February 10, 2019
The longer this drags out, the less, it seems, the Phillies can be confident they'll land Bryce Harper.
Last week, the MVP outfielder met with the San Francisco Giants in a meeting that reportedly went twice as long as expected.
In the days since, with little news or information to go on, many in the Bay Area are getting more and more optimistic as spring training is just about to begin for all 30 MLB squads.
For those patiently waiting for good news for Philadelphia, the often front-runner and most cash rich team in pursuit, the news out of San Francisco is certainly concerning. Here's how NBS Sports' Bay Area affiliate characterized the team's feelings:
The Giants do not expect Harper to make a decision this weekend, but as everyone prepared to head down to Scottsdale for the start of spring training, there certainly was an increase in optimism.
As players have talked over the past 24 hours, there has been an increased sense among some in the clubhouse that Harper prefers the Giants, a source told NBC Sports Bay Area. From a management perspective, it certainly was not lost on the team’s decision-makers that Buster Posey publicly lobbied for a Harper deal when he met with reporters Friday. That admiration is said to be mutual.
Per a source, one of the things Harper talked about with the Giants contingent in a Monday meeting in Las Vegas was how much he likes Posey. That meeting was supposed to last about two hours, but CEO Larry Baer, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Bruce Bochy ended up spending four hours with Harper’s camp. [NBC Sports Bay Area]
Of course, the Phillies have their own reasons to be optimistic after trading for the best catcher in baseball in J.T. Realmuto last week — a player Harper is also said to have a lot of admiration for, and perhaps a desire to play with.
The truth is, there doesn't seem to be anyone following along this offseason who doesn't believe the free agency system is broken. Any decision at this point would probably be better than a perpetual lack of decision.
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