Bryce Harper has been determined to sign a deal that is worth more than the $300 million Manny Machado got from the San Diego Padres, and it sounds like there is more than one team willing to make that happen for the star outfielder.
As Harper continues to ponder his free agency decision, Jon Heyman of Fancred reported on Tuesday that the Philadelphia Phillies and other teams have offered Harper more than $300 million.
Phillies have offered Bryce Harper over $300M but word is others are over $300M, too. they believe they may have high bid but their confidence to win was dented a tad by emergence of LA (a desired Harper spot). Philly has to decide whether to keep faith or dip into the stupid $
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 26, 2019
Heyman also notes that the Padres have checked back in on Harper after word surfaced that the Los Angeles Dodgers have re-entered the mix. The Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have reportedly floated the idea of a short-term deal with Harper, but that remains highly unlikely.
there's been a lot of talk lately about teams showing short-term interest, but barring some wild offer (200M-plus, 4 years?), Harper is only considering long-term deals. 1 interested GM said Team Bryce made clear that teams had to profess they'd go long to even get a meeting.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 26, 2019
The Phillies have been the favorites to land Harper for weeks, and that remains the case even with renewed interest from other clubs. At least one team claims to have given up on pursuing Harper, so it’s possible Harper’s agent Scott Boras is planting information in an attempt to drive the price up on Philly.
