Bryce Harper says team other than Phillies was at top of his list during free agency

What if Philadelphia Phillies All-Star first baseman Bryce Harper had signed with the Chicago Cubs when he was a free agent after the 2018 season?

It's a scenario that could have happened, according to Harper, who spoke with reporters before Saturday's contest between the Phillies and Cubs at Wrigley Field.

"Going into that offseason, they were the No. 1 team on my list," Harper told The Athletic. "Without a doubt."

So why didn't Harper sign with the North Siders despite the latter being a top destination for the the two-time National League MVP? 

Quite simply, the Cubs never made contact with Harper's camp, instead focusing on trying to extend their 2016 championship core that included third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Javier Baez and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. All three, of course, have since left Chicago. 

Harper, on the other hand, would go on to ink a 13-year, $330M contract with the Phillies, which has been a rousing success for both sides. The 32-year-old led Philadelphia to a World Series appearance in 2022 as well as two more trips to the postseason in 2023 and 2024, the latter resulting in the Phillies' first NL East division title in over a decade. 

A championship still eludes Harper, however. Famously, the team he debuted with, the Washington Nationals, won a World Series in 2019, the year after Harper left for Philadelphia. 

Would Harper have won a championship had he signed with the Cubs? That much is unclear, although Chicago's title-winning core would break up by the 2021 season after Rizzo was dealt to the New York Yankees, Bryant to the San Francisco Giants and  Baez to the New York Mets mid-season. 

So while the Cubs and Harper will (probably) never resolve their unfinished business, Chicago does have a second chance to lock up a different lefty-hitting superstar this year in outfielder Kyle Tucker.