Report: Harper 'would prefer' to join Cubs as free agent after 2018

Bryce Harper won't officially enter free agency until after the 2018 season, but murmurs regarding his possible destination are already swirling.

Though the 24-year-old superstar outfielder recently put pen to paper on a $21.625-million deal for 2018 with the Washington Nationals, Harper reportedly has his eyes set on eventually joining the reigning World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs.

"I have people tell me that Bryce Harper really would prefer to play for the Cubs," Hall of Fame columnist Peter Gammons said on 670 The Score's "Mully and Hanley" radio show Saturday.

Though Harper's goal may be to play for the North Siders, Gammons also warned excited Cubs fans that his eventual contract demands could make a possible signing difficult for Chicago, which also hopes to retain current National League MVP Kris Bryant once his current contract expires at the end of the 2021 season.

"Somehow I don't think it's going to be affordable to have Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant on the same team," Gammons continued. "It's a great idea, I'd love to see it because I respect them both so much, personally and professionally, but I don't think it's ever going to happen."

When you dive into the numbers, it isn't difficult to see why Harper would enjoy playing 81 of 162 games each season out of Wrigley Field. His career .585 OBP at "The Friendly Confines" is his highest mark at any stadium in the majors, according to Baseball Reference, while his 1.230 OPS currently ranks third among all NL stadiums he's played in.