That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Phillies rumors: Bryce Harper not considering short-term deals

By John Town

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals and the National League attends the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by MasterCard red carpet at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals and the National League attends the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by MasterCard red carpet at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The idea of Bryce Harper taking a short-term deal has taken hold recently, but it appears the Phillies do not have to worry about that possibility.

Phillies fans started to get worried over the weekend as the possibility of Bryce Harper signing with the Giants picked up steam. One key hurdle to him signing there was the fact that they only want to offer Harper a short-term, high-dollar contract, which will reportedly be a deal-breaker for Harper.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Tuesday morning that Harper has no intention of signing a short-term deal. In fact, he is not even considering one according to Heyman.

This should not come as a surprise to anyone. Harper did not reject a $300 million offer earlier in the offseason from the Nationals just to take a shorter, less lucrative deal at the end of an ice-cold free agency period.

More from That Balls Outta Here

It would not make much sense for Harper to take a short deal now with the idea of signing another deal later on. If he can’t get the deal he wants at 26 years old, he certainly won’t at 30 years old or whenever he would next. This year is Harper’s best chance of cashing in during free agency.

This essentially removes the Giants from the race unless they have a change of heart about the kind of contract they want to offer. This plays right back into Philadelphia’s hands as they have the “stupid money” to outbid the competition (Padres, Nationals, and White Sox).

This Harper saga doesn’t appear anywhere close to finished, even with spring training starting off this week. Whenever he does sign, it likely will come out of nowhere as he or the team he signs with breaks and finds the middle ground.

Next. The defensive impact of the J.T. Realmuto trade. dark

When push comes to shove and Harper is ready to sign, the Phillies should have the biggest offer on the table for him.

Home/Phillies Rumors