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Bryce Harper made it clear at the last home game of the 2018 season that he enjoyed playing for the Washington Nationals. It turns out that he rejected a contract offer from the team that very day.
The Nationals offered Harper a new deal on the last day of the final homestand in September, but Harper’s camp rejected it.
It’s long been thought that the Nationals will not be able to out-spend the likes of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers for Harper’s services in 2019 and beyond.
Harper was publicly reminiscent and nostalgic on Sept. 26, the Nationals’ final home game of the season and reportedly the day he received the team’s new offer.
“It’s definitely crazy walking in today and knowing this could be my last game at Nats Park in my white jersey … I knew I wanted to get here and put the uniform on right away and just cherish that moment, if it’s going to be the last time or not,” he told reporters before that day’s game.
At MLB general managers’ meetings Tuesday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo disclosed the talks with agent Scott Boras and said that “we took advantage of our exclusivity late in the season” to negotiate with the star outfielder.
Now that Harper is officially a free agent, he can negotiate with any team. The Nationals made him a qualifying offer last Friday.
“We didn’t get anything done, but he’s a guy that is near and dear to us and we’re not closing any doors,” Rizzo said.
Harper is a 6-time All-Star with 184 home runs, 521 RBI and a .900 OPS in his career.
“He’s shown the type of player he is and now he’s a grizzled veteran,” Rizzo said. “He has done a lot in the game already, and he is just scratching the surface.”
The contract offer was first reported by the Washington Post early Tuesday evening.
Based in part on wire and service reports.
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