Peter Gammons: Some Believe Bryce Harper Would Prefer To Play For The Cubs
(CBS) The two most recent MVPs in the National League are Nationals star outfielder Bryce Harper and Cubs star third baseman Kris Bryant.
While they played against one another often and on the same youth team a bit growing up in Las Vegas, their big league timelines are separated by several years. Having debuted in 2012, the 24-year-old Harper is set to become a free agent after the 2018 season. The 25-year-0ld Bryant isn't set to become a free agent until after 2021 after debuting in 2015.
It's essentially a foregone conclusion that Harper will forgo an extension and enter free agency. Whether Bryant will take a similar path remains unclear, but Fan Rag Sports' Jon Heyman reported recently that the Cubs had previously engaged in preliminary extension talks with Bryant but didn't make any headway or hear back much from his camp.
With that as context, longtime baseball writer and MLB Network contributor Peter Gammons was asked in an interview with Mully and Hanley on 670 The Score on Friday about how Harper's next contract could affect Bryant's asking price in the future. It was also pointed out to Gammons that there doesn't seem to be any extension offer that agent Scott Boras -- who represents both Harper and Bryant -- is much interest in for his clients.
Gammons' response was wide-ranging and made an interesting reference to Harper having an interest in the Cubs.
"They have Kris Bryant for seven years," Gammons said. "My belief is he's a guy who will have a very sustainable career. But we see what happens sometimes when we get into talking eight-, 10-year contracts. Here Albert Pujols is on the verge of a historic place in baseball history as a home run hitter, and they're not selling out in Anaheim. Now, the team is bad and all that. But Albert is not the same player. We understand that. He's had a lot of injury problems, plantar fasciitis is nothing to laugh about. But at the same time, the question is going to be with Bryce Harper -- what is it that he's going to end up getting? You know, I have people tell me that Bryce Harper really would prefer to play for the Cubs. Somehow, I don't think it's going to be affordable to have Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant on the same team. But it's a great idea. I'd love to see it, because I respect them both so much personally and professionally. But I don't think it's ever going to happen."
Listen to Gammons' full interview below.