Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports listed the Phillies among the teams with the best chance to sign Bryce Harper next offseason.
Even with spring training underway and the season coming up soon, the next MLB offseason still remains a huge storyline. The Phillies and nearly every team in baseball will be pursuing some of the best players in the game in free agency.
Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are the two players headlining the 2018-2019 free agency class. Fans want the Phils to sign one to boost the team’s hopes for a playoff run in the coming years.
For those on the Harper train, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports has some good news for you. He wrote that Philadelphia should be among the favorites in the upcoming Harper bidding war:
"The Phillies have money to burn with a huge TV contract and big revenues. They just haven’t found the real impact guys to do it yet. It wouldn’t be a long move from Washington."
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Heyman listed Philadelphia fourth among seven teams he considers the most likely to sign Harper. He writes that the Dodgers are the most likely as they are back under the luxury tax and have a close connection to Harper. The Giants and Cubs are the next two likely teams to sign Harper; the Giants are often linked to the biggest names on the market and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant is one of Harper’s closest friends.
After the Phils Heyman lists the Red Sox, Yankees, and Nationals. Boston has the money, but they could have a full outfield with J.D. Martinez expected to eventually sign there.
The Yankees also have plenty of money but already have two superstars in the corner outfield with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. They are more likely to break the bank for Machado. Heyman still leaves the possibility open that Harper stays in Washington, but they don’t have the revenue to contend with Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
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Signing Harper would certainly boost Philadelphia’s playoff chances. Many already expect the team to be division contenders next season; adding Harper would make them a favorite. Even with a pretty strong outfield already, Harper would make it significantly better.