Report: Dodgers don't want Harper on long-term deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers may be interested in the offseason's biggest prize but they don't want to give him what he's looking for.

The Dodgers are rumored to be in on free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper but they don't want to sign him to a long-term, record-setting contract, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The 26-year-old Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, appear to be looking for a deal that would surpass the Washington Nationals' reported 10-year, $300-million offer; Harper's camp rejected the proposal.

Signing Harper to a short-term deal with a high average salary and opt-outs could still create luxury-tax issues for the high-payroll Dodgers, Rosenthal adds.

Another factor that could dissuade the Dodgers from signing Harper is their crowded outfield, although they've reportedly been shopping Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp this offseason.

If the Dodgers are still interested in Harper's services, they'll likely have competition from the White Sox, Phillies, and Yankees; those teams have all reportedly met with the 2015 MVP winner.

Harper has been one of baseball's premier players since arriving in the majors in 2012, appearing in six All-Star games while slashing .279/.388/.512 with 184 home runs and 521 RBIs in 927 games.