Could the long national nightmare be over? Not yet, but it reportedly might be soon.
Free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies "are nearing a crossroads in their negotiations," ESPN's Buster Olney reported Sunday morning. The sides could reach "a resolution" by Tuesday, according to Olney.
What Olney did not report, however, is that Harper and the Phillies are nearing agreement on a contract. Phillies owner John Middleton reportedly left Las Vegas -- Harper's hometown -- without a deal Saturday, and MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Saturday night that the Giants are among the teams "still in the game."
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Heyman followed up Sunday, and reported that more teams could meet with the 26-year-old.
The Giants met with Harper in Las Vegas earlier this month, but NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reported Friday that San Francisco has "no intention of going over the $300 million mark" to sign the superstar outfielder. Harper reportedly turned down a 10-year, $300 million offer from the Washington Nationals, his former team, before the end of the 2018 season.
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New Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has been active adding to the outfield nonetheless, signing veterans such as Gerardo Parra and Cameron Maybin. Left field still is a need, and it happens to be Harper's preferred position.
If Olney's report is true, the Giants will know whether or not Harper can fix that need in the coming days.