Asked early last month about a report by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale which quoted a high-ranking Nationals executive, “speaking on the condition of anonymity,” who told him the Nationals were, “balking at Bryce Harper’s demands in early talks about a long-term contract extension,” and said Washington was preparing, “... to be without their All-Star outfielder after 2018,” GM Mike Rizzo declined to comment on any specific discussions.
“It’s not like us to discuss anything that we talk [about] when we’re talking to players about anything,” Rizzo said, “so I’m not going to answer any of those kind of questions.