Superstar outfielder Bryce Harper became a free agent last weekend, but not before turning down an "aggressive offer" from the Nationals, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing multiple people familiar with the negotiations.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo confirmed Tuesday that the team had contract talks with Harper before the end of the season.
"We've had conversations, and we utilized our exclusivity to negotiate with him late in the season through when he became eligible to sign with a team,'' Rizzo told reporters in Carlsbad at the GM meetings in Carlsbad. "We didn't get anything done, but he's a guy that is near and dear to us, and we are not closing any doors.