Bryce Harper, Phillies Meeting Fixed, Nationals Not Concerned By Mystery Team Interest

The Bryce Harper chase is slowly gathering pace and the Philadelphia Phillies are ready to make their move after fixing a face-to-face meeting with the most sought-after free agent in baseball at the moment.

The 26-year-old has been pursued by numerous teams during the offseason, but he has thus far not given a clear indication as to his preference and reports indicate that Harper’s free agency decision could well stretch into February.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Phillies will meet Harper Saturday in Las Vegas, the right-fielder’s hometown. The Philadelphia franchise’s principal owner John Middleton will also be part of the traveling party and it is going to be their first face-to-face with the player.

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak met with Harper’s agent Scott Boras during the winter meetings but the right-fielder and his wife Kayla were not present at the meetings.

Harper, who has been widely sought after, is reportedly attending his third such meeting after having met with the Chicago White Sox in Las Vegas and the Dodgers in Los Angeles earlier in the offseason.

Harper is said to have met White Sox president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn along with Hall of Famer Jim Thorn in November, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf was not present at the meeting.

The right-fielder is said to be demanding a deal north of $300 million over 10-years and it remains to be seen which franchise will oblige. The Phillies are said to be at an advantage if it comes to a bidding war as they do not have any long-term financial commitment at the moment and moreover, the owner confirmed that they are willing to spend a ‘stupid’ amount of money this offseason.

Apart from these teams, the Washington Nationals, for whom Harper played from 2012 to 2018 are also said to be back in the mix with many touting them as the favorites now. They were initially thought to be out of the race after reports suggested that the player had rejected their 10-year $300 million offer.

According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the Nationals have made another offer more recently and it is said to be much more than the $300 million they offered initially which makes them the front-runners for the moment.

There is also said to be a mystery team lurking in the shadows and held secret meetings with the player, but nothing has been revealed thus far. But Nationals president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo is not ready to give such speculation any attention.

“I don’t give it much credence,” Rizzo said when asked about the mystery team in the running for Harper’s services, as quoted on NBC Sports.