Dodgers take another look at Harper

GLENDALE, Ariz. — When a Brinks truck pulled up to the Dodgers offices at Camelback Ranch on Monday morning, it could’ve been a harbinger to the conclusion of the months-long Bryce Harper saga.

“Sometimes real life is simply too much,” ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez tweeted with a video of the truck.

Harper, of course, was not here to collect his megamillions and join the two-time defending National League champions.

Sometimes a Brinks truck is just a Brinks truck.

But Manager Dave Roberts confirmed reports he and Dodgers management made the quick flight to Las Vegas on Sunday to try to persuade the free-agent outfielder to take his talents to Chavez Ravine.

Most everyone had conceded Harper would wind up with the Phillies after Chairman John Middleton flew to Vegas on Friday to court Harper and agent Scott Boras.

But the Dodgers swooped in out of the blue, like one of those rom-coms where the guy runs through the airport and stops the woman just as she’s about to board her flight, persuading her to ditch her fiance and instead marry him.

Roberts told reporters at Camelback Ranch it was just a matter of the Dodgers doing their due diligence.

“We’re always trying to make our team better,” he said. “You’re always trying to improve in any way, whether it’s off the field, on the field. So that’s sort of where we’re at. But the focus is obviously on the players here in camp.” Obviously. But back to Bryce. Would a short-term deal be the team’s preference? Harper supposedly wants a 10-year deal but also loves Hollywood.

Roberts said he couldn’t speak about the talks.

“I personally have to just focus on the 61 guys that are here,” he said.

Yeah, sure. But how was the meeting with Bryce?

“It was good,” he said. “Just trying to get to know each other.”

Harper has been a free agent since November, and the winter meetings were held in December in his hometown of Las Vegas. So he could’ve saved everyone a lot of time and airfare if he had signed before the new year. But apparently the new norm is groveling to the superstar free agent on his terms.

Roberts wouldn’t discuss what questions Harper had for the Dodgers, and he repeated: “Now my focus has to be on the guys here.”

Of course.

But what was Roberts’ impression of Harper?

“I do know Bryce,” he said. “Spent some time with him last July in the All-Star Game. Heck of a player. Great family man, great guy.”

The Cubs should be worried that the conversation might lead to an actual deal. Their worst-case scenario would be Harper winding up with the NL favorites, the team that knocked them out in the 2017 NLCS and threatens to close their vaunted window of opportunity to win multiple World Series.

The Cubs could’ve chosen to pursue Harper or other prominent free agents, but Chairman Tom Ricketts insisted they “don’t have any more” money to spend.

The players seemed to buy that excuse. When asked about Harper as camp opened, Anthony Rizzo said: “They were pretty clear all offseason that this is the group we believe in.”

According to reports, the Phillies, Dodgers and Giants are the only teams in the picture for Harper, and only the Phillies are willing to do a 10-year deal. So who gets Bryce? President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been coy about the Dodgers’ interest in Harper, and maybe the “vetting” was just a shot in the dark to see how badly Harper loves LA. But who knows? Just last week Friedman railed against the narrative that drawn-out negotiations for Machado, Harper and others meant owners were freezing out free agents.

“Clearly that is not the case, and the rhythm of a negotiation can play out in different ways and obviously [Machado’s] took a little longer,” Friedman said. “But ultimately he got a very strong contract, as he should.”

Harper ultimately will get his Brinks truck full of money.

It’s just a matter of who is dumping the millions on him.