The Philadelphia Phillies have been considered a favorite to land Bryce Harper in free agency, but have yet to actually sit down with him. That is slated to change on Saturday.
Since the start of free agency, the Philadelphia Phillies were considered a favorite to land the services of Bryce Harper. He would certainly fit into their lineup, a powerful bat that the Phillies had been lacking. And, as a young superstar yet to enter his prime, he could be the type of player that the front office would be comfortable spending “stupidly” on.
Yet, for all of their reported interest in Harper, they have not met with him. Yes, the Phillies had spent time talking with agent Scott Boras about the outfielder, but had not met with Harper face to face. Their other highly speculated target, Manny Machado, had already been to Philadelphia, meeting the front office and ownership.
Now, it is Harper’s turn. The Phillies are set to finally meet with the prized free agent on Saturday, as the front office will finally get their chance to sell Harper on Philadelphia. This will mark the fourth team that he has spoken with, joining the Nationals, White Sox, and Dodgers.
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Even if the Phillies fail to sign Harper, it is hard to argue with their offseason. They have signed David Robertson and Andrew McCutchen as free agents, helping solidify their bullpen and outfield defense. Not only did the Phillies get rid of Carlos Santana to move Rhys Hoskins back to first, but they also acquired Jean Segura. The infield, both in terms of production and defense, should be stronger.
Yet, even with those moves, the offseason would still seem to be a disappointment if they do not land one of Harper or Machado. The Phillies set expectations sky high with their proclamation that they had plenty of money to spend, making their pursuit of the top players in free agency an inevitability.
For their part, the Phillies have done their best. They hosted Machado, and will talk to Harper on Saturday. The roster is stronger now than it was at the start of the offseason. And other moves are likely coming, whether to improve the rotation or the lineup. However, that does not matter if at least one of those two primary targets do not end up in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Phillies are set to finally meet with Bryce Harper. Given their reported interest in the Phillies outfielder, it is about time.