Bryce Harper: Details on Las Vegas meeting; is Phillies deal close?

After months of specualtion, the Bryce Harper saga might finally be coming in for a landing -- or at least John Middleton's plane is. 

The Phillies appeared to come one step closer to signing Harper on Friday night, as according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Phillies team owner John Middleton went to Las Vegas on a solo mission to meet with Harper:

A source in Las Vegas tells me that Phillies owner John Middleton's plane is on the ground in that city. Vegas is Bryce Harper's home town. No other details, but talks clearly ongoing.

As of Saturday morning, however, the two sides were not in agreement on a new contract -- and it appears the expectation is that Middleton will be flying back by himself. 

While Philly appears to be in strong position, word is there is no deal yet with Bryce, and no expectation he will be returning east with Phillies owner John Middleton. "Just a meeting," is the official word. SF, SD, Wash, maybe 1 more still in the game to varying degrees.

Still, there is no denying the meeting with Harper has to be considered a positive step for the Phillies, and it caused USA Today's Bob Nightengale to double down on his prediction that Harper will be signing with Philadelphia:

The biggest question no longer seems to be whether Bryce Harper will ultimately sign with the Philadelphia #Phillies, but just how big of a check John Middleton will be writing.

Middleton's trip to Las Vegas comes just one day after the team that was viewed to be the Phillies' biggest competition, the Washington Nationals, essentially bowed out of the race. 

"We've moved on. As I said back then, we had to. There was no way we could have waited around," Mark Lerner, son of Nationals owner Ted Lerner, said to NBC Sports. "Bryce I'm sure will make his decision hopefully in the next few days. We filled out our roster. We wish him nothing but the best. The door is cracked a little bit, but I have no clue at this point what they are up to. We really haven't heard from them in a couple of months. 

Lerner's comments leave some wiggle room, but the main message is clear -- barring a last-second miracle, Harper is not going back to the Nationals. With the Nationals out, the race for Harper seems to be down to the Phillies, San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres. 

Despite some rumors that Harper might not want to play in Philadelphia, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia told the 94WIP Midday Show earlier this week that is simply not true. 

"I do believe it's all about money," Salisbury said on Thursday. "I've heard the reports and the rumble that he doesn't want to play in Philadelphia. I've asked people that are very, very close to him if that's true and they say that it's not true. We'll see."

Salisbury says the Phillies are aware of the backlash that will come from the fans if they do not land Harper. 

"Right now all of the focus is on Harper," Salisbury said of the Phillies. "(The Phillies) are aware there is enormous public pressure to do something. I think they are very much aware of the 326 number, which would beat the Stanton guarantee."

According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, it appears the Nationals are out of the race. Salisbury says the "great unknown and probably the key question of this whole thing," is who is competing agains the Phillies. The Phillies, according to Salisbury, are really cautious in competing against themselves. 

"Some teams have flat out said they are out of it, I just don't know if you can ever count someone out of it until he's signed, sealed, and delivered," said Salisbury. 

You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!