A team initially believed to be high on Bryce Harper's list has re-emerged.
According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Giants met this week with Harper.
Harper has an affinity for the Bay Area, and more than one baseball person responded "Giants" when I asked them last September for their Harper prediction.
That connection lost steam this offseason with San Francisco seeming to focus more on retooling for the future than spending now. Their only free-agent acquisition to this point has been Drew Pomeranz, and the Giants had even considered trading Madison Bumgarner, a folk hero who is beginning to decline and is a free agent after the season.
A player of Harper's caliber would change the timeline in San Francisco, if there's enough interest from both sides. It would give Buster Posey some of the lineup protection he needs, but it wouldn't make the Giants an instant 90-win team. There are too many mediocre parts on that roster, and even with Harper the Giants would be behind the Dodgers and Rockies in overall talent.
It wouldn't be surprising if other teams meet or have already met with Harper recently. He's lingered in free agency and it's worth it for any team that think it has a shot at him to circle back and see again what it might cost. Kind of like the Phillies have done with trade target J.T. Realmuto.
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