With Trade Rumors Lurking, The 2019 Nationals Would Be Alright Without Harper
Word came out today that the Washington Nationals are letting other teams know Bryce Harper is available. Harper, who would essentially be a rental in certain cases, will surely bring back a serious haul if traded but honestly, I don’t see it happening with such little notice. On the flip side, MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted that the Indians have been in talks over a potential deal.
Source: #Indians, #Nats have been in contact regarding Bryce Harper, but Cleveland has thus far refused to include Shane Bieber in any offer. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2018
If they don’t plan on opening up the checkbook this offseason, a trade does make sense. It’s better to get something now instead of him signing elsewhere and getting nothing. But if he doesn’t get moved, the real question is this: Would it even be smart to sign him in the offseason?
Strictly from a baseball standpoint, they probably shouldn’t sign him. The outfield would be just fine without him, thanks to the emergence of Juan Soto, the return of Adam Eaton, and prospect of Victor Robles. And although he’s just having a down-year at the plate in 2018 (hmm…sounds familiar), Michael A. Taylor is a quality outfielder with a ton of speed. None of them are Bryce Harper, and I understand that, but they’re all above-average outfielders with manageable contracts.
Per Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post, the Soto-Eaton-Robles outfield would cost a “combined $32 million in 2019, 2020 and 2021 — about $11 million per year for an entire quality outfield”. If they sign Harper, it’d cost them a TON. So, like, is it worth it to have an amazing outfield with a ton of money tied up? Or an above-average outfield with practically nothing tied up? I’d have to say the latter. Think about what they could use the rest of that cash on? Ryan Zimmerman looks done so that’s a spot they’ll need to upgrade. Bullpen? Same thing.
From the business side, however, Harper is the only true superstar in baseball. He puts butts in the seats, makes the team enviable, and sells a whole lot of merch. I’m sure a lot of the fringe baseball fans in Washington, D.C. will go to less games and turn their backs on the 2019 Nationals, at least a little, minus Harper.
The name of the game, though, is wins. And moving on from Harper is probably the proper thing to do. If they can land some studs in a trade then they need to do it. After all, this team still have a solid rotation and is immensely talented. They’re NOT far away from contention. With the right moves, another deep playoff run will be in the cards shortly.