Bryce Harper Rumors: Nationals Have 'No Plans' to Offer Machado-Like Contract

With Manny Machado agreeing to sign a record-breaking 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Bryce Harper is now indisputably the biggest fish in the MLB free-agency pond.

Rumors are still swirling as to where Harper may end up, but a report from MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, Mark Feinsand and Jamal Collier on Wednesday evening all but eliminates the Washington Nationals from retaining their 26-year-old star: 

"Sources told MLB.com on Wednesday that the Nationals have no plans to give Harper a mega-deal comparable to Machado's 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres, likely ending any chance for Washington's longtime face of the franchise to remain with the club. 

"The Nationals offered Harper a contract worth $300 million over 10 years before the end of the 2018 regular season. Harper and his agent Scott Boras rejected the deal."

Zolecki, Feinsand and Collier also note that "the Phillies had a face-to-face meeting last week with Boras in Florida. They have talked since."

Other clubs listed as challengers to Philadelphia's pursuit include the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants. The White Sox had their hearts broken by Machado as he passed on their offer of a reported eight-year, $250 million guaranteed contract.

Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Giants aren't "necessarily overly optimistic." Heyman also notes that Philadelphia and San Francisco are believed to have a better chance with Harper than San Diego and the White Sox—both of whom were more active in the Machado hunt:

Many in and around baseball are in on the Phillies ultimately being Harper's choice, including ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney elaborated on his Baseball Tonight podcast—as transcribed by Philadelphia radio host Joe Giglio—that he expects Harper's contract to hit $400 million and bets it will come from the Phillies.

That information alone paints a promising picture of Philly, but SNY's Andy Martino touts the Giants as front-runners. On Tuesday, Martino tweeted that Harper is "reluctant to go to Philly. If they can get to $326 million—beating Stanton's deal, that could overrule his doubts."

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak likened the club's pursuit of Harper to Machado, according to Zolecki, Feinsand and Collier:

"We will continue to proceed with other free agents that make sense for this franchise. We have to remember that there will be other free agents after this offseason. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future to spend money and to make our team better.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be put in position where we have to do something at all costs. There's a significant cost that we're willing to pay to add, but we have to be willing to walk away at some point."

The Nationals seem to have reached that point, which stands to reason considering Washington was last in a list of betting favorites to land Harper last week.