Bryce Harper meets with Los Angeles Dodgers, who seek short-term deal

Could this have been the so-called “mystery team” in the Bryce Harper talks?

The Los Angeles Dodgers re-entered the Harper sweepstakes and met with him Sunday night in Las Vegas, multiple reports said.

An ESPN report added that the Dodgers prefer to do a short-term deal with the free agent outfielder.

Sources: The Dodgers are back in the mix for Bryce Harper. Club officials, including manager Dave Roberts, were seen in Las Vegas on Sunday. https://t.co/cBRqZx4kOO

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) February 25, 2019

The Los Angeles Dodgers re-engaged with Bryce Harper’s camp two weeks ago seeking a shorter-term deal, sources tell @RamonaShelburne and me. On heels of @JesseSanchezMLB report the parties met Sunday in Las Vegas, question becomes whether either side will move toward the other.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 25, 2019

The Dodgers were presumed to be out of the running for Harper earlier this winter. They cleared some space by trading away outfielders Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, but when they gave a four-year contract to free agent A.J. Pollock, baseball insiders assumed they were no longer pursuing Harper.

For weeks, the list seemed to be whittled down to the favored Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants.

Manny Machado recently signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres, so Harper may want a deal of similar length.

From the start, Bryce Harper has sought a decade-long-plus deal. There is no indication, sources said, that has changed. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have long been opposed to very long-term deals. Still, the Dodgers’ emergence has thrown a fascinating wrench into these negotiations.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 25, 2019