Categories: News

Report: Phillies ‘would be interested’ in Harper

Photo by Arturo Pardavila III

There’s a report by John Perrotto of FanRag Sports. Here’s what the report says: A Phillies source says the team would be interested in signing Bryce Harper if he gets to free agency (after 2018).

You’re probably going to hear something about this report. Maybe you’re saying “Ooh! Harper to the Phils? Yes please!”

But you’re smarter than that. Because let’s just say this right now: EVERY TEAM IN BASEBALL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SIGNING BRYCE HARPER.

The problem is that teams with low payrolls and constraints will find it either challenging or impossible to sign Harper. The Phillies are expected to not have a huge payroll heading into 2019, so yeah, their chances at snaring Harper are higher than some other teams’ chances. Thus, a piece like this, which, well, ask anyone with the Phillies and they’d say “Yeah, we’d be interested in a guy who is .283/.386/.512 for his career with 135 home runs and, oh, he’s only 24.”

The more interesting thing about the piece is that the same source said the team lacks a true franchise player who has become one of the best in baseball. That means the Phils are probably aware they need an elite name (Harper, Mike Trout, Manny Machado).

Carry on.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.