Bryce Harper Reaches Out To Japanese Baseball Team Amid MLB Lockout: ‘Got Some Time To Kill’

Mediaite StaffFeb 28th, 2022, 6:12 pm

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Bryce Harper appears to be done waiting around for the MLB to reach a deal with the players union to end the MLB lockout.

Harper is so eager to get back on the field, the reigning National League MVP reached out to the Nippon Professional Baseball Central League’s Yomiuri Giants. Harper posted a photo to his Instagram story showing him wearing a Japanese photoshopped jersey.

I don’t know how optimistic you should be about a deal getting done anytime soon.

Let’s hear from someone who might. Here’s Bryce Harper on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/uKNECk3twC

— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) February 28, 2022

“Aye Yomiuri Giants, you up?” Harper asked. “Got some time to kill.” The MVP even tagged his agent Scott Boras in the post.

Harper’s post comes after a week of negotiations that lead to zero progress between the two sides. MLB is reportedly willing to miss a month of regular-season games.

According to Sports Illustrated: “If MLB’s lockout continues, players like Harper would be allowed to play in winter leagues, independent leagues, and professional leagues overseas. There would be a precedent to do so as many NHL players played overseas in Europe and Russia during the league’s work stoppage from 2004 to ’05.”

If the MLB and players union do not strike a deal by the end of Monday, the league has said that the start of the regular season will be delayed and that organizations will not play a full 162-game schedule. If this becomes reality Harper might not have to photoshop an over the seas team jersey on himself for long.