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

[Optics]

Harper won't get a 10 year deal. My guess is he signs for 4-5 years and tries to string 4-5 MVP caliber years together and try again later.

Teams just aren't going as crazy for FAs as they used to be, especially for a guy like Harper who has proven to be inconsistent at times.

[PowerBoater69]

Texas?  I've always thought they were a wild card.  It's going to come down to, does he want to play for the highest bidder to save face (Philly, CWS or mystery team), or does he sign where he actually wants to be (here or LA).

Texas could definitely be a wild card contender. Everything is bigger in Texas and Harper's personality would fit right in.

[PowerBoater69]

Minnesota is spending, but that is the one that could be a complete mystery who may still have room and is a marginal contender for both the division and the wild card due to the division they play in. Cleveland, too, could use Harper and has room, but they are pretty deliberately pulling back.  The Arizona CF is the one they should chase.

I don't see Harper in Minnesota, just doesn't seem to fit. Arizona maybe. I also thought that the Rockies could be the mystery team, his HR numbers would be insane and they'd have a World Series shot.

[Slateman]

You think in 5 years teams will be knocking down the door to give Harper, likely a 31-year-old DH/1B who has only proven to be inconsistent from month to month and season to season, a contract close to what he is getting today? I don't see it. Maybe I'll be surprised and he'll get $400 million this week but I'm assuming he gets around 10/$350 with an opt-out or two but IMO this is his big chance to cash in.

At 31 Harper is who he is. At 26 Harper can still be a perennial MVP candidate and that is what teams are paying for.

It all depends on how hes hitting. His bat isnt going to regress. At 31, he will likely be looking at another big contract

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

You think in 5 years teams will be knocking down the door to give Harper, likely a 31-year-old DH/1B who has only proven to be inconsistent from month to month and season to season, a contract close to what he is getting today? I don't see it. Maybe I'll be surprised and he'll get $400 million this week but I'm assuming he gets around 10/$350 with an opt-out or two but IMO this is his big chance to cash in.

At 31 Harper is who he is. At 26 Harper can still be a perennial MVP candidate and that is what teams are paying for.

No question whatever team signs Harper is signing him with hopes that his "upside" is consistently becoming the guy he was in his MVP year, or close to it.  That's not guaranteed and it's not unreasonable either.  It's not like his floor is terrible so long as he's on the field. 

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Harper won't get a 10 year deal. My guess is he signs for 4-5 years and tries to string 4-5 MVP caliber years together and try again later.

Teams just aren't going as crazy for FAs as they used to be, especially for a guy like Harper who has proven to be inconsistent at times.

No question you don't want to end up with a Pujols or Miggy...broken down and owed all that money still at the end of your career.  But Harper is getting that kind of money at 26 verus in his 30s.

[The Chief]

I know there's a lot of time left but I honestly thought a deal with someone would be done by now.

[imref]

I know there's a lot of time left but I honestly thought a deal with someone would be done by now.

It is amazing how little chatter there is about a deal for Harper. 

[sixthree175]

...but I'm assuming he gets around 10/$350 with an opt-out or two but IMO this is his big chance to cash in.

At this point it looks like $350mm is not there.
He might get 10, but not for more than $330mm (and no opt outs);
He might get opt outs if it's 8/$250mm (front loaded).

No bargain.  Eventually he'll become a poor man's Freddie Freeman.

[Nick the Pig]

At this point it looks like $350mm is not there.
He might get 10, but not for more than $330mm (and no opt outs);
He might get opt outs if it's 8/$250mm (front loaded).

Eventually he'll become a poor man's Freddie Freeman.

Some wisdom there !

[imref]

Werth calls Harper “that little furry creature”

[LoveAngelos]

Just sign already. It’s ok to admit that teams don’t see you as worth as much as you think you are.

This applies to Machado too. Big hit to the ego that no one is offering 400M.

Pro athletes  have an entitlement  complex. They are entitled to what they want. They and their agents speak about "the market" but their market is o one way street. Give me what I want or I cry and cry and cry. Nevermind real market place reality

[Senatorswin]

I've seen a lot of comments by players complaining about Harper and Machado still being unsigned but when agents ask for a 10 year commitment guaranteed north of 300 million history says it usually doesn't work out for the teams. A lot of other players want to be paid too and that's just too much to guarantee one player.






Pro athletes  have an entitlement  complex. They are entitled to what they want. They and their agents speak about "the market" but their market is o one way street. Give me what I want or I cry and cry and cry. Nevermind real market place reality

[RiotAct]

Werth calls Harper “that little furry creature”

funny, the same adjectives could be used to describe Werth.

[Copecwby20]

I have to assume that the longer this drags out, the better chance we have of signing him for less. I really don't think the Phils and Nats are in a bidding war and seeing who can stack up more cash.

Anything that that makes Boras look like a douche is fine by me.

[endersshadow]

Pro athletes  have an entitlement  complex. They are entitled to what they want. They and their agents speak about "the market" but their market is o one way street. Give me what I want or I cry and cry and cry. Nevermind real market place reality

But don't sell him short [of 400 million] 

[PowerBoater69]

But don't sell him short [of 400 million] 

That's the headline from the Talk Nats article this morning: https://www.talknats.com/2019/01/20/31717/

[rileyn]

That's the headline from the Talk Nats article this morning: https://www.talknats.com/2019/01/20/31717/

I can't disagree with anything in that article.  Harper started the circus and set the expectations with that comment.  As far as the other players chiming in, maybe they should just pull a disappearing act like Ryan Zimmerman did last spring training, in his passive-aggressive protest of what he saw as collusion against older FA's last offseason.  How did that work everyone?  Himself?  The team?  His impotent rookie manager?

[Natsinpwc]

I can't disagree with anything in that article.  Harper started the circus and set the expectations with that comment.  As far as the other players chiming in, maybe they should just pull a disappearing act like Ryan Zimmerman did last spring training, in his passive-aggressive protest of what he saw as collusion against older FA's last offseason.  How did that work everyone?  Himself?  The team?  His impotent rookie manager?

It’s all very tiresome. Star players whining is a joke. And fans getting all bent out of shape. Movie stars and other entertainers make obscene amounts of money and no one seems to care. I understand fans not wanting to see their team spend too much on stars to preclude other players being paid but most of it just seems like petty jealousy.

Let’s play ball!

[Slateman]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Bharper3407/status/1087200336345935873

Confirmed: Just called Tony Romo to see where I’m going to play next year. #YoureAWizardTony

[imref]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Bharper3407/status/1087200336345935873

  FP was tweeting about the greatness of Romo last night as well.

[Natsinpwc]

  FP was tweeting about the greatness of Romo last night as well.

He knows his stuff.

[UMDNats]

Wonder if this is the week something finally freaking happens. So tired of the speculation. Pitchers and catchers report in about a month.

[LoveAngelos]

Yes but movie stars and other entertainers don't get paid if they don't perform well. They don't make gobs of money when no one pays to see their movies or concerts.....pro sports may be the only avocation where people who don't perform still get gobsof money.

[Slateman]

Yes but movie stars and other entertainers don't get paid if they don't perform well. They don't make gobs of money when no one pays to see their movies or concerts.....pro sports may be the only avocation where people who don't perform still get gobsof money.

Uh ... movie stars definitely get paid regardless of how their movie does or how they perform, unless they specifically requested royalties instead of (or in addition to) salary.