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

[Kevrock]

SUN DIEGO

[Baseball is Life]

Now Harper can sign for one dollar more and say he got a better contract than Machado.

[Trea Burner]

Clearly you aren't following the Padres farm system.

Loaded with plenty of arms. They have some legit pitching coming.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Loaded with plenty of arms. They have some legit pitching coming.

Like with all pitching prospects, they might have some legitimate pitching coming.  The problem there is that the major league team is so bereft of talent right now that it's almost starting from zero.  Sometimes this works, but there are few commodities as overvalued in professional sports as AA pitching prospects.  Machado helps, but...well, AJ Preller is still in charge, so he'll freak it all up somehow.

[Trea Burner]

Like with all pitching prospects, they might have some legitimate pitching coming.  The problem there is that the major league team is so bereft of talent right now that it's almost starting from zero.  Sometimes this works, but there are few commodities as overvalued in professional sports as AA pitching prospects.  Machado helps, but...well, AJ Preller is still in charge, so he'll freak it all up somehow.

No doubt. Nothing is guaranteed, just that they have some flexibility. Could even move some of those arms for more established guys. They were talking to Mets about Syndergard, although I wouldn’t do it if I were padres. He looks like he will break down imo.

[Duke of Earl]

Now Harper can sign for one dollar more and say he got a better contract than Machado.

Yeah, but I look at it like this. If the Padres were offering him 10/300 he'd have taken it by now, I can't think of any reason why he wouldn't.  So they haven't.  In fact, I don't think there is any offer on the table like that.  Except maybe Philly, and he clearly doesn't want to play there.  And I don't think he'll take the Philly offer, to be miserable for 10 years just for money. So he's going to have to take an offer less than 10/300 and suffer the humiliation.  I couldn't be happier.

[RiotAct]

wherever Harper signs in the next couple of days, I wish him the best.   Except when he’s playing us.

[NJ Ave]

I wonder if Bryce will look back after all this and secretly regret how it turned out. Not even like down the road, like immediately regret it.

5 months of annoyance, to completely move organizations and give up being one of the rare lifelong, jersey retirement-type players, for what? For like an extra million a year? $310 million instead of the $300 million we offered him in October?

[UMDNats]

man machado is a more valuable player than harper and he got 10/300. so now he's gonna sign for 10/$310 like NJ said and claim victory after holding his dick in his room for give months. phillies bidding against themselves, at least

[HalfSmokes]

man machado is a more valuable player than harper and he got 10/300. so now he's gonna sign for 10/$310 like NJ said and claim victory after holding his dick in his room for give months. phillies bidding against themselves, at least

come August, doe he get booed harder at CBP or Nats park?

[GburgNatsFan]

come August, doe he get booed harder at CBP or Nats park?

If he signs for $310M in Philly, I'll boo him in April.

[mitlen]

If he signs for $310M in Philly, I'll boo him in April.

I won't boo him.    Silence and turn my back.   Of course, I may do that even if he stays.   

[Baseball is Life]

Maybe I'm thinking with my heart and not my head but maybe this means he will now go back to the Nats and see if they offer him something similar. He can always say he got bigger offers from other teams and but wanted to stay here instead. True or not, he comes out looking good to Nats fans.

[Baseball is Life]

If he signs for $310M in Philly, I'll boo him in April.

And he knows that which is why I hope he signs here.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Maybe I'm thinking with my heart and not my head but maybe this means he will now go back to the Nats and see if they offer him something similar. He can always say he got bigger offers from other teams and but wanted to stay here instead. True or not, he comes out looking good to Nats fans.

The Phillies have been the reported favorite for too long for me to trust that it's accurate.  Information is misinformation being fed by Boras.  The Nats are taking the "we're fine" stance and the media is being told that, while not totally out of it, the Nats aren't as big of factors as the Phils, Padres (before Machado signing), or Giants. 

I am not in a lot of company in this take, but I think all along this has been posturing on both sides.  Harper doesn't want to go to Philly.  I think if he could've got a great deal from the Yanks, Cubs, or Dodgers he absolutely would've taken it.  I think the Nats could have lived with Harper going to the Yankees or Dodgers, but not a division rival.  I don't expect to match the Phillies, but come close enough that he ends up back in DC. 

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Maybe Bryce will go to the White Sox. And they can both be on sucky teams.

The White Sox aren't going to be sucky much longer.  They have some nice pieces.  Eloy Jimenez is going to be a star. 

[Baseball is Life]

Harper doesn't want to go to Philly.  I think if he could've got a great deal from the Yanks, Cubs, or Dodgers he absolutely would've taken it.  I think the Nats could have lived with Harper going to the Yankees or Dodgers, but not a division rival.  I don't expect to match the Phillies, but come close enough that he ends up back in DC. 

What I was thinking but you articulated it much better.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

All the joking aside, it really is incredible that neither he nor Machado have signed yet.  I'm in the "they are over inflating their value" camp BTW, I don't think it's collusion.

JD Martinez signed a week later than we currently are at last year and finished 4th in the MVP voting and won a World Series.  So...not that crazy.  Just a LOT more attention on these 2 than JD.

[hotshot]

Machado to Padres.

Loaded farm system too. Ready for a run.

https://twitter.com/bleacherreport/status/1097910357329367040?s=21

Jim Bowden hit this pretty much right on the head. Predicted MM would get 10/$310M. That was back at the start of FA. Predicted BH would get 10/$320M.

[Baseball is Life]

Jim Bowden hit this pretty much right on the head. Predicted MM would get 10/$310M. That was back at the start of FA. Predicted BH would get 10/$320M.

Might be right. While Machado might be the better player at a more valuable position, Harper is a bigger star and help sell tickets and merchandise.

[HalfSmokes]

Harper is a bigger star and help sell tickets in merchandise.

Merch revenue is split. Does harper sell an extra million dollars worth of tickets per year? 

[Baseball is Life]

Merch revenue is split. Does harper sell an extra million dollars worth of tickets per year? 

Hell if I know. Way too much math for me. And don't forget to calculate beer and hot dog sales when you're working the numbers. Get back to me when you're done. Thanks.

[Senatorswin]

Machado's signing for that much means the Phillies will have to step up to the plate big time for Harper. I didn't think a team would go that long but the more the Phillies have to spend for the more years is good for the Nats.

[Duke of Earl]

I think if he could've got a great deal from the Yanks, Cubs, or Dodgers he absolutely would've taken it. 

Wouldn't you say the same for San Diego?  Yet Machado got that deal.  Says to me Harper's market value is less than Machado's.

[Senatorswin]

I think now that Boras knows what he has to do to beat Machado, a Phillies deal will get done fast now. If the Phillies don't beat Machado's deal and nobody else does Harper could go into March before signing. I don't think that will happen though. Harper will beat Machado's slightly soon.