New York Mets: There might be one way the Mets can sign Harper

The New York Mets will likely not sign Bryce Harper this offseason. However, there is perhaps one way the Mets can pull off the impossible and do the unthinkable. Can the waiting game land them Harper?

Bryce Harper in a New York Mets uniform is probably nothing short of a pipe dream. The Mets are way too cheap and actually getting the right free agents rarely works out for the Mets.

As for Harper, he is going to be demanding a lot of money, but can almost choose where he wants to go because any team would be crazy to not want him.

The Mets have already stockpiled on free agents this season and just recently traded for Keon Broxton to add depth to their outfield.

However, when it comes to Bryce Harper, none of that matters.

You don’t try to sign a player like Bryce Harper to fill a need. You sign a player like Bryce Harper because he is a generational talent who has been gracing magazine covers since he was a teenager.

I have been following the Mets long enough to know that they will not land Harper. I have never seen them throw the kind of money needed to land a player like him.

I have seen them overpay other useless players, just to avoid committing to a guy. Giving Jay Bruce that kind of money last offseason? Yikes. That looked great at first but ended poorly.

So, naturally, I gave the Mets a zero percent of landing Harper once the offseason started. I just never thought it was possible.

However, nothing is impossible. I am, perhaps, being a little too hard on the Mets.

There is always a chance a player could want to come to New York and be the blue and orange’s big hero instead of a pinstripe hero.

The Mets have shocked us once in a while recently too. Like when they traded for then subsequently re-signed Yoenis Cespedes.

So, a small part of me saw them getting Harper too, especially now that time has gone by.

That is exactly where I am going with this.

I was reading Anthony DiComo’s column on the Mets’ website and he said the following after answering a fan on twitter:

"“Hi Anthony. Question for you: Why don’t the Mets sign Bryce Harper?— @do_notpassgo via TwitterLook, I’m with you. I’ve made it clear on my various soapboxes that the Mets should sign Harper, which would transform their offseason from a good one to a transcendent one. I don’t care that the deal might not look great on the back end, or that there are imperfections to his game. Harper is a generational talent. Every team should want him.But it’s not my money. Teams have budgets, and the Mets’ appears to be somewhere in the range of $150-$160 million for 2019. Maybe as we get into late January or even February, Harper’s market diminishes to the extent that he’s willing to take a shorter or cheaper deal. Maybe the Mets surprise everyone and make a real run at him regardless.Until that happens, we have to operate under the assumptions that the last decade has taught us: The Mets aren’t going to compete for payroll supremacy, meaning players such as Harper are largely off-limits for them. They’ll have to find more creative ways to keep pace.”"

Take that how you want, but it’s not ruling Harper signing out, but still being very realistic. I happen to be using my column to agree with just about everything DiComo said here.

The Mets, as history shows, will likely not get Harper. But, the longer this whole thing drags out, the longer the Mets stay alive in the Harper sweepstakes.

Again, I really do not think the Mets are going to get Harper. I haven’t lost an ounce of sleep over it because it was never a factor.

That does not bum me out, it is just par for the course at this point.

Plus, the Mets have young outfielders like Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, and now Broxton to be excited about the long-term future.

So, not getting Harper would have been the expectation, and not the worst thing in the world.

However, getting him would be the best thing.

So, as the days go on, and as the writing on the wall starts to scream that Harper is going to have to settle for less money just to get a deal, the Mets have a chance.

Harper to the Mets would be the best free agent signing in team history. That is almost not even just my opinion, but a fact.

Now, as the time ticks away, and the price tag might be beginning to drop, the Mets have a chance.

Although, probably not. But you know what they say, at least dreaming is free.