It's been what seems like a year since the Major League Baseball season ended and local legend Bryce Harper entered free agency. It's been a whirlwind of rumor, whispers, tea leaves and lawn dart throwing. Despite all the madness, Harper has not signed and doesn't seem to be close to inking a contract any time soon.
With all the uncertainty, especially with fellow free agent Manny Machado on the verge of making his decision, Harper is primed to become the prized signee of the 2018-19 MLB offseason. Where he'll end up is anyone's guess, but the options seem aplenty. Contract estimates have hovered around 10 years, $350-$400 million, depending on who you ask. Absurd for a Las Vegas boy who cut his teeth at Las Vegas High School under coach Sam Thomas.
Harper entered free agency on the heels of one of his worst seasons as a pro. The gifted 26-year-old hit just .249 in 2018, belting 34 home runs and driving in 100 runs. While his average was down, his on-base percentage was .393 thanks to 130 walks. While these stats aren't eye-popping, Harper's career stats show 2018 to be an anomaly for a player primed for the best years of his career.
With plenty of suitors, and maybe even some lurking in the shadows, here are the top five potential destinations midway through the offseason as Spring Training approaches next month.
He named his dog Wrigley. He has been spotted on New Years Eve and Vegas Golden Knights games with fellow Las Vegas superstar and former MVP Kris Bryant, the Cubs third baseman. The Cubs failed to reach the NLCS for the first time since 2014. The “Wait until next year” Cubs fans experienced a World Series title for the first time in their existence in 2016 and, like Kirsten Dunst's vampire — or Deadpool's Dopinder — they love the taste of this blood and want some more.
The team scored zero or one run in 38 games and just two runs 16 times. The offense struggled with consistency and completely disappeared in September. Adding Harper to this young lineup would change the discussion in the Windy City.
Adding Harper — who would be pulling a LeBron James to get his first title — to a lineup that includes Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez, Kyle Schwarber and Wilson Contreras would be epic. The team has some contract flexibility with its young stars as all but Rizzo are locked into their rookie contracts until 2022.
Originally the favorite to land Harper, the Cubs' chances have dropped considerably as reality set in.
While Harper and Bryant played against each other in high school, reports of their bromance are greatly exaggerated. With payroll issues thanks to Jason Heyward's albatross of a deal, and a need to bolster the bullpen, the Cubs simply don't seem to have the money to make a serious run at Harper for what he's asking for. A five-year deal? Maybe, but that seems like a farfetched NyQuil fever dream. Barring a ninja move straight out of "Miami Connection" by general manager Theo Epstein (which is entirely possible), Cubs fans will more than likely have to simply enjoy the current Cubs roster and wonder what might have been.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
When the Dodgers made a blockbuster seven-player trade with the Cincinnati Reds that sent Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and left-hander Alex Wood, it was assumed the move was to free up payroll so the Dodgers could make a run at Harper. Since the trade, the Dodgers have gone into defensive mode by leaking the need for a right-handed bat and a lefty starter — basically what they just traded. For about 24 hours, it seemed like Harper to Hollywood was going to become a reality.
Since then? Nothing but crickets. Harper and his agent Scott Boras met with Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson at the Winter Meetings here in Sin City, but so did roughly 10-12 other teams. In fact, the Dodgers haven't really made any moves since the trade other than a few minor league deals. Many Los Angeles fans had this vision of Harper joining fellow prodigy LeBron James in L.A. Instead, they're stuck without fan favorite Puig and nothing to show for it but a trimmed payroll and one less left-handed arm in their stable.
The Dodgers are out of it, but they seem to have set their sights on catcher JT Realmuto, but that would require sending another stud like Cody Bellinger to the Marlins,
who reportedly are not budging on their asking price for the stud backstop. As it stands now, the Dodgers have been pushed to the back of the line with the Cubs, which could frustrate Dodgers fans after coming so close to a World Series title two years in a row. Another year of coming up empty-handed is highly likely.
