The Narrative
Some fans were surprised to find that the Cubs top Bovada’s odds, and I expect even more will believe the Dodgers at number two is curious. We do not have years of subtle signs, personal relations, and conspiracy theories to link Harper with Los Angeles, just like we did with Chicago. Still, there are a couple of dots worth linking.
The most evident (or, at least, the latest ) came last August. After the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline in July, Major League Baseball teams have the month of August to exchange players who pass through waivers. These are known as revocable waivers, as if a player is maintained, the group that owns his rights is permitted to pull him back.
When a participant is claimed in August, the claiming team has 48 hours to try to strike a deal with the original team. It is essentially a formality for every player to be placed on waivers in August, knowing teams can revoke them at any point. However, fans on the internet were all over Twitter as it had been reported that the mystery team to have put a claim on Bryce Harper was none other than the Los Angeles Dodgers.
No deal was attained between the Dodgers and the Nats, and it’s completely possible the Dodgers only made the claim to keep Harper from going to a different National League competition. Nonetheless, it’s hard to view the near-move as anything apart from a sign of interest from the team with the deepest pockets .
That final line is important, as it plays to the narrative for Harper-to-LA as well. The Dodgers are the Yankees of the West Coast (and, in reality, likely have more cash to spend than the Evil Empire). Ever since a possession group such as Magic Johnson obtained the Dodgers in 2012 for a staggering $2.15 billion, the Dodgers have flexed their fiscal might over the remainder of the baseball world.
Let’s also not forget among Harper’s biggest”flaws,” his rooting interests in Duke, the Cowboys, and yes, the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing in L.A. to get a team owned by the greatest player in Lakers history must appeal to him on some level, even if it won’t end up being the most important element.
There are plenty of connections to produce with Harper and the Nationals, Cubs, and Yankees, however more often than not, absolutely free agents have a tendency to stick to the money. If the Dodgers tend to pay whatever it costs to sign Harper, then it is difficult to imagine another team topping them. That’s storyline enough for them to be considered firmly in the combination.