Scott Boras talks about Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies
Standing on a makeshift riser with a massive Christmas tree set as a backdrop, agent Scott Boras spoke to a large group of swarming reporters in the lobby of the Mandalay Bay Resorts & Casino on Wednesday morning.

As expected, Bryce Harper's name and where he expects to sign was the focal point of the 40-minute conversation.

“Bryce is open to a lot of different venues," Boras said. "It’s really about what a lot of owners have said to him about their commitments and what they want to do long term."

The Phillies met with Boras last night to discuss a potential blockbuster deal to bring Harper to Philadelphia, however, multiple sources characterized the talks as more preliminary than anything else. When asked about the meeting, Boras was less than forthcoming.

"You'll have to ask the Philadelphia Phillies about that," he said.



There's no secret that it's going to take a boatload of cash to ink Harper, but the Phillies have it and have positioned themselves to make a splash this winter. That said, general manager Matt Klentak said earlier this week that he's not interested in playing the waiting game with any specific player, meaning if Haper wants to take his time and evaluate all of his possibilities then the Phils may look elsewhere to bolster their roster.

When confronted with Klentak's comments, Boras didn't seem concerned. Rather, he teased back mentioning how a front office could be evaluated based on their handling of the Harper sweepstakes.

"Organizations are going to look back at this moment and wonder what they could have done differently," Boras said.

Boras also thrust the Yankees into the spotlight, mentioning how the club still has an interest in signing Harper despite multiple reports to the contrary.

"As far as the Yankees and what discussions I’ve had ... I will leave that to our own,'' Boras said.

Boras is smart. It's entirely possible he's dragging the Yankees into the Harper situation to drive up the price of his client. It's good business because he knows he has a generational talent on his hands, but that's not to say the Phillies and Klentak are going to play hostage to Boras and Harper.
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Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR

BY PATRICK GORDON
Managing Editor
pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com

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