Cubs News: Report: Bryce Harper bidding will start at $350 million |
Tony Crumpton
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- Wednesday, October 24 2018
One of the biggest prizes of the baseball offseason will free agent slugger Bryce Harper who will have several suitors trying to make him an extremely wealthy man.
MLB insider Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs will have to offer him an enormous contract if they want him to be playing on the North Side. "The Cubs will now have the chance to make an aggressiveness pursuit of Harper to create an elite lineup," he said via 670 The Score. "The bidding for him in free agency will start at 10 years and $350 million." The team will have a huge payroll next season with or without Harper. "Before any Harper contract is factored in, a likely estimate for the Cubs' payroll in 2019 would be $210 million, assuming they exercise the $20-million option on left-hander Cole Hamels and factoring in the healthy raises for arbitration-eligible players like Baez, Bryant, Contreras, Schwarber and Kyle Hendricks," he said. Levine also used the word "inevitable" in describing the possibilities of Harper joining the Cubs. Harper hit .247 with 34 homers, 100 RBI in 159 games this season. He is a six-time All-Star that won the National League MVP award in 2015. He has averaged 32 homers and 91 RBIs per 162 games played.
