The Bryce is Right, Bitch

[Banedon]

I hold out hope for this scenario - internally between Theo & Ricketts they have a broad contract structure for Harper that they are comfortable with. There is reports from real media people that the Cubs have asked to be kept in the loop when final offers are coming in. If their number is competitive they jump in, if not they move on. They put out the not a lot of financial flexibility/ like the team as is narrative so that if it doesn't happen they don't look like they lost on their plan to the fans and the team.

If the Cubs do jump in and make a play for Harper, then I DO think there is a case for collusion.

 

Not real sure why you think that would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Bryce Harper only getting one good offer and it’s from the Phillies is obvious collusion on its face.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Bryce Harper only getting one good offer and it’s from the Phillies is obvious collusion on its face.

...why would all the owners work to help the Phillies exclusively?

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

Here's what I'm saying.

 

Most all the teams don't spend any money and all the good players go to a few teams willing to spend at discounted prices = not collusion

 

All of the teams pretend to be poor, prices come down, and then all the players get distributed across the league to the same teams that claimed poor earlier = collusion

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Bryce Harper only getting one good offer and it’s from the Phillies is obvious collusion on its face.

...why would all the owners work to help the Phillies exclusively?

 

Because they like money

[UMFan83]

Man I hope this whole collusion thing is still going on when KB is due for his extension

[Andy]

Man I hope this whole collusion thing is still going on when KB is due for his extension

Tough noogies. CBA expires after his last season under contract with the Cubs, I believe.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Man I hope this whole collusion thing is still going on when KB is due for his extension

 

Why do you want the Dodgers to get a discount on him?

[jersey cubs fan]

Man I hope this whole collusion thing is still going on when KB is due for his extension

 

Why do you want the Dodgers to get a discount on him?

To keep ticket prices lower

[WrigleyField 22]

Here's what I'm saying.

 

Most all the teams don't spend any money and all the good players go to a few teams willing to spend at discounted prices = not collusion

 

All of the teams pretend to be poor, prices come down, and then all the players get distributed across the league to the same teams that claimed poor earlier = collusion

I'm not saying all the owners got together and hatched a plan to restrict money to players. They didn't have to; they filtered the membership in their special club so that everyone was on the same page to begin with.

 

That may not be the strictest definition of collusion, but I'm okay with the term being used.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Here's what I'm saying.

 

Most all the teams don't spend any money and all the good players go to a few teams willing to spend at discounted prices = not collusion

 

All of the teams pretend to be poor, prices come down, and then all the players get distributed across the league to the same teams that claimed poor earlier = collusion

I'm not saying all the owners got together and hatched a plan to restrict money to players. They didn't have to; they filtered the membership in their special club so that everyone was on the same page to begin with.

 

That may not be the strictest definition of collusion, but I'm okay with the term being used.

 

 

I am 100% saying they had a meeting and agreed which teams would go after machado and Harper and the others wouldn’t.

[David]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/jbellich22/status/1088637235136737281[/tweet]

 

i want to believe

[Sammy Sofa]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/jbellich22/status/1088800967259242496[/tweet]

[David]

I WANT TO BELIEVE

[Derwood]

[Deeg]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/jbellich22/status/1088800967259242496[/tweet]

 

Don't touch Jimmy.

[Cubswin11]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/jbellich22/status/1088800967259242496[/tweet]

 

 

Jimmy’s down

 

[toonsterwu]

I tend to think this is the Phillies game to lose now. Boras and Harper will wait, but the Phillies almost HAVE to pull in someone big, so they'll be willing to wait.

 

For the Nationals to get him back ...

 

Just offer him a one year deal with 9 player options

 

Honestly, it might take something vaguely close to that. (To be clear, I'm not saying that specifically) For the Nationals to get him back, if the Phillies have outbid everyone by an appreciable amount (say, if the Nats had offered something close to 10/350, something like 10/400 would be a sizable chunk enough that would be hard to pass down), they would likely need to construct a contract that's a win for all parties involved, from the Nationals, to Boras, to Harper. So, it would have to be a combination of a record-setting deal, enough security length for Harper and enough opt-outs for Harper if the situation goes south, and a way for the Nationals to get out if the contract becomes too burdensome.

 

Of all the teams in the majors, the Nationals willingness to go with deferrals would certainly make creating a creative contract possible. Still, it's hard to see where the sweet spot is and how they would structure the contract to make it a positive for all parties. A part of me wonders (in the few moments I actually have thought about this) about some sort of long-term deal with say, opt-out capability after Year 2, but maybe some sort of opt-out AND team option after Year 4 or 5. Still, it's just hard to see how they get there and find the sweet spot, if the Phillies significantly overbid.

[Bear Cub]

Does Charles know Jimmy? Just askin.

[Derwood]

I get the feeling that Bryce just doesn't want to play for Philly. If this was only about the money, Philly would have signed him by now

[Deeg]

I get the feeling that Bryce just doesn't want to play for Philly. If this was only about the money, Philly would have signed him by now

 

He's gotta play for somebody.

[Derwood]

It’s really feeling like Harper (and Machado) and their agents entered this off season expecting that teams would be climbing over each other to hand out record-breaking contracts, and are now in the awkward position of seeing a drying up market. Harper, at least, can go back to the Nats on a “hometown discount” (to save face) but Machado? I don’t know what he does. How low are these guys willing to sign for in order to play where they want?

[Backtobanks]

I get the feeling that Bryce just doesn't want to play for Philly. If this was only about the money, Philly would have signed him by now

 

I don’t see why not. They’ve got a who’s who of decent enough players most fans couldn’t name + Aaron Nola and post-prime McCutchen. They’re the third or fourth most interesting team in their own division, and might also be third or fourth best even with him. What could be more appealing?

 

Well he tried playing with a bunch of big names (Scherzer, Strasburg, Rendon, Turner, Zimmerman, etc.) and that didn't work out very well.

[d_money]

It’s really feeling like Harper (and Machado) and their agents entered this off season expecting that teams would be climbing over each other to hand out record-breaking contracts, and are now in the awkward position of seeing a drying up market. Harper, at least, can go back to the Nats on a “hometown discount” (to save face) but Machado? I don’t know what he does. How low are these guys willing to sign for in order to play where they want?

Like Darvish last year, early projections were $27M-$28M AAV, but then signed for $21M. $25M AAV might have to be the number Machado settles for. The only reported offer that seems in this range is the White Sox for $175M/7 yrs. I just don’t see him signing with them though.

[Deeg]

I think the owners have gotten a little too blatant with their collusion game, and we're all going to pay for it with an incredibly divisive and ugly work stoppage when the CBA expires. They had it good, a system basically rigged in their favor, and if they'd just dialed it back a bit they probably could have perpetuated it indefinitely. But greed is what greed does.