Phillies rumors: Breaking down new info on Bryce Harper pursuit
By John Town
The Bryce Harper rumor mill is back up and running after Manny Machado signed Tuesday. What’s the latest information regarding Harper and the Phillies?
Manny Machado is now a Padre, meaning Bryce Harper‘s free agency saga will soon come to an end as well. The Harper rumor mill is back firing on all cylinders as teams like the Phillies scramble to land the star free agent. A new wave of information has come out, but what’s fact and what’s fiction?
First off, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that Harper has turned down multiple offers worth more than $300 million recently, confirming that Harper will likely receive a record deal. Heyman notes that the Phils, Giants, and Nationals are the main teams still in contention for Harper, along with the Padres and White Sox.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today furthered that point, reporting that the White Sox are out of the running for Harper. They will instead focus on smaller upgrades after missing out on Machado. Brittany Ghiroli of the Athletic (subscription required) previously indicated that the Nationals are ready to move on from Harper.
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Nightengale whittled down the field even further on 105.7FM The Fan, stating that Philadelphia is bidding against themselves for Harper’s services. He said that the Giants are the only other team involved, but noted that the Phillies “really want” Harper. Nightengale made sure to say things can still change quickly.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com went on Fox Sports Radio and not only offered his prediction for who Harper will sign with but also exactly when the news will start coming out. He thinks Harper will sign with the Phillies and that it will break “about three minutes” before Machado’s introductory press conference Friday.
Buster Olney of ESPN said on 94WIP that he also thinks it will ultimately be the Phils who sign Harper. He stated that they may need to offer him a deal worth at least $400 million, saying the deal will have the number four in it.
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More and more info about Harper continues to emerge, but as things stand now, things are looking good for Philadelphia.