Philadelphia Phillies emerge as favorites for Bryce Harper

Philadelphia Phillies

On Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Philadelphia Phillies were “clear-cut favorites” to land Harper after a lengthy meeting with him in Las Vegas.

The Phillies make perfect sense on paper for Harper. First off, the Phillies are ready to compete right now. The Phillies were in contention for the NL East title through most of the 2018 season, although they finished with an 80-82 record after a difficult end to the season. With a young team, the Phillies are entering their window of contention, and adding a player like Harper would certainly make them a better team in the upcoming years.

Another benefit of the Phillies having a young team is that they aren’t spending too much money. Earlier in the offseason, Phillies owner John Middleton was quoted as saying “We’re going into this expecting to spend money and maybe even be a little bit stupid about it.” While not explicitly saying it, Middleton’s comments seem to suggest that they will go after Harper and/or Manny Machado.

The Phillies are certainly a prime suitor for Machado, and it seems unlikely that they will sign both Harper AND Machado, but it is possible. If the Phillies do land Machado, the odds that Harper will end up in Philadelphia will drop. But as of now, the Phillies look like the favorites to land Bryce Harper.

Odds that the Phillies get Harper: 50%