The White Sox have sent Jim Thome to Las Vegas to meet with free-agent Bryce Harper. This was first reported by Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. It is no secret that the South-Siders have been pushing to sign Harper. With many teams looking to add Harper to their lineup, the White Sox have been doing everything they can to try and bring Harper to the White Sox.
Jim Thome is a Hall of Famer and current special assistant to White Sox general manager Rick Hahn. He has been working with the White Sox since 2014, and of course, he grew up in Peoria, Illinois. Along with spending four years with the White Sox as a player between 2006-2009. Thome has a good relationship with the team and sending Thome out there to talk with Harper makes sense for the White Sox.
After the White Sox non-tendered Avisail Garcia, the right field spot is open. Harper would fit nicely in this spot as many believe top prospect Eloy Jimenez will most likely play DH or maybe left field. Harper will obviously command a large salary. This makes Thome’s visit important as the Phillies are another team willing to pay as much money as it takes to get Harper.
Harper has played seven seasons with the Nationals. He has produced a slash line of .279/.388/.512 with 184 Homers and 521 RBIs. His best season was in 2015 when he won the NL MVP. However, last season Harper finished with a line of .249/.393/.496 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs.
Will This Work?
Well, after all, only time will tell if the White Sox sending Jim Thome to meet with Harper will convince him to join the White Sox. However, at the end of the day, it doesn’t hurt. With other big players in the market for Harper such as the Yankees, Phillies, and Dodgers, the White Sox will need to do as much as they can to recruit him if they want Harper to be on the roster next season.
Featured Image From Federal Baseball
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