Several teams are reportedly still interested in signing Bryce Harper, but all signs continue to point to the star outfielder ending up with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Harper and his agent Scott Boras met with several teams in the star outfielder’s home city of Las Vegas over the weekend, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are said to have re-emerged as a potential suitor. The San Francisco Giants also remain involved, but Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Phillies are the only team discussing a “true long-term deal” with Harper.
The Dodgers’ reported entry into the Harper mix is interesting as it relates to the Giants’ pursuit, though both teams are believed to be interested only in shorter-term deals. According to a source, the Phillies remain the only team talking to Harper about a true long-term deal.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 25, 2019
Both the Dodgers and Giants prefer a short-term deal with Harper, and the Boras client almost certainly will not go for that. It’s possible — if not likely — that Boras is using interest from other teams as a strategy to get the Phillies to step forward with their best and final offer.
We already know of at least one team that has bowed out of the Harper sweepstakes, so the Phillies could very well be bidding against themselves.
