The Cleveland Indians ultimately settled for a low-profile outfield addition at the trade deadline, but their sights were set much higher, and things were apparently serious for a while.
According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, the Indians came closer than anyone to acquiring Bryce Harper from the Washington Nationals, and the two sides were in “deep conversations” until the Nationals ultimately decided against trading him.
The news that the Indians and Nationals had engaged in Harper talks is not new, but pre-deadline reporting indicated that talks had never gotten far. By Stark’s reporting, it may be that they got further than previously believed.
Ultimately, the Nationals pulled Harper off the market, and even if discussions were serious, one doesn’t get the sense that anything got particularly close to being consummated. It’s still another indication that, at least for a brief period of time, the Nationals were serious about listening on Harper.
