Ah, Bryce Harper.
As one of baseball’s best and youngest stars, his impending free agency – after the 2018 season – will be one of the biggest storylines over the next 18 months, regardless of what he winds up doing.
And, in the interim, he might stir the pot a little bit.
For example, when the Cubs played the Nationals, he went out with his Las Vegas buddy Kris Bryant, and Instagrammed a picture with a hashtag about the two going back-to-back one day.
That came after a report from Peter Gammons that he’d heard Harper wants to play for the Cubs. About that, Harper seems to shake his head.
“I love Peter Gammons. One of the best baseball historians ever. But I have no idea what the hell he’s talking about,” Harper told the Washington Post, in a fantastic column by Barry Svrluga.
Harper went on to say that he knows his comments impact the team, and he’s not trying to get into contract talks and rumors – at least seriously – during the season. He’ll happily answer any questions that are thrown at him, but it doesn’t sound like you’ll get too much in the way of significant details. In fact, Harper even said that he likes to stir things up a little bit.
Given his unique position, and how much he’ll face the questions in the coming months, you can understand why the 24-year-old superstar might try to make the best of things by having a little fun.