Harper fuels Cubs speculation spending New Year's Eve with Bryant

Bryce Harper must be enjoying the mind games he's playing with fans across the nation.

The superstar free agent, who is still in search of a new contract, raised plenty of eyebrows as the calendar turned to 2019 on Tuesday when it was discovered he rang in the new year with Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs.

Bryant's wife, Jessica, posted an Instagram story featuring the Harpers (Bryce and his wife Kayla) and the Bryants partying it up on New Year's Eve.

The Cubs have frequently been linked to Harper due to his longstanding friendship with Bryant; they grew up together in Las Vegas. Last week, it was reported the team is trying to clear payroll to accommodate signing Harper to what would be a massive contract.

This isn't the first time Harper has seemingly toyed with baseball fans during his prolonged free agency. Last week, the 26-year-old briefly liked - and then unliked - an Instagram post suggesting he's a fit for the Los Angeles Dodgers.