Phillies rumors: Yet another team jumps in for Bryce Harper
By John Town
The Phillies’ competition for Bryce Harper has increased within the last week with the Giants now joining in on the pursuit.
As Bryce Harper’s free agency drags on, more and more teams are checking in with the star free agent, potentially complicating things for the Phillies. Yet another team has jumped in as the Giants are now involved
Randy Miller of NJ.com reported Wednesday that the Giants were expected to meet with Harper this week. In fact, that meeting already happened according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Giants president and CEO Larry Behr was spotted in Las Vegas Tuesday by a fan, supporting Heyman’s report that the meeting already happened.
This is potentially the third team being added to the mix for Harper in the last week. The Padres held a meeting last Thursday, while the ever-enticing “mystery team” was brought up again Monday. The Giants were mentioned as one of the possibilities to be that mystery team, or it could have been someone else.
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The known suitors for Harper are now Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, San Diego, and San Francisco, plus the potential mystery team. The field has notably expanded in the last week or so from what was essentially a two-team race between Philadelphia and Washington.
The level of interest of the Giants and Padres is not unknown. The Padres reportedly just wanted to check in given the lack of movement, hoping that the lower price could keep them in the market. The same could be true for the Giants.
The Giants are arguably a better fit than the Padres given their lack of quality outfielders.
While the Padres have a glut of options, the Giants are wide open. San Francisco would be pushing up right against the luxury tax if they signed Harper, but they could pull it off.
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Harper may want to play in San Francisco since it is close to his hometown, like Los Angeles. He has shared his love for the city in the past, which may help the Giants entice him. Of course, the money and ability to win will still reign supreme.