MLB rumors: Giants ‘trying hard’ for Bryce Harper, but not optimistic

Well, you can't say the Giants aren't trying.

As the chase for superstar Bryce Harper has reached the "refreshing Twitter every few minutes" stage, FanCred's Jon Heyman reports that the Giants are indeed trying hard to bring Bryce to the Bay.

The #SFGiants are telling people they are trying hard for Harper (this likely debunks the short-term theory for them, as it’s known Harper isn’t signing short-term deal). However, people who have spoken to SF brass said they aren’t necessarily overly optimistic.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 20, 2019

With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!

While Heyman notes that San Francisco is not necessarily optimistic, the Giants' ability to be willing to go for a long-term deal shows how serious president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and CEO Larry Baer are in their chase to acquire the 26-year-old superstar.

But no matter how much effort they put in, the decision is ultimately Harper's call.

Harper is likely looking for a contract larger than Manny Machado's 10-year, $300 million reported agreement with the Padres. Harper and agent Scott Boras have been steadfast in breaking the bank with this contract, and it appears even surpassing the $300 million barrier isn't necessarily enough to get Harper to put pen to paper.

Bryce Harper is believed to have turned down multiple offers over 300M in recent weeks. at least 5 teams are believed still in contact, tho Philly, SF and perhaps Wash appear to have more chance than SD (just gave 300M to Manny) and CWS (seemed more focused on MM)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 20, 2019

Imagine turning down multiple offers over $300 million ... must be nice, eh?

San Francisco Giants

Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

Justin Verlander 11 hours ago

Giants eagerly rallying around Verlander in his search for first win

Giants Observations 12 hours ago

What we learned as Giants waste solid Verlander start in loss to Rockies

But while the Giants are still clearly in the mix for Harper's services, Heyman's note that the team is not "overly optimistic" shows that this all might be another case where the Giants come up short in their bid to acquire a top-flight player (see: Giancarlo Stanton, Shohei Ohtani, Zack Greinke, Jon Lester).

But hey -- you can't say they're not trying. That's worth something, right?