Dodgers take lead in Harper sweepstakes
Phillies, Giants also candidates to sign star
It's a three-horse race, according to BetOnline.ag.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to land Bryce Harper, coming in at 2-3 odds (meaning bet $300 to win $200, or bet $100 to win $67)
The Dodgers just entered (or reentered — who can keep track at this point?) the fray, and purportedly are presenting the short-term option to the Phillies' long-term.
But as MLB Network's Jon Morosi points out, the Dodgers would be appealing to Harper for two other reasons. The Las Vegas native and Lakers fan could play and train near home as well as watch LeBron.
Morosi tweeted “Bryce Harper update: Some #Phillies officials have grown concerned Harper will sign with the #Dodgers if they make an offer that comes close to Philly's.
The ability to play close to home and train in Arizona both appeal to Harper, who is a @Lakers fan.”
The Phillies are second with 11/10 odds (bet $100 to win $110) followed by the San Francisco Giants, at 12/1 (bet $100 to win $1,200).
Per reports, after Phillies owner John Middleton met with Harper and agent Scott Boras in Las Vegas over the weekend, Harper and Boras then met with the Dodgers on Sunday night.
Another wrinkle came into play Tuesday when Nolan Arenado, per ESPN, signed an eightyear, $260 million extension with the Colorado Rockies.
The aforementioned odds, however, came out before news surfaced of San Francisco's latest pitch to Harper.
The Giants, according to Kerry Crowley of The Mercury News, held a second meeting with Harper on Tuesday. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, a 10-year deal was discussed.
What does this mean for the Phillies? Who knows, but it doesn't sound promising. Maybe Boras is using the Dodgers and Giants to try to get more of Middleton's “stupid” money, or maybe Harper simply doesn't want to play in Philadelphia. If he hasn't signed by now, and Middleton's latest trip didn't result in a deal, then (insert shrug emoji here).
Opening day is March 28.