Nationals Rumors: Bryce Harper saga appears to be almost over

With several Nationals rumors swirling lately over Bryce Harper, all the signs appear to be pointing towards this free agency saga ending fairly soon.

The Bryce Harper saga could be about to reach fever pitch in the near future if the latest Washington Nationals rumors are to be believed. It may not be the outcomes that several Nationals fans have been hoping for.

Early Sunday morning, David Samson of CBS Sports tweeted out “rumors spreading that Harper will be a Phillie for 10 years and 310 million.” This seems to be in line with what we’ve heard leaked out recently from other rumors that the outfielder was close to making his move.

Samson is the former president of the Miami Marlins, so he almost certainly still has inside sources and experience, however unceremonious, dealing with Harper’s agent, Scott Boras. It’s not exactly clear where he got this info from, but it has been supported by his CBS HQ colleague.

More from District on Deck

• 3 Free Agents the Nationals Should Gamble On
• A Washington Nationals Christmas Wishlist
• Washington Nationals: Is Seth Lugo Still an Option?
• Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
• Washington Nationals Re-Sign RHP Erasmo Ramirez

Yesterday, on CBS HQ, Jim Bowden reported that he was hearing Harper “could be rounding third and heading home shortly,” while also saying there was momentum building towards him signing with the Phillies. He also said that he thinks the race is down to two teams, the Phillie and the Nationals, with the former being the frontrunner.

There were also reports from Chris Russell of 106.7 The Fan as he said on air that he thought a Bryce Harper decision would come within 24 hours, indicating a Valentine’s Day decision. He then followed it up with a report that a team jumped in last minute and will be announced once the two sides hash out the contract details.

While these Nationals rumors drew skepticism, Russell was the first to report Harper’s meeting with a mystery team, that turned out to be the San Diego Padres. So perhaps he could be proven right if Samson’s rumors turn out to be correct in the next couple of days.

If Harper were to leave for just $10 million more than the Nationals offered at the end of the regular season, then it doesn’t appear to be a good look for the Nats. Not being willing offer $1 million per season and to go over the luxury tax would be a poor excuse for letting one of the faces of their franchise leave.

At the very least, it does look like we are finally getting close to Bryce Harper signing with a team, which will be a relief to many in the baseball world. However, it doesn’t look like it will be with the Washington Nationals at this point.