Part of the reason the Giants decided to trade outfielder Austin Jackson and reliever Corey Gearrin last week was to ensure their payroll is under the competitive balance tax (CBT) of $197 million, to eliminate increased cap penalties in the future. A few more moves may be coming to get even further under that threshold, as the Giants plan on making a competitive offer to upcoming free agent Bryce Harper this offseason, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The #SFGiants not only want to free up a little more payroll to acquire help at the trade deadline, but remain under the luxury tax to make competitive bid this winter on free agent Bryce Harper
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 13, 2018
Harper, 25, is due to become a free agent and will likely command an average annual salary of around $31 million, according to Spotrac. The Giants’ current payroll currently sits at around $195 million, with their projected payroll for next offseason to be around $176 million according to Baseball Reference.
A number of teams are expected to be suitors for the 2015 NL MVP this offseason, including the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, Phillies, Angels, along with his current club, the Washington Nationals.
Harper was recently selected as a starter in next week’s All-Star Game, his sixth selection in seven seasons. Through 92 games this season, Harper has a slash line of .213/.367.473 with 23 home runs and 53 RBI, while leading the NL with 78 walks.