Ranking Bryce Harper's Suitors: Dodgers, Phillies, Giants Contending For Free Agent, Decision Coming

The Bryce Harper Sweepstakes could finally be coming to an end. Multiple reports have indicated that teams expect the outfielder to sign a contract before the week is over.

Harper’s free agency has lasted four months and included six legitimate contenders. The Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants have all met with MLB’s top free agent, hoping to acquire him for the 2019 season and beyond.

With Manny Machado off the board and spring training well underway, three teams appear to have fallen out of the race. The Padres aren’t expected to land Harper after giving Machado $300 million, and the White Sox are probably out of contention after they didn’t offer Machado, their top target, more than $250 million guaranteed. The Nationals have seemingly moved on after a busy offseason.

That leaves the Dodgers, Phillies and Giants as the top three contenders for Harper. How do they rank in terms of their likelihood to sign the 26-year-old?

1) Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia was at the top of this list a month ago, and that’s where they remain. It became even more important for them to sign Harper when they missed out on Machado, and the Phillies have reportedly offered the six-time All-Star more than $300 million. There are rumors that Harper has reservations about joining the Phillies, but it would be surprising if a Scott Boras client ends up leaving money on the table. Philadelphia will probably end up spending their “stupid” money in order to get a deal done.

2) Los Angeles Dodgers

L.A. was at the bottom of the list just a few weeks ago when they seemingly moved on from Harper by signing A.J. Pollock. The Dodgers recently re-entered the race and met with Harper in Las Vegas, even though they still want Harper on a short-term deal. Los Angeles is behind Philadelphia because they seem unwilling to give Harper the decade-long commitment that he’s seeking, but they have become a serious consideration. The Dodgers are Harper’s No.1 choice, creating the possibility that the two sides could agree on a short, lucrative contract.

3) San Francisco Giants

It’s hard to know if the Giants have a real shot to land Harper because of their reported unwillingness to offer a 10-year contract. If the outfielder takes a short-term contract because he really doesn’t want to play in Philadelphia, it will likely be with Los Angeles. Maybe San Francisco has increased their offer if they’ve gotten the sense that Harper would choose them over the Phillies.