The Washington Nationals no longer are willing to break the bank for Bryce Harper.
The free-agent outfielder won’t receive a contract offer from his former team that’s comparable to the deal Manny Machado reportedly has agreed to sign with the San Diego Padres, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, Mark Feinsand and Jamal Collier reported Wednesday, citing sources.
Harper rejected the Nationals’ 10-year, $300 million offer last year, and sources have indicated a possible reason why: “… roughly $100 million of that offer would have been deferred money, lowering the present-day value of the contract,” the trio wrote.
Washington also has added seven new players this offseason, suggesting they’ve been executing their plans for life after Harper for months.
Reports emerged Tuesday claiming Machado will join the Padres on a record-setting contract worth $300 million over 10 years. Many expected Harper to sign a bigger contract in the aftermath of that deal, and he reportedly already rejected multiple offers larger than Machado’s.
However, the competition for the 2015 NL MVP’s services seems to have changed in recent days.
If Harper’s demands remain as high as ever, the Nationals and Padres seem to be out of the running. The Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants still are interested in signing Harper but 10 years, $300 million is too rich and too long for the teams, respectively.
That leaves the Philadelphia Phillies as Harper’s most likely destination, as they have been among his leading suitors since he entered free agency. All they’ll need to do in order to land the marquee free agent in the class of 2018-19 is pay up
