Bryce Harper Being Recruited by Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant?

There is no smoking gun evidence that the Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is part of a plan to recruit free agent Bryce Harper. However, there is one recent CBS sports news report that implies Bryant might be making a conscious effort to perhaps deliver the Washington Nationals right fielder to the Cubs.

According to CBS Sports website, Harper and his wife celebrated bringing in the 2019 new year with Kris and his wife Jessica Bryant. The gathering should not be seen as unusual since the two superstar ball players both hail from the city of Las Vegas and have been friends from childhood, the report states.

In the Bleacher Report, an online sports news outlet, Rob Goldberg reports that Harper and Bryant, as early as eight-year-olds, played against each other and as teammates. So one is on firm ground to see the new year gathering as simply two friends celebrating the start of 2019 together with their wives.

Even the popular New York Post has weighed in on the theory that Harper and Bryant’s friendship could mean that the Cubs first baseman might be trying to recruit Bryce as their report suggested that the New Years Eve double date could mean everything to Cubs fans.

NBC’s online sports news reports:

The two baseball stars hanging out together is nothing new, but it happening in the middle of Harper’s free agency saga is sure to excite some Cubs fans. Maybe Bryant put on his recruiting pitch while they rang in 2019, or maybe the two friends just had fun together and it doesn’t mean anything at all.

Dayn Perry, the author of the earlier mentioned CBS report goes on to suggest that it may be possible the two athletes chatted about Harper’s free agency and that “Bryant did a little recruiting on behalf of the Cubs.

Now of course it is not a smoking gun, however, it arguably can get one to thinking that perhaps something like that may have happened, according to Perry.

It may be that the reports are simply echoing what Chicago Cubs sports fans deeply desire. Nevertheless, it does beg the question, is Bryce Harper being recruited by Kris Bryant?

Consider this, last month NBC Chicago reported that Theo Epstein, the Cubs President, got together with both Harper and his agent Scott Boras. According to the article, Epstein asked the two to let him know about possible “offers so that the team could try to clear payroll space to match the contract.”

Now even this report is no smoking gun, however, it does appear that Epstein is seriously interested in Harper.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are also trying to recruit Harper. In fact, The New York Post reports that the Dodgers have recently unloaded players off of their roster in order to accommodate Harper and the massive salary it will take to land the free agent. The accommodation including sending Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to Cincinnati.

Since Epstein was aware of the serious efforts by the Dodgers to make room for a big free agency signing and knowing that rumor have been circulating throughout the winter that Los Angeles is seriously interested in Harper, it stands to reason for the Cubs to play the Bryant card. In other words, perhaps use his influence to recruit and ultimately land Harper in Chicago.

Well it is just a thought or perhaps a wish that maybe, as a final last effort attempt, Kris Bryant’s decades long friendship with Harper might payoff in recruiting Harper to the Chicago Cubs. At least it is not a bad strategy and it might work.

By DiMarkco Chandler

Sources:

CBS Sports: Bryce Harper rang in the new year by celebrating with Cubs star Kris Bryant
NBC Sports: Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant spent New Year’s Eve together
New York Post: Bryce Harper’s New Year’s double date fuels Cubs rumors
NBC Chicago: Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper Spend New Year’s Eve Together
Bleacher Report: Bryce Harper Spends New Year’s Eve with Kris Bryant Amid Cubs Rumors

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