As we head toward the midnight deadline, it's looking like it's only a matter of time before Bryce Harper signs with the Nationals. However, that doesn't mean Harper will come cheap. According to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, Harper is still looking for a record signing bonus for a position player.
Bryce Harper, the homer-hitting 17-year-old from Las Vegas, is said by sources to be seeking to beat Mark Teixeira's $9.8-million signing record bonus for a position players but baseball executives are hopeful Harper won't top Stephen Strasburg's record $15.067-million set a year ago. No word has leaked yet on the Nationals' offers to Harper, whom Washington took with the No. 1 overall pick in June's draft.
That's a lot of money, but according to Heyman, everyone still expects an agreement to be reached.
Folks around the game say the Nationals don't believe Harper is likely to pass on their offers and re-enter the draft next year, which is considered better and deeper, and includes another big power hitter, third baseman Anthony Rendon, from Rice University. Nationals president Stan Kasten offered only two words by text regarding word going around the game that Harper will sign: "Hope so.''
We will find out for sure sometime in the next eight hours.