MLB Rumors: Dodgers Unwilling To Offer Bryce Harper Long-Term Contract

Any commitment Bryce Harper strikes with the Los Angeles Dodgers is unlikely to be long-term.

The Dodgers are unwilling to offer the free-agent outfielder a long-term contract, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Monday, citing Major League Baseball sources. Harper, arguably the prize of the 2018-19 free-agent market, reportedly rejected the Washington Nationals’ 10-year, $300 million offer earlier this year and he’s expected to command a record-setting contract of similar length with higher compensation.

However, the Dodgers wish to set their payroll below the luxury-tax-penalty threshold and also have a glut of outfielders, according to Rosenthal. If Harper is determined to become a Dodger, he’d probably have to settle for a lucrative deal with several out-clauses due.

Rosenthal’s report contrasts with rumors that surfaced last week, heavily linking Harper to the Dodgers. If Los Angeles’ chances of signing Harper have grown increasingly remote, and the New York Yankees’ interest in signing him is in doubt then the front-runners for his services now appear to be the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals.