December 26th, 2018 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka Depending on which rumor you choose to believe (or which way the wind is blowing at the time), the Dodgers are apparently still in on the Bryce Harper sweepstakes.
…just not for the 10 years that he and super agent (and baseball’s Antichrist) Scott Boras are hoping for.
“Bryce is an intriguing free agent, largely because of his age, tremendous talent potential and accomplishments to date, all of which will contribute to him making a considerable amount of money this off-season,” Boras told reporters in September, even before the 2018 postseason had gotten underway. “He profiles as a superstar middle-of-the-order bat with some still-untapped potential remaining. The main component any purchasing club is investing in is the bat. However, when you begin to think about how much that will cost, you also need to factor in the person you are acquiring as well.
“That raises more detailed questions about his commitment to defense, his interaction with teammates and his offensive approach at times,” Boras continued. “Ultimately, he is a rare talent who will be compensated accordingly, but the extra years and dollars — or lack thereof — will reflect more on the purchase of a face of a franchise.”
Spoken as only a super agent could speak about a guy who, along with former Dodger and current fellow free agent Manny Machado, will undoubtedly top the $33 million Annual Average Value (AAV) once paid to former Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees infielder Alex Rodriguez, and currently being paid to Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, en route to potentially becoming the highest paid player(s) in MLB history.
That being said and understandably so, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has made it very clear that the Dodgers will not – absolutely will not – give Harper, or Machado (a former Boras client), or anyone else for that matter, the 10-year deal that they are seeking.
However, and this is a big however, it was reported during the recently-concluded MLB Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, that the Dodgers were among several teams who were said to have told Boras that before agreeing to a long-term deal with any team for Bryce Harper, to contact them first about a potentially shorter term deal but with a higher AAV. And knowing Scott Boras, who is based out of Los Angeles and who is frequently seen on television during nearly every Dodgers home game, and the fact that Harper has made it abundantly clear that he would very much like to play for the six-time consecutive Nation League West champion Dodgers – this is something that Boras (and his client) will probably do.
The big question, of course, is whether or not Harper’s ego will allow him to accept such an offer. I mean, let’s be honest here, would you? Would you turn down a guaranteed 10-year / multi-million dollar deal that could (and probably would) top the $437.2 million that A-Rod made over his 22-year MLB career as the highest paid baseball player of all time?
Yes, Dodger fans, until that official (and likely) “No” is given to the Dodgers by Harper (and Boras), our beloved two-time consecutive National League champion Dodgers are still in on the Bryce Harper sweepstakes.
…albeit just barely.
Play Ball!
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Bellinger, Seager and Urías are also Boras clients. Just a fun fact.
Now now Ron, I think it’s a little extreme to call Boras “Baseball’s Antichrist”. It is a business, and it’s his job to maximize his clients share of a multi-million dollar industry. If anything, players deserve a larger share compared to owners. Anyone talented enough to play MLB deserves skilled representation. Now, teams are quite aware of how few mega-deals pan out for the team as well as they do for players. A recent fangraphs article demonstrated this well. A-Rod, Robinson Cano, and Manny Ramirez were among the few 9 figure deals that went well for the teams. No contract is without risk. I honestly think LA will wait till next year when the free agent crop could be balanced more towards their needs. But, Harper only costs $$ and a draft pick. The Dodgers could sign Harper (8 years $330 million with an opt out after year 3/4 is my guess) and still trade for Realmuto or Kluber and not totally empty the farm. I like the emphasis on home grown players which has been going very well. Building a team takes talented acquired by any means necessary. If you want to vilify free agency, think about Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale holding out for a six figure deal in the 1960’s!
This is actually a nickname given to Scott Boras a number of years ago (and not by me):
The Hate for Scott Boras and Hypocrisy of Loyalty in Baseball
I apologize if you are/were offended by it.
Just imagine if they had free agency back then. Every team in MLB would have a shot at getting Koufax and Drysdale. How much more would they have gotten?
A nit, I don’t think Boras represents Manny Machado. I do not recall the group, or name of the agent but read that he and Boras were competitors, each hoping to get their respective client the best deal of this FA class. If Harper wants to be a Dodgers then he will have to accept a high AAV with fewer guaranteed years.
An oversight. Boras once represented Machado but he no longer does. Manny is currently represented by Dan Lozano of MVP Sports Group.
Nit fixed.
After giving up Kemp and Puig, you better get Harper or someone who can hit the baseball–(or learn how to advance the runner, steal bases and be willing to defeat the damned shift.)
Personally I like HRs but why must it be either/or.
Not worth it… at the rumored price tag. Especially since Harper has not been a consistent performer.
Supposedly, his defensive metrics are down, so if the Dodgers signed him, I would put him in left with Bellinger in center and Verdugo in right. Alex is supposed to have an arm nearly as good as Puig’s.
If Harper isn’t signed, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having Taylor play LF most of the time… especially since the guy who fixed his swing is now our hitting coach.
I’m certain that Dodgers are not going to offer Harper 10 years and certainly not for $400+MM — and I am confident that Boras knows this as well, so why are they continuing to negotiate? Harper wants to be a Dodgers! How will this turn out — I believe Boras and Friedman will find a way, probably with a record setting AAV and multiple opt outs over a 5, or possibly 7 year guarantee.
This is how I see it playing out as well, Bum, although I see the opt-out at three years – a la Kershaw. This way, if he continues to rack up Hall of Fame-worthy numbers, he would (not could) become the highest paid player of all time, even surpassing a potential 10-year deal that Machado might get right now from someone else. Wouldn’t THAT piss Manny off – lol!.
I’m not sure how the options will play out, but Friedman and Boras are smart guys and will find a way to make it work. I think Dodgers could give Harper right to opt out after 2nd year and 3rd year in 5 year contract.
Wow the Dodgers landing a player like Bryce Harper, that would be something. But right now it’s hard to say. A lot of things would have to fall into place. We’re going to find out really shortly.
Curious what you mean by: “A lot of things would have to fall into place.”
Well, there are other teams involved and the Dodgers will have to wheel and deal with Boras.
Better get used to dealing with Boras as he also represents Seager, Bellinger, and Urias