The Dodgers lost out to the Phillies in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes, but L.A. reportedly offered a record-breaking deal in the "four-year range" with an average annual value of $40-45M a year, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. TIMES. Scott Boras, Harper's agent, said the Dodgers' position was "more of a strong and shorter term." He added, "Fit-wise, what Bryce and (wife) Kayla's needs were, they we're really focused more on the long term" (L.A. TIMES, 3/1). Harper agreed to a 13-year, $330M deal with the Phillies, and THE ATHLETIC's Ken Rosenthal wrote to "gain the increased flexibility" the Dodgers' offer would have given him, Harper would have walked away from nearly $200M in guaranteed money." That was a "tradeoff he evidently viewed as not worth the risk" (THEATHLETIC.com, 2/28). MLB Network's Jon Heyman said the Dodgers were interested in signing Harper, as L.A. was "one of the markets Harper was interested in." However, the team was "looking at creative ways to do it" (MLB Network, 2/28).
SWING AND A MISS: In L.A., Bill Plaschke writes, "The Dodgers blinked, and now you have to question, what exactly are they looking at?" The Dodgers are an organization with "buckets of chips" but will "not push them all in for a shot at one big pot." One of baseball’s richest franchises "pursuing a willing recruit like Harper and then losing him strictly over his salary demands just doesn’t equate" (L.A. TIMES, 3/1). CBSSPORTS.com's R.J. Anderson lists the Dodgers as losers in the Harper signing, writing they had the "most disappointing offseason in baseball." Anderson: "You're the Dodgers, folks. Act like it" (CBSSPORTS.com, 2/28). In California, Jim Alexander writes, "You can make the case that the Dodgers’ reluctance to do more than kick the tires on a marquee free agent isn’t appropriate for a big-market, big-revenue franchise." However, "don’t blame it all on" Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman (Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 3/1).
GIANT FALL SHORT AGAIN: In S.F., Henry Schulman cites sources as saying that the Giants "went as high as 12 years" at $310M in their bid to land Harper. However, sources added that the Giants would have had to "surpass the Phillies' final total" of $330M because of California's "significantly higher state income tax." This marks the "second consecutive offseason the Giants failed in their bid to land a superstar player." They had a deal in place to acquire DH Giancarlo Stanton last winter, but he used his "no-trade rights to veto the deal and forced a trade to the Yankees." Boras "praised the efforts" of Giants President & CEO Larry Baer and President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi in their "relatively late bid" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/1). Also in S.F., Ann Killion writes just as last offseason with missing out on Stanton and P/DH Shohei Ohtani, the Giants "appear to not be a desirable destination for a top player, even if the team is willing to pay top dollar." The Giants’ franchise has "long been built on star power yet it is struggling to find its next star." This is "certainly a blow to Baer," who knows the "importance of staying relevant and fresh in this competitive sports market" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/1).
