Harper rejected long-term offer to stay in Washington
The Washington Nationals offered Bryce Harper a long-term deal on the last day of the season. He did not take it.
According to multiple people familiar with the negotiations, the Nationals discussed terms for a new deal with Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, throughout September. Those conversations led to what one person called “an aggressive offer.” That offer included no opt-outs, and was less than the $400 million some have speculated Harper could receive, according to a person with direct knowledge who would not disclose the exact terms.
People on both sides of those conversations have incentive to suggest it was a hefty sum: The Nationals have incentive to dispel any notion of their frugality with a legitimate offer. Team Boras has incentive to suggest Harper already has an unprecedented offer on the table, so as to generate even larger ones from other teams.
Because Harper was under contract with Washington at the time, the team held exclusive negotiating rights with the former MVP. The Nationals tried to take advantage of that opportunity to strike a deal before Harper hit the open market. They did not make one, at least for now.
The Nationals’ Mike Rizzo addressed Harper’s situation Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Carlsbad, California, saying only “we took advantage of our exclusivity late in the season” to negotiate with Harper, but “couldn’t reach a deal.”
That the sides did not agree does not rule out a reunion. Harper can explore pitches from other teams, well-aware of what the Nationals have to offer, and decide from there. Boras always seems to circle back to the Nationals and other high-spending teams before finalizing any deals for major free agents, and would almost certainly do so again with Harper, given his ties to Washington.
But that they did not agree likely means the Nationals will have to engage in the kind of bidding war they rarely choose to win. Teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies have far more money to spare, and fewer luxury tax concerns than Washington, which has now crossed that threshold two seasons in a row and is determined not to let the streak go to three. Bryce Harper