Bryce Harper is still not a Phillie.
Phillies owner John Middleton flew to Las Vegas to meet with Harper over the weekend. A day later, NBC Sports Philly’s Jim Salisbury said Middleton was flying home without a deal in place.
Air Middleton headed back east after busy day of meetings w Team Harper. Talks continue … nighty-night.
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) February 24, 2019
Phillies reporter Todd Zolecki of MLB.com says the meetings were more for the purposes of the owner getting to know Harper’s family. Middleton met with Bryce and his wife Kayla, as well as Harper’s agent, Scott Boras.
Though no deal was reached, all signs point to one being consummated at some point. The Phillies have heavy interest in signing Harper, while the other potential contenders seem to be out of the mix. Spending personal time with the owner of the team is a big step that seems to make sense as part of the process before inking a player to a major deal, such as one that would surpass the 10-year, $300 million deal the Padres gave Manny Machado.
