us a link where he or Boras is quoted saying that!
Why would any player say they like an opposing team while still playing for the team paying them. Think before speaking.
Could Heyman be a bigger mouthpiece for Scott Boras? EVERY SINGLE TIME. There is some kind of story or rumor from another writer indicating the Phillies are likely to sign Harper in comes Heyman with some kind of ‘mystery team’ type tweet like a Scott Boras SOS to try to drive up the price for Harper with the Phillies.
I still don’t get why so many people think Harper should get a bigger contract than Machado. (Yes, it may happen anyway, but that’s beside the point.) Except for the 2015 season and a near-tie in age, Machado is clearly the superior player in every facet.
Ceiling.
Only if he hits it.
A mystery team looking to sign Thelma Harper(Mama’s family) to wash the clubhouse dishes? Seriously, where does this put Mike Trout’s contract potential?
I could care less what Harper signs for or which team. Dragging it out like this is baaaaaad for baseball and their fans.
You put Harper on the Phillies and the entire lineup becomes stronger and better defensively than last year. They SHOULD score a ton of runs. I still think they are a quality pitcher away from being a top contender. The health and quality of the rotation will dictate everything now.
C Realmuto
1B Hoskins
2B Hernandez
SS Segura
3B Franco/Kingery
OF Harper, Herrera, McCutchen with Altherr, Williams and Quinn.
Williams is starting good,he has a 3 run hr & double in about 3 inings(spring game against the Tigers). The
“Harper’s camp actually negotiated with two teams in Las Vegas on Saturday. It’s not clear who was vying against the Phillies”
Here we go! As I say all the time. The “mystery team” that no writer or anyone sees, hears or knows about, will swoop in and sign the player. It happens every time. We spend a whole offseason reading all these baloney rumors and tips on where the player is destined to sign. And then out of the blue a mystery team emerges and signs the player.
It just happened with Machado. It was pretty much guaranteed he was going to sign with the Yankees. His dream since childhood, to play for the Yankees. They had the positions opened for him and could use him. His nephew said he was going to play for the Yankees and so on. And if it wasn’t going to be the Yankees, it would be the White Sox or Phillies. Because they were the “only” teams who could pay his asking price and were the closest to be contending playoff teams. BAM! Out of the blue comes the Padres and sign Manny.
Watch and see! Till the Harper sweepstakes is all said and done. It will NOT be the Phillies. Padres, Giants, White Sox or the Nationals. It is going to be that Mystery team!
That team not a single writer or rumor was written about Harper signing with or having a single discussion with the team.
Some team like the Dodgers, Astros, A’s or Rockies.
Watch and see!!!
Quit wasting your time watching and reading all these false stories. It’s just the media using us to make money for their companies.
It didn’t happen with Machado. Padres weren’t a mystery team. San Diego openly met witn Machado. It was common knowledge.
While other teams are definitely “in” on Harper, there is no mystery team. It’s just rumors to up the bidding. Harper will be a Philly on Monday.
Well, I bet Boras just went out and bought a whole mound of blow and a plethora of high end hookers. That was a cool and easy (estimated) $48,000,000 over the life of Harper’s contract. Boras earned approximately $108 MILLION dollars, last year alone. Craziness.
Just curious how you came up with $48m?
Boras made $108.3m on $1.9 billion in contracts. That’s 5.7%, a little higher than the MLB agent average of 4-5%.
If Harper signs at the low end of his reported asking price of $350m that 4$*m is way way off.
Boras apparently charges 10%, from what I’ve seen quoted on here in the past. Take that with a grain, or even whole shaker, of salt.
The #’s speak for themselves. The only people who have said 10% are posters who have nothing to back it up. Just speculation. There is not one publication I have found taht states Boras gets 10%. The percentage is agred upon by player and agent, why in the world would any player agree to 10% when other agents charge half of that?
work.chron.com/average-sports-agents-commission-21…
This is just one link. If you or anyone can find another that shows 10% please let me know.
so Heyman gets on the phone and calls them to make sure they cant come close to the number, then leaks it to Heyman, so they can act like there is more than one option at this point.
seems like Boras and Middleton are just finding the right numbers for them to both save face; Boras needs a total he can throw out there that tops Stanton/ Middleton has no choice but to bring Harper home, and he can afford to overpay some stupid money.
If Middleton really wanted to save face, he’d show some spine, demonstrate maturity in being able to delay gratification (even if the segment of the fan base that can’t do that revolts) and walk away from this ridiculous crap show. They’ve made upgrades and good acquisitions to add to a good young base of talent, and are still in the hunt for other FA’s. Don’t need the circus or toxicity accompanying this drama (or it’s star) and absolutely no reason to not claim victory if he banks some stupid money for FA’s that will be hitting the market over the next 2 years. VERY few individuals are worth what we’re watching, and Harper shouldn’t be among them. Walk away.
no, he went out there to force the end of this.
now if its next saturday and we’re in the same position, then i would agree.
Hall of Fame level talent? He hit below .250 two of last three years. If he does not return to 2015 level production, Phillies are going to regret this signing.
Amen.
“Hall of Fame level talent” hmm we’ll see
#330 Million at 10 years. Second team is the Rockies (Just kidding, but can you imagine how many dingers he would hit at Coors?).
