POLL: UPDATED: Bryce's team in 2019 will be.....

[HalfSmokes]

Nope. He will drag this out for as long as possible and try to wait out Machado and then beat his contract.

Stephen drew situation

[skippy1999]

Like I said, for some reason you have some notion of me you don’t like, or you can’t stand anything that could be remotely construed as anti-Bryce Harper. The only issue I’ve got with Bryce is that he claims to be an Ohio State fan and that he was not great for that Nats until they were out of contention last year.

Sorry I haven't been following this thread closely because it bums me out, but whether it's cory or you or whoever I don't understand what hype has to do with anything.  Bryce was hyped sure, because he was crazy gifted and his parents played it to where he could get drafted as soon as he possibly could, which good for them.  Why do they have to be guilty of something?  what hype are you all talking about after that?  Interviews, commercials?? hes's said stupid things but I mean, his homerun derby was hyped and guess what, he came through.  What am i missing with the hype? He seems to just be a quiet guy off the field.  I am a fan but I know there's legit stuff to be said against him but I've no clue why "hype" was brought into this.  He's played for us, super well sometimes and given me anyway some really great memories, and now is awaiting a payday that he may or may not get yet people here seem irrationally angry at him right now and I just don't understand it.  Your "if he didn't want hype he should've been like Mike Trout" just really rubbed me wrong, I don't think "hype" has a thing to do with him being unsigned right now but whatever, he'll end up where he ends up and if it's back here I'm sure most will forget how gleeful they feel right now at the prospect of him settling for a few million less. 

[Air Desmond]

Harper’s best selling point is that he’s 26 and entering his prime. What if he’s actually declining? Last year was alarming. He was basically Adam Dunn. Nobody ever mentions it, but his defense is awful. I just don’t see what’s so enticing. He’s a power hitting corner outfielder.

The longer this plays out, the more I see him in a Nats uniform. The Lerners love him and the revenue/attention he brings. Nobody else seems to be ponying up.

[Nick the Pig]

Harper’s best selling point is that he’s 26 and entering his prime. What if he’s actually declining? Last year was alarming. He was basically Adam Dunn. Nobody ever mentions it, but his defense is awful. I just don’t see what’s so enticing. He’s a power hitting corner outfielder.

The longer this plays out, the more I see him in a Nats uniform. The Lerners love him and the revenue/attention he brings. Nobody else seems to be ponying up.

Sound reasoning there, Air.

[Greg_SRT]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25653903/why-baseball-world-waiting-manny-bryce

Apparently Nats and Harper have had multiple meetings.

The first and only thing I thought was “what does this mean for Rendon”. Got to keep him around.

[imref]

I've said all along I don't think the Lerner's want to lose Harper.  We'll see....

[Natsinpwc]

I've said all along I don't think the Lerner's want to lose Harper.  We'll see....

So much for this is our best and final offer.

The best thing during this time is to not believe anything you read. It’s all smoke on all sides.

[UMDNats]

To me that that was leaked says a couple things

One, Boras wants teams to know that the Nats - usually his highest bidders - are still in it.

Two, Boras isn't getting the offers he wants, and the Nats may be his best overall play in terms of money and PR.

Three, that Lerner radio interview was probably just Mark being upset and taking it personally.

[varoadking]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25653903/why-baseball-world-waiting-manny-bryce

Apparently Nats and Harper have had multiple meetings.

The first and only thing I thought was “what does this mean for Rendon”. Got to keep him around.

As I understand it...there was a meeting with Boras in late September, and then another in Las Vegas in October where the Nationals pitched their "best and final."  That is likely the multiple meetings being referred to...but who really knows...

I can't foresee Royce back in DC...

[Trea Burner]

Face to face meeting with the Phillies!

