Friday at 2 p.m. PT marks the deadline for MLB teams to make qualifying offers to players, and it should come as no surprise that the Nationals are expected to do so with Bryce Harper.
Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reported the Nationals will make a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Harper before the deadline. He has 10 days to accept or reject the offer, though it is highly unlikely he will accept it.
If Harper signs elsewhere, the Nationals will receive a fourth-round draft pick as compensation since the team crossed the Competitive Balance Tax in 2018. The Giants, who are rumored to be interested in Harper, would lose a lot if they sign the slugger because of the qualifying offer.
The Giants made it a conscience effort to not cross the luxury tax last season, and that actually will help them when it comes to Harper and the qualifying offer. Since the Giants did not cross the tax threshold nor receive revenue sharing, the Giants would lose their second-highest draft pick in 2019, plus $500,000 in international bonus pool money.
Whoever takes over in the Giants' front office, both in baseball operations and the new GM, are expected to go hard after Harper. And Vegas has them rising in the odds to sign the 26-year-old star.
In September, Bovada listed the Giants as eighth, six spots behind the Dodgers. The Giants now have jumped the Dodgers, and just four days ago, Bovada gave the team the fourth-best odds to sign Harper. The Giants sit behind only the Phillies, Cubs, and Nationals.
