Has Phillies’ interest in Bryce Harper been overblown?
The Philadelphia Phillies are one of a handful of teams that are looking to spend big this offseason, which is why they have been mentioned as a logical landing spot for Bryce Harper. However, one former MLB general manager thinks they have shown signs that they are not all that interested in the free agent slugger.
Ex-New York Mets GM Steve Phillips, who now works as an insider for TSN and hosts a radio show on MLB Network Radio, feels that Philly’s decision to not meet with Harper at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas says a lot about whether they are a serious contender to sign him.
It seems to me that the #Phillies interest in Bryce Harper is overblown if in fact they did not meet with him and Scott Boras in Las Vegas. If a player is one of your primary offseason targets and he is taking visitors down the street, you stop by and say hello.
— Steve Phillips (@StevePhillipsGM) December 18, 2018
Considering Phillips used to work in a front office and has taken part in the Winter Meetings, he has a good grasp of how these things go. While the Phillies are likely well aware of Harper’s contractual demands by now, it does seem like they would have at least had a cup of coffee with him and his agent Scott Boras in Vegas if they were legitimately interested.
One report this week claimed the Phillies are more focused on signing another player to a huge contract, so perhaps they have unofficially moved on from Harper.
