Wow: Nationals Haven’t Even Heard from Bryce Harper and Scott Boras in Months

February 22, 2019, by Brett Taylor Chicago Cubs

Somewhere, Scott Boras is in full cringe, about to scream at the next person who tries to interact with him about anything at all.

EXCLUSIVE: Nats owner Mark Lerner says they haven't heard from Bryce Harper and Scott Boras in months.https://t.co/3nWqkeybG4 pic.twitter.com/6VvTxiCTuK

— NBC Sports Nationals (@NBCSNationals) February 22, 2019

To be sure, Lerner admits that the door is cracked, but presumably that means for Boras and Bryce Harper to come back to them, not the other way around. It’s certainly not going to help Boras and Harper’s negotiating position with the Phillies to have it out there that they haven’t even been in contact with the NL East rival Nationals for several months. And, if that’s the case, it’s not like it helps the Nationals to put this out there if it’s not true, since it could help the Phillies with their leverage.

Suffice to say, the big takeaway here is that even Harper’s former team, the only one on record as having made a $300 million offer (though the present-day value was much lower), doesn’t have a clue what’s going on in the Harper negotiation process. To me, that says either that Boras/Harper have gone dark in an extreme version of playing chicken with the teams still involved, *OR* Harper is kinda far down the road with a team or two that does not include the Nationals.

Based on the sum of rumors out there, the latter seems a little more likely, with the Giants and Phillies probably being those teams.

Then again, if they were close to a deal, wouldn’t you think perhaps the Harper camp would reach back out to the Nationals one last time to give them a chance to beat it? Even as a courtesy for a long relationship?

It’s the final week of February.