3. Washington Nationals
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like the Nationals were going to bid Harper a fond farewell. Since then, reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Leaks of a five-hour meeting the Saturday before Christmas between Harper and Nats owner Ted Lerner have altered that tune. In fact, some experts are giving Washington a 70 percent chance to land the outfielder.
More so, the initial reports of a lowball offer from the Nationals has turned out to be just the first of at least two extended to Harper, one that was quite lucrative.
Perhaps this hubbub is all for naught. Maybe Harper just wanted to test free agency, experience the wining and dining (probably bottled water for Harper, since he doesn't drink), before heading back to the team that drafted him and his brother Bryan. What used to seem like a bittersweet goodbye may actually become a heroic return to D.C. for its Julius Caesar. Beware the Ides of March, Nats fans.
I'm gonna puke. My last list didn't even include the White Sox. I've been trolling Sox fans since free agency started. Now, according to multiple reports, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is willing to open up his cob-webbed wallet and pay one of the two top free agents. While it seems Manny Machado is a more likely option (although he seems close to a deal with the Yankees), the 100-loss White Sox have created quite a stir amongst its fan base.
Even Sports Mockery's own Matt Zawaski, host of
Pinwheels and Ivy, is on the Harper train. Hell, Zo is even dreaming of Harper on the White Sox. Sure, he'll need to change his sheets, but as much guff as I've given him for it, the more likely it seems the White Sox are serious about Harper. Perhaps he'll have the last laugh.
The troublesome part of selling the White Sox is the team's futility the last few seasons. Dead-last finishes four years running isn't a great selling piece for a player who is expected to team up with a frontrunner to secure his title and his legacy, similar to LeBron when he joined the Big Three in Miami. Still, the White Sox have a strong farm system and, while they are the disrespected little brother of the Cubs, they are in a major market.
Marketing and branding is important to Harper so signing with one of the Chicago teams makes a ton of sense. Mind you, White Sox fans' heads would explode. The team would go from two years away from contending to immediately contending in a mediocre AL Central.
Hold onto your butts, White Sox fans...it might happen. Or it won't...please, don't.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
If I were a betting man (and I am), I would lay good money on Harper joining Charlie Day and the Paddy's Pub gang as the face of Philly. According to a source close to Harper, I was told their belief is he will sign with the Philadelphia Phillies when the time comes. It makes sense. Stay in the division, stay the top dog, join a team on the verge of being a contender, and still get the money he is asking for. The Phillies finished 80-82 but floundered down the stretch and finished 22nd in total offense.
Odubel Herrera and
Rhys Hoskins were their best offensive players with a .255 average and a 34 homers/96 RBI split, respectively.
Not sure if Harper will put them over the hump just yet but the Phillies have one of the top farm systems in baseball. Harper could join them at a perfect time to be the center of the rebuild. Prospects like Alec Bohm and Adam Haseley have them closer to contending than many think. This could energize the fan base and draw them back from the Eagles, who won the Super Bowl this past year but are headed for a first round exit this weekend against the
Chicago Bears. Yeah, I said it. The Bears over the Eagles by 13.
To help ease the pain, it's my belief the Phillies are going to dive right in on Harper and make the deal. As I predicted Oct. 23rd, the Phillies are going to offer more money and years to Harper to sweeten the pot and ink the star. In an offseason that has seen just eight players sign deals three years or longer, the Phillies may be the only team crazy enough to offer a contract over eight years at roughly $35 or more million a year.
They have the money. They have the faithful fans. My aforementioned source has known Harper since they were teens so, when they say they believe it’ll be Philly, I trust them. I haven't wavered on my belief in their analysis and I'm not about to start now. As I stated on
this week's episode of Pinwheels and Ivy, I think Bryce is headed for a special Valentine's Day bombshell to reveal his new relationship with the City of Brotherly Love.
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