I’m sure he’s going to beg for 10/300.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I've always thought a reunion was still very much in play.  I never thought the Phillies would be attractive to him.  I don't think he wants to be in a rebuild with the White Sox and playing for the 2nd most popular baseball team in the city.  He'd love to play for the Yankees or Dodgers.  The Yanks won't happen, but if he's willing to take less years, the Dodgers might.  Apparently the Cubs want to have a chance to match at the end.

I think the Dodgers are the only team more likely than the Nats. 

[HalfSmokes]

People have speculated that he's looking for money, location, or a place that will make him a bigger star. It's starting to look like all three aren't possible.

[imref]

Dan Steinberg
@dcsportsbog
According to a person with direct knowledge of the meeting, Bryce Harper and Scott Boras met with Nationals owner Ted Lerner for five hours on the Saturday before Christmas. https://wapo.st/2RvuJaY

[Minty Fresh]

Dodgers.

The Nats are my secondary. I think it’s between the two teams.

I haven’t wavered.  It’s still the Dodgers and the only outlier is re-signing with the Nats.

The Phillies aren’t an option and never were.

[UMDNats]

I agree that it's either LA or DC.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

5 hours?  At a time when everybody is busy with the holidays and family obligations?  If that is accurate, there certainly is mutual interest in a reunion. 

[HalfSmokes]

5 hours?  At a time when everybody is busy with the holidays and family obligations?  If that is accurate, there certainly is mutual interest in a reunion. 

I doubt the Lerners are big on Christmas celebrations

[UMDNats]

i'm amazed harper was able to take away time from being a VGK/lakers/osu/cowboys/yankees/etc fan to meet

[varoadking]

Bypassing Rizzo again...

[UMDNats]

Bypassing Rizzo again...

To be fair signing Harper is and always has been an ownership decision, for any team.

[Baseball is Life]

People have speculated that he's looking for money, location, or a place that will make him a bigger star. It's starting to look like all three aren't possible.

It depends what you mean by the latter two by I think DC does well in all three categories.

[bluestreak]

To be fair signing Harper is and always has been an ownership decision, for any team.

Yes, But in healthy ownership/management relationships, the big free agent decisions are "yes/no."  Yes/No on whether to pursue the guy and then Yes/No on the terms of the contract the GM negotiated.
The owner stepping in and directly negotiating with an agent is toxic and dumb. And probably appeals to these guys' egos as successful businessmen in whatever arena they made their fortune in.  Boras used to have a couple of guys he could pull this crap with usually to bad results (See: Fielder, Prince). But now that Ilitch is dead he has to rely on the Lerners. 

[Baseball is Life]

Yes, But in healthy ownership/management relationships, the big free agent decisions are "yes/no."  Yes/No on whether to pursue the guy and then Yes/No on the terms of the contract the GM negotiated.
The owner stepping in and directly negotiating with an agent is toxic and dumb. And probably appeals to these guys' egos as successful businessmen in whatever arena they made their fortune in.  Boras used to have a couple of guys he could pull this crap with usually to bad results (See: Fielder, Prince). But now that Ilitch is dead he has to rely on the Lerners. 

I'm sure it's a collaborative decision in that that the FO will have input but to imply that any big deal shouldn't have hands on involvement by the ownership is not realistic. Like you said, most of the owners are business people and contract negotiations are right up their alley.

[HalfSmokes]

It depends what you mean by the latter two by I think DC does well in all three categories.

We’re not going to hit his initial demand and we aren’t west coast or nyc

[bluestreak]

People have speculated that he's looking for money, location, or a place that will make him a bigger star. It's starting to look like all three aren't possible.

Is there a bigger star in the game right now than Harper? I don't understand this talk of having to move to LA to increase is star power? He's not going to increase his visibility by moving to the same city with LeBron James (or even Zlatan Ibrahimovic for that matter).
If he wants to increase his star power he should go back in time and become a soccer player or a basketball player or a quarterback.

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/WorldFame/espn-world-fame-100-2018

If he'd rather live in LA or NYC or Chicago, that is totally understandable. But if he thinks simply existing in those cities is better for his star potential then he is dumb.