With Manny Machado having signed for $300 million in San Diego, and with purported Bryce Harper suitors seeming to drop like so many wealthy but parsimonious flies, at long last, it seems like the time has come for MLB’s most marketable personality to, you know, have a baseball team.
The 26-year-old outfielder is one of the biggest free agents in decades, but Spring Training games are underway, and he’s still not signed. Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton is trying to change that.
The guy who openly said his club might be a little “stupid” in free agency this offseason is finally putting his money where his stupid is, flying to Las Vegas to try to hammer out a deal this weekend. And he might not leave without a deal in place:
The #Phillies are in deep and serious negotiations with Bryce Harper. Owner John Middleton doesn’t want to leave Las Vegas without a deal.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 24, 2019
Stay tuned. When Scott Boras gets an owner sucked in like this, a jaw-dropping deal is usually not far behind.