Phillies rumors: Bryce Harper, Gabe Kapler hit it off during meeting
By John Town
When the Phillies met with Bryce Harper in Las Vegas, manager Gabe Kapler reportedly hit it off with the star free agent outfielder.
After the Phillies and Bryce Harper met in Las Vegas last weekend, all reports indicated that it went swimmingly. Among other things, it appears manager Gabe Kapler helped make things go so well.
Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reported that Harper and Kapler “hit it off” during their meeting. Heyman pointed toward their intensity as the reason for it happening. He stated this may add to their decision-making as they decide which star free agent they want to sign.
Heyman went on to report that the team may be leaning towards signing Harper this offseason after their meeting. An offer is expected in the near future, if not already made.
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For all the criticism that Harper has received, no one can deny his intensity when he plays the game. Unlike Manny Machado, hustle has never been an issue for Harper. This matches with Kapler and how he treats the game.
This report from Heyman goes right in the face of every person who says no free agent wants to come to Philadelphia because of Kapler.
While this is definitely a fringe opinion, it was perpetuated plenty in Twitter replies early in the offseason.
A good relationship between Kapler and Harper would be extremely important if the team does sign Harper. He would instantly become the star on the team and a divide between a star player and manager is never a good thing. This is especially true in this case as Harper would be a part of the team for close to, if not an entire, decade.
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A lot of things will certainly come into play when negotiating with Harper. Knowing that he will be comfortable with Kapler wouldn’t hurt matters though.