NL MVP Odds 2019: Bryce Harper Favored Amid Giants, Dodgers, Phillies Interest

Oddsmakers seem to be very confident wherever Bryce Harper signs, it will be with a team that plays in the National League. 

Per SportsBook USA (h/t B/R Betting), Harper is a 6-1 betting favorite to win the 2019 NL MVP award:

There seems to be a strong possibility Harper will continue to play in the NL after spending the past seven seasons with the Washington Nationals. 

Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News reported the San Francisco Giants sent CEO Larry Baer and president Farhan Zaidi to meet with Harper and agent Scott Boras on Tuesday. 

Per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, the Giants believe they have a "very legitimate shot" at signing Harper by the end of the weekend. 

The Giants' meeting came after the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers had their own meetings with Harper last weekend. 

Assuming Harper remains in the NL, he has MVP upside. The 26-year-old previously won the award in 2015 after hitting .330/.460/.649 with a league-leading 42 homers in 153 games. 

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who received a $260 million extension on Tuesday, is currently the No. 2 MVP favorite with 7-1 odds. He's as safe a bet as any player after finishing in the top five of NL MVP voting each of the past three seasons. 

A sleeper candidate to watch is reigning NL Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna with 25-1 odds. The Atlanta Braves outfielder hit .293/.366/.552 in 111 games as a 20-year-old in 2018.

Acuna's 3.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement were tied with Juan Soto for 18th in the NL. They were the only players in the top 25 who played fewer than 125 games.