Heh. I mean, it’s just silly fun at this point, and if you treat it as more than that, you are not only guilty of ignoring the special season that lies just ahead, but also of ignoring the ocean of things that can happen between now and November.
The 2018 MLB season hasn't started yet, but the #Cubs are already being listed as favorites to sign Bryce Harper next winter. https://t.co/PRqm0AWoXn
— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) March 28, 2018
See? Fun.
To be quite sure, we’re talking about one sportsbook’s prop bet odds on signing Harper in eight to ten months; odds that have undoubtedly been pushed markedly by crazed Cubs fans and Kris-Bryant-Bryce-Harper winking over the past few months.
Given that Harper will be a 26-year-old, generational free agent after this season, yes, I do think the Cubs will be involved at some level. The fit is tricky, given the roster and finances, but if Harper is at all interested in the Cubs, and if the world of high-end contracts continues to get more and more creative, there is absolutely no reason for the Cubs not to seriously pursue Harper.
But that is many, many months away, and this is entirely hypothetical right now. I’m as geeked about a Harper pursuit as anyone, but I’m gonna at least try to give it a month of 2018 regular season enjoyment before I start too seriously drifting ahead with my lusty thoughts.
For today, it’s just a fun thing/an opportunity for degenerate gamblers. Here are the odds for signing Harper, via BetDSI:
Cubs: +150
Nationals: +250
Dodgers: +350
Giants: +500
Red Sox: +750
Yankees: +1000
Field: +225
I mean, I guess give me the Giants if those are the odds available, but I’d rather see the Phillies at something like +1200.
There are a bunch of other fun prop bets for the season at the link, including over/unders for the longest homer of the season (497.5 feet (give me the over)), fastest pitch of the season (104.5 mph (give me the under)), and total players suspended for PEDs (3.5 (over)).
There is also a prop on which team Manny Machado ends the 2018 season with:
Orioles: +125
Red Sox: +250
Yankees: +350
Field: +200
I would absolutely take the field on that one, since we see superstar-caliber players traded to all kinds of teams midseason when there are surprising contenders.