Teams are dropping out of the Bryce Harper sweepstakes, leaving the Phillies as the only one remaining to offer him a long-term deal.
The field of teams looking to sign Bryce Harper is slowly shrinking. As things progress, it looks like the Phillies are the only team left willing to give him the long-term deal is he looking for.
Paul Crane of 92.9 The Game reported Thursday night that Philadelphia is the only team left offering Harper a long-term deal. He also noted that the club will offer Craig Kimbrel a contract if they cannot land Harper.
Crane’s report confirms a growing notion that the Phils are the only ones willing to offer Harper the contract he wants. The Giants reportedly remain interested in signing him, but they are only looking to give him a short-term deal.
More from That Balls Outta Here
- Prospect Andrew Baker could help Phillies bullpen in 2023
- Bryce Harper’s absence should lead to Phillies lineup tinkering
- Phillies rumors: Club targets Seth Lugo for possible bullpen role
- Pirates’ bizarre Vince Velasquez hype video will make Phillies fans laugh
- Acquiring Brandon Marsh gave the Phillies flexibility
Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported that the White Sox won’t offer Harper a contract despite missing out on Machado. Levine writes that the team feels confident in the outfielders in their loaded farm system. He said they may look to find a stopgap option until those prospects are ready.
In addition, the Nationals do not plan on offering Harper a 10-year, $300 million contract like the one Machado got from the Padres according to Todd Zolecki, Mark Feinsand and Jamal Collier of MLB.com. Washington offered him a deal with that total value when the offseason began, but that deal included $100 million of deferred money and is now off the table.
The Padres expressed interest in Harper earlier this offseason, but the industry consensus is they aren’t about to hand out a second record-breaking contract. Unless some team comes out of the blue with an offer to Harper, this indeed leaves Philadelphia as the sole team looking to sign Harper long-term.
With confidence building that Harper will sign here and like it, things are getting exciting in Philadelphia.