(670 The Score) Cubs manager Joe Maddon directly said Tuesday evening what team officials had been strongly suggesting all offseason.
The Cubs won't land star free agent Bryce Harper.
"Not happening," Maddon said during an appearance at the Union League Boys & Girls Club when asked about the possibility of adding Harper, according to the Tribune.
Across the baseball landscape, the Cubs haven't been viewed as a serious threat to land Harper, as they're facing financial constraints with the makeup of their current roster. But because Harper has been thought to have an affinity for the Cubs and because Chicago has been a big spender in offseasons past, the belief that a union could occur wasn't completely quashed.
Maddon made it sound as if that's the case.
"We feel as though all the ingredients are in the bowl already," Maddon said, according to the Tribune. "It's already there."
Harper, 26, has been seriously pursued by the Phillies and has also met with the Nationals and White Sox in person. He has averaged 32 homers and 91 RBIs per 162 games played and carries a .388 on-base percentage, .512 slugging percentage and .900 OPS for his career.