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What I hear: USA Today, Bob Nightengale, of Sports magazine, said that a third team was trying to recruit Bryce Harper, the MLB hitter.
USA TODAY Sports

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Bryce Harper's extended draw draws to a close.

Harper is expected to make his decision by the end of the week, said two team leaders at USA TODAY Sports. The leaders requested anonymity because of ongoing negotiations.

This Harper pursuit, or Harper's pursuit of at least $ 300 million, has been going on for so long that teams are now joining together to see if they can get it at a lower discount rate.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the last to show interest. Dave Roberts and their manager, Dave Roberts, met Harper and his agent Scott Boras in Las Vegas on Sunday night, which the club confirmed on Monday.

"It was good, just trying to get to know each other," Roberts said in his morning briefing with reporters. "I think that in the spirit of Dodger, controlling a certain process makes sense and that these guys do their due diligence as well.

They are the third team to compete, joining the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants.

All the others, at that time, came out, according to the leaders and owners of the team who previously expressed their interest.

Bryce Harper should sign with a team here by the end of the week. (Photo11: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)

The Washington Nationals, who offered Harper a $ 300 million 10-year deal in September that he rejected before hitting a free agent, were dismissed.

The Chicago White Sox, who met Harper earlier this winter and offered Manny Machado a $ 250 million, eight-year contract, are no longer interested.

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The San Diego Padres, who chose Machado over Harper, have no money left.

Really, it's very simple here.

If Harper wants the most money, the Phillies are probably his team.

If he wants to visit an iconic franchise near his home in Las Vegas, but is not afraid to leave about $ 200 million on the table, he will choose the Dodgers.

He wants to stay in the West, but that he may not be afraid to play for a team that is about to begin rebuilding, and to play in a stadium that might suffocate. his statistics he will go to San Francisco.

The choice is his.

The Phillies, who have been the harasser all winter for Harper, remain favorites. They desperately want it, but maybe they are not so willing to spend "stupid" money. They realize that if they arrive at Harper, they will probably not only be the favorites to win the East of NL, they will also satisfy a fan base that will be outraged if they do not get it.

If the Dodgers were willing to bid $ 300 million, Harper would sign faster than finishing a Dodger dog. But Andrew Friedman, vice-president of baseball operations at Dodgers, has never spent more than $ 80 million in stand-alone players and does not intend to start now. His biggest expense for an outside freestyle player was the $ 60 million he gave to field center player A.J. Pollock this winter.

The Giants first and foremost want Harper to maintain his relevance, sell season tickets and become his modern Bonds. Essentially, it would be a carnival to a man. The front office is no longer interested in anything more than a short-term contract, but the property may try to invalidate the new boss Farhan Zaidi, which could create a potential conflict in just a few months.

During this week, the drama will end.

Does the Dodgers' entry into the derby force the Phillies to increase their offer, perhaps for the last time, by overturning Giancarlo Stanton's record $ 325 million deal?

Or are the Phillies exasperated by the long process, wondering if they are played and require a decision.

The end is finally near.

It's time.

Follow Nightengale on Twitter @Bnightengale

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