Bryce Harper has some time on his hands.
With the MLB lockout continuing to play out, the Phillies slugger shared an Instagram Story of himself edited into a Yomiuri Giants jersey.
“Aye @yomiuri.giants you up?” he asked. “Got some time to kill. I know you’ve got @borascorp number. Let’s talk.”
The Giants, who are based in Tokyo, play in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Monday is the deadline MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has imposed for players and owners to reach a deal on the sport’s new collective bargaining agreement before games start getting canceled this season.
Based on Harper’s post, it does not seem as though he feels optimistic an agreement is imminent.
Harper, 29, batted .309 with 35 home runs and 84 RBIs last season. He led the league with a 1.044 OPS and won the National League MVP.
It would be wild and unprecedented, at least in modern times, if stars like Harper opted to play in baseball leagues outside MLB while the sport’s labor tensions get sorted out.