Reds had Phillies star Bryce Harper expecting an offseason blockbuster

When Bryce Harper says he thought Kyle Schwarber to Cincinnati was “a done deal,” that’s not just a spring training anecdote. It’s proof the Reds’ pursuit felt real around the league. To the point that a franchise cornerstone assumed the homecoming was basically inevitable.

And honestly? You can see why. Schwarber is an Ohio guy. The Cincinnati Reds needed left-handed thump and a middle-of-the-order identity. Great American Ball Park is basically built to turn loud contact into routine fireworks. The idea sells itself: plug Schwarber into that lineup, let him terrorize the NL Central, and suddenly Cincinnati stops sounding hopeful and starts sounding intentional.

Reds’ dramatic Kyle Schwarber rumor wasn’t noise, and Bryce Harper basically confirmed it

The Reds didn’t just dream on Schwarber. They reportedly made a real run at him, with MLB.com reporting Cincinnati offered five years in the $125 million range. 

But this is also where the Reds keep tripping over the same curb. The difference between being “in the mix” and actually landing a star is usually found in the final dollars, the final moment where you decide you’re done operating like a mid-market team that has to win every negotiation on value. Philadelphia didn’t do a clever dance here. The Phillies just paid the tax for certainty: five years, $150 million, $30 million AAV, Schwarber through 2030.  

Harper admitting that he and his teammates “messed with him the whole time” about going back home makes it even clearer how loud the Cincinnati noise got inside that clubhouse. When teammates are joking like that, it usually means the player is at least entertaining it — and the people around him can picture it.

So what does this mean for the Reds? Two things can be true at once. One: Cincinnati is being taken seriously enough now that stars around the sport can imagine blockbuster outcomes for them. Two: the Reds still haven’t proven they’ll finish a heavyweight fight when the other side decides it’s time to swing.

That’s the part that has to change — because “almost landed Schwarber” is not a lineup spot, and it doesn’t slug .500 in April.