MLB rumors: Who is Yankees’ competition for Bryce Harper? Nationals? Phillies? White Sox?

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper headlines the MLB free agency class. Several deep-pocketed teams, including the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, are expected to bid for the 2015 National League MVP. Will Brian Cashman spend $400 million to add the 26-year-old slugger?

No one will get paid more in free agency this winter than Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper.

He reportedly turned down a 10-year, $300 million contract offer from the Nationals before the end of the 2018 season.

His agent, Scott Boras, is using the 13-year, $325 million contract extension Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Miami Marlins in 2014 as a starting point for Harper, who won the 2015 National League MVP Award.

Several deep-pocketed teams, including the Yankees, are expected to bid for Harper.

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However USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale ruled out a return to Washington for Harper, while spilling on who he thinks is the front-runner to sign the 26-year-old. Per MLB.com:

“I think he’s gone from Washington,” Nightengale said on the ESPN Baseball Tonight podcast with Buster Olney recently. “The fact that he never even bothered to make a counter offer or even talk about it, I think he wants at least, he’s looking at least for $400 million, probably 12 or 13 years at about $35 [million] per year.”

That figure will likely be out of the Nats’ price range. The club is in the market for starting pitching and catching, and have been linked to some prominent players to fill those voids, such as Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel — the top two free-agent pitchers — as well as Yasmani Grandal, the market’s top backstop, and the Marlins’ J.T. Realmuto, who Washington pursued in the past before the asking price became too high.

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Nightengale speculated that the Phillies are the favorites to land Harper, but he also didn’t discount the White Sox, who hope to climb back to contention after a massively disappointing 2018. 

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.