Report: Phillies to meet with Harper in Vegas

[January 03, 2019]  Representatives from the Philadelphia Phillies will travel to Las Vegas to meet in person with free agent outfielder Bryce Harper in "the next week or so," according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Phillies remain interested in Harper despite being among the teams trying to lure free agent infielder Manny Machado, who is believed to be seeking a contract in the 10-year, $300 million-plus range.

Philadelphia officials met with Harper's agent, Scott Boras, during the winter meetings, but have yet to meet with Harper himself.

Harper, 26, batted .249 last season, but hit 34 home runs, scored 103 runs and drove in 100 RBIs. He rejected a $300 million deal from the Nationals late last season, paving the way for his likely exit.

He has 10-year-plus offers from the Phillies and Chicago White Sox, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, who also says the chance of a return to the Nationals is not out of the question.

Machado split his time between the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. On the season, he hit .297 and had 37 home runs and 104 RBIs in 162 games.

Machado, also 26, is said to prefer the New York Yankees, assuming the monetary value is close to other offers.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.