The San Diego Padres are not typically viewed as major players on the free agent market, but they have at least discussed the possibility of signing one of the top sluggers available this winter.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Padres are expected to meet with Bryce Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, in Las Vegas this week. However, Rosenthal cautioned that the meeting is not an indicator that the two sides have gotten anywhere close to a deal.
Harper and/or his agent, Scott Boras, have met with a number of clubs in recent days, including second and third meetings in some cases, sources say. No indication a deal is close. https://t.co/LQgI9jceJD
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 31, 2019
The Padres have also reportedly made a late entry into the Manny Machado sweepstakes, so it seems like they are trying to get a feel for whether the market has not taken form the way the two star players hoped it would. While San Diego almost certainly could not shell out anything close to $300 million for either free agent, it makes sense that they are doing their diligence.
Even if Harper has no intention of signing with the Padres, getting more teams involved is always a good idea. There have been indications that more mystery teams could express interest if he doesn’t ink a deal soon.