With this a done deal the real story is the fallout for Kimbrel and Keuchel. With that kind of price tag Philly will be out on both. Teams with money to spend will then be in on K and K. White Sox, Giants, Astros, Padres, and Braves will be suitors. Price will drop on both pitchers. My prediction is Padres or Astros for Keuchel and Braves for Kimbrel.
5 teams wanting to sign 2 guys and “the price will drop”.
You’re not sure how this negotiation thing works are you?
Well said…LOL
Price will drop because the big spender (Philly) will be out of the picture. All the others listed have some money to spend but not what Kimbrel is currently asking………..therefore the price will drop.
J-Roll has inside knowledge. His nonverbal mannerisms indicated the deal is all but done.
Exactly. There is no mystery team. JRoll knows the deal.
Ha! They changed the title on here…I guess it was too Deep for us to handle
As a Giants fan, I say congrats Philadelphia fans. Sounds like you’re signing a future hall of famer in Bryce Harper. If Madison Bumgarner is strong this year, which I believe he will be, I hope he gets traded to a good team with hope of playing in the postseason like the Philadelphia Phillies.
Regardless, I’m glad baseball season is finally here.
As a Phillies fan, I appreciate the kind words but I can’t say thanks until this deal is signed. This whole process feels like forever so until I see him sign that contract, I’m not getting my hopes up.
If the Phils end up in contention, I’d love to make a move for Madison assuming he’s healthy and pitching like his normal self. Always been a huge fan of his.
As to your last point, amen. I’m ready for the crack of the bats, let’s goooo
Good luck in Philly, Bryce. Life will be hell if you struggle offensively even a little bit there. Those fans are mean and unforgiving.
Snowflake
It won’t really be a 10 year deal. He’ll probably get to opt out after 4. He doesn’t really want to play in Philly. All about the money.
I’d love to watch him struggle out of the gate and watch that fan base attack him.
Sounds inevitable.
The Phillies have still been talking to the Diamondbacks. If they sign Harper the Phillies should then be in a position to meet Arizona’s demand for a young MLB outfielder, a young MLB level pitcher and a high level minor league prospect in exchange for Zack Greinke. No guarantees but talks will likely heat up after they get Harper. Greinke has a big contract with 3 years remaining at $34.5. $35 and $35 million for his age 35, 36 and 37 years. I’d assume they would want cash to change hands as well.. Greinke was an all-star the past 2 years and had the 10th best ERA among NL starting pitchers in 2018. If acquired he moves into the #2 slot in the rotation.
Phillies are on Greinkke’s no trade list. Not happening.
All I know is there have been talks as recently as the week before the Realmuto trade. Like I said, no guarantees but he wouldn’t be the first to waive his no trade clause. It gives a player leverage. .
There is no freaking way any one player should be signed to 10 year deal. This will hamstring the team after a short while. Age accompanied by Injuries and complacency will eventually set in. How the MLB Player’s Association can grip about it is astonishingly arrogant. Enjoy your new toy Phildelphia he’ll likely be good for a short while.
The only issue being negotiated is more money than Machado got.
Not true. Bryce and Boras are still negotiating the inclusion of bespoke, transportable floor to ceiling mirrors that shall surround Bryce’s clubhouse locker for both home and away games so Bryce can dig himself at all times.
Like the ones Gabe Kapler has in his office?
10 years, 325 mil with 2 opt outs. Years 4 and 5
There is no reason Heyman would know that two teams were in discussion unless he knew who the two teams were. Obviously Boras is making up the second team, to drive the Phils price up. And Heyman, being in the media and having zero integrity is just reporting whatever Boras tells him; oblivious to the fact he’s a puppet. The Phils must see this!?!
Really, obviously he has to be making it up. I’m so glad all these keyboard GM’s know so much about baseball while they’re NOT in the industry.
yadda yadda yadda
blah blah blah
Babblefish Translation:
Boras is about to go in deeeeeeeep on the Phillies
As a Giants fan, I’m predicting last place in the NL West for 2019. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m realistic. We’ve had a great run.
Congrats Philly. I tip my hat.
This season will help Zaidi justify trading Bumgarner in July.
Hoping Philly for 320. As Angels fan best thing for Trout negotiations. Trout ext middle season for 10 years 375
It is a crime to continue to let Trout get used to being stuck on a team with no clue how to qualify, or win a postseason game.
Trout wants nothing to do with staying in an environment of mediocrity, I’m sure.
Guess the Phillies are banking on the DH spot being open in the NL in the next few years. But then, even Bryce’s hitting projections are underwhelming for $30-40 million a year. They are selling this guy like he’s a Trout like figure, but he isn’t. The real miracle would be him putting out a .800-.900 OPS for 10 years, then he’d be worth every penny in the grand scheme of things. But what if he fades fast? You get a three year boost.
By age 25 he has nearly twice as many home runs as Mike Schmidt had. at the same age. Schmidt’s best was still to come. Maybe the same can be said about Harper. Life’s a gamble.. 10 years for a guy who just turned 26 is worth the risk. Pujols signed for 10 years at age 32. and started going south after 3 years at age 35. Harper’s 10 year deal will be over when he is 35..
I certainly don’t have anything against Harper, he can instantly make any team better. He had an amazing 2015 season, and very capable of repeating it.
325 for 10 years
Well this turned out to be completely false.
Shouldn’t we revised the headline to “Pessimistic” Phillies, Bryce Harper Will not Finalize 10-Year Deal By Monday.
Monday came and went. This headline didn’t age well.