MLB Predictions: Bryce Harper Will Get Record Contract As Phillies, White Sox, Dodgers Pursue Star

While Manny Machado is meeting with suitors this week, the offseason’s No.1 free agent is also weighing his options. Bryce Harper remains unsigned as he looks to sign the biggest contract in MLB history.

The Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees are the three main suitors for Machado. Chicago and Philadelphia are expected to be major players for Harper, and several other teams have been linked to the outfielder.

It appears to be a given that Machado will sign first. It’s also pretty clear that Harper will get more money, and Machado’s deal could play a role in how much money Harper ultimately gets.

What kind of contract will Harper sign?

Scott Boras and Harper are aiming to get a record-setting deal. If you want proof, just look at the 10-year, $300 million contract Harper reportedly turned down from the Washington Nationals at the end of the 2018 regular season.

There had been speculation in recent years that Harper might receive somewhere between $400 million and $500 million as a free agent. That possibility might have been eliminated with a decline in performance last year when he hit .249 and posted a 1.3 WAR.

But Harper is still only 26 years old and three seasons removed from being the youngest unanimous MVP of all time. Some team is going to take the risk and give him a boatload of cash.

Philadelphia has said it will spend “stupid” money this offseason, and Chicago is interested in adding a superstar after a 100-loss season. Maybe one of them will give Harper a blank check after failing to sign Machado.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are eying Harper. The team reportedly doesn’t want to give the outfielder a lengthy contract, but that could certainly change. L.A. has been willing to spend a ton of money with the highest payroll in baseball from 2014-2017.

Washington could always get back in the race to sign Harper. It’s no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals have been targeting Harper, though trading for Paul Goldschmidt might have taken the team out of the running.

Yahoo Sports reported on Dec. 4 that upward of a dozen teams had already met or planned to meet with Harper at some point this offseason. A real bidding war could start when Machado is no longer available. One of those teams will give Harper this richest contract in American team sports’ history.

Giancarlo Stanton set a record for the most lucrative deal when he signed a 13-year, $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins in 2014. A year later, Zack Greinke signed for the highest yearly salary when the Arizona Diamondbacks gave him an average of $34.4 million over six seasons.

A 10-year, $345 million contract might be what gets it done in the Bryce Harper Sweepstakes. It would make the outfielder the highest-paid player ever in terms of one contract and average yearly salary.

The team that makes Harper that offer will probably be the one that lands him.