NEWSLETTER
The Dodgers are so gonna get Bryce Harper, aren’t they?
The latest on the Harper free agency drama – which does not involve the Cubs because reasons – has the Phillies fearing they won’t land him and the Giants getting more serious, both of which would be consistent with the Giants maybe getting him, but also with the Dodgers actually taking a real swing at him:
A source indicates that the #Phillies believe their chances of landing Bryce Harper are remote. The obvious question is whether they would pivot to Keuchel and/or Kimbrel. My sense from our interview with Matt Klentak is that they won’t play on Keuchel and only maybe on Kimbrel.
— Steve Phillips (@StevePhillipsGM) February 27, 2019
Sources: The #SFGiants sent Larry Baer and Farhan Zaidi to meet with Bryce Harper and Scott Boras in Las Vegas Tuesday. This is the second known meeting between the two sides.https://t.co/EQ5KWeywNk
— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) February 27, 2019
Source confirms that the Giants indeed met with Bryce Harper and Scott Boras in Las Vegas on Tuesday. @KO_Crowley was first to report the meeting, which is the second between the two parties.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 27, 2019
I’m starting to think the whole Bryce-simply-doesn’t-want-to-go-to-Philly stuff might have legs, eh? Moreover, you throw in yesterday’s report that he’s always preferred the Dodgers (and Cubs, sigh), pair it with the Giants trying to get aggressive, and you suddenly feel like, yeah, the Dodgers getting re-involved in this thing might always have legs.
Remember: the Dodgers *should* have plenty, plenty, plenty, plenty of money to sign Harper to any deal he wants. Moreover, they traded away two outfielders this offseason already, and, although they subsequently signed A.J. Pollock, it’s not like their other outfielders can’t be moved around to accommodate Bryce freaking Harper.
Like I said yesterday:
I’m just going to say, as I have been since, oh, September 2017: the game offers you only so many chances to land guys like Harper at ages like 26. When you’re in the middle of a competitive window – which won’t last forever – and the guy’s age lines up perfectly with your core, sometimes you have to be bold and find a way to extend yourself financially. There was a long time when I really thought the Cubs would.
I no longer think that.
UPDATE: Well, maybe the Giants are serious about keeping him away from the Dodgers:
The Giants are not positioning themselves as a short-term solution for Bryce Harper. Per sources, the two sides have discussed a 10-year deal. Story: https://t.co/P3fbVWeBLc
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 27, 2019
