Report: Nationals believe Dodgers will try to sign Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper is widely expected to sign a record-breaking contract if and when he becomes a free agent in the winter of 2019, and one team with pockets deep enough to add him will be the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But are they a legitimate suitor for the star outfielder?
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports wrote this week that there is “buzz” building about the possibility of the Dodgers pursuing Harper in 2019. And apparently that is more than just baseless speculation, as Heyman also notes that the Washington Nationals believe the Dodgers will be their biggest competition when the Nats try to keep Harper.
Los Angeles Angels ace Clayton Kershaw is currently the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball, and he is earning $33 million this season. Mike Trout will make about the same next season and each season through 2020 with the Los Angeles Angels, and Harper is expected to blow that number away.
One MLB general manager estimates that Harper will sign a contract worth more than $40 million annually and $400 million in total. While the number may not get that high, it should at least approach it considering Harper will only have just turned 26 when he becomes a free agent.
There won’t be a ton of teams in on Harper because of the price, but the Dodgers are certainly one of a handful — along with the New York Yankees — who can make life difficult for the Nationals. There’s also a report that Harper wants to play for one specific NL team, though the finances may not work.
