Nationals star Bryce Harper preempted any questions about his future, telling reporters including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com today that he’s focused exclusively on “winning and playing hard” in the current season. Harper also says he’s in top physical form entering what could be his final year in D.C. Zuckerman’s write-up and Harper’s comments provide some worthwhile perspective on what has been quite a notable MLB tenure for Harper, who is now the fourth-longest-tenured Nationals player at just 25 years of age.
More from the NL East:
- There was some ominous news to open camp for young Nationals righty Koda Glover. Per Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, shoulder soreness is preventing him from throwing at this point. New skipper Dave Martinez understandably said the club will look to bring Glover along slowly, particularly in view of the fact that the 24-year-old hit the shelf with rotator cuff issues after 19 1/3 otherwise promising innings in 2017. Hopes had been that the hard-throwing youngster might push his way back into the Nats’ late-inning mix after picking up eight saves last year, though he’ll first need to reestablish his health.
- Marlins owner Bruce Sherman held a discussion with the press, with Tim Healey of the Sun-Sentinel rounding up his comments. The organization’s designated control person, Sherman has mostly stayed in the background over the initial few months since the sale was completed. But he made clear he’s on board with the approach taken thus far by the front office while emphasizing the need for patience in building a sustainable contender. Most notably, perhaps, Sherman pushed back at the notion that the new ownership group is under-capitalized. “There’s nothing further from the truth,” he said. “We are a very sophisticated, well-heeled, financially set organization, not just for this year but for many, many years to come.”
- Unsurprisingly, the Mets’ binge on veteran free agents is likely over for the winter, per GM Sandy Alderson (via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). One might quibble with some of the decisions along the way, or see cause for another addition or two, but Alderson made clear he feels he has seen through his plans for the 2017-18 offseason. “We’ve come a long way from the Trade Deadline last year,” he said. “With Jason’s signing, we’re pretty much where we want to be. … I would be surprised, if not shocked, if somebody else walks into this clubhouse.”
- With Jose Reyes back in the fold and new additions Todd Frazier and Adrian Gonzalez helping to fill out the infield, the Mets are planning to see whether Wilmer Flores is capable of contributing on occasion in the corner outfield, David Lennon of Newsday writes. The idea is to create some more opportunities for getting Flores in the lineup against lefties. Though it’s anybody’s guess how he’ll fare on the outfield grass, Flores says he’s more than willing to give it a try if it means potentially expanding his role.
I know the Dodgers are tired of being of the threshold but I’d be will to put money on it that the Dodgers sign Harper IF he becomes he a free agent but that if he becomes a free agent and I’m not sure why the Nats would even let that happen!
I think it is more up to Harper than it is to the Nationals at this point. Sure they are likely to try and sign him to an extension, but doesn’t mean he will sign.
Well one, the Nats aren’t in control of that, Harper is. All the Nationals can do is offer him a QO and match or exceed anyone else’s offer. Doing all that will not guarantee him staying in Washington. HE has the choice of where he wants to play. IF that’s staying with the Nationals, or taking slightly less from another team is HIS decision. Not the teams, not his agents, solely HIS decision.
A lot of Johnny Superscouts on this thread
Probably cause it’s a baseball blog and all, your meaningless comment really contributed to the conversation.
The Nats don’t have the right to let or not let Harper do anything.
i will take that bet
Annnndddd you and no one else in the entire world thing Harper will go to the dodgers.
Just like Machado, he wants to be a Yankee. I just don’t know where they would get the money. But Judge, Stanton, Harper, Machado, Sanchez would make probably the best lineup ever with Bird, DiDi, Gardner, and Andjuar…. Smh…just a scary lineup
It’s already as scary as any lineup we’ve seen.
Harper has one of those rare opportunities where he’s going to be able to really cash in twice he’s not going to blow it by not going on the free agent market. His career earnings barring injury and no hometown discounts will be north of $600 million.
Yankees will have Harper and trout as much as it pains me to say
How do you figure that with Stanton and Judge already???
Judge will dh
Stanton in left
Harper in right
Trout in center
Sanchez as catcher
Bird at 1st
Torres at 2nd
Didi at SS
Machado at 3rd
I’m so scared this will happen. I can see it happening because it’s the evil empire. Please angels keep mike trout! Please Phillies sign Machado. Please giants sign Harper (trade Strickland first)
Why would Judge DH? Stanton would be the clear DH candidate. And in this scenario Harper would play left field not Stanton or Judge. But all in all this is just pipe dreams buddy. Not gonna happen.
That would be one scary lineup for anyone to play against.
Are video games THIS easy nowadays?
I hope the Phillies sign Harper for a large contract and he stays hurt on and off the rest of his career and doesn’t amount to anything along with anybody else that plays for the Phillies
lol
BOOOOOOOOOOOO
Manny says he is not playing third anymore. He back at short to stay. So where does that leave DiDi?
As I’ve said before, it’s already as scary a lineup as we’ve seen. The Yankees don’t need anything but the the rotation to stay healthy and get to the 6th inning. That’s a stark reality. The Yankees will not need to sign or trade for any position players for quite a while.
*-1 the
The Phillies will not be wasting their time or dollars on Harper.
If they want Manny then bye bye Didi!
How do you figure that with Judge and Stanton already?
No they won’t. Trout ends up in Philly.
Trout still has 3 more years as an Angel at least, and reportedly likes playing there. If he was going to sign with a different team it will be to a team he wants to play for and not just the team that has the most money to offer. After 2020 it will be Angels or Phillies for Trout.
Couldn’t have said it any better
TBH I think Trout’s heart is in LA LAA that is. He is like Rizzo it’s not all about money. Angels will give him the key to the city first before they let him go. As will Chicago with KB n Rizzo
That’s what they said about Sandoval
Please tell us how you know “it’s not all about the money” with Trout. Are you a relative,neighbor,HS buddy,or just taking an internet shot in the dark?
When someone says it’s not about the money….It’s almost always about the money
^ Now that is the most intelligent statement in this thread!
Your stupid Yanks will have Macho will have CK will have trout will have Harper. They couldn’t even afford Darvish to avoid the Lux tax lol crack me up
Starting next year, they don’t care about the tax for a while.
Not happening , I believe Machado ends up with the phillies.
As a Phillies fan I’m not sure I should root for that.
Maybe the better alternative is to root for a Franco rebound, and the Phillies spending that money on SP.
I think there is a far stronger chance that the Phils get Harper.
Sorry, won’t happen…
There NOT getting everyone
The Yankees seem to have a pretty stacked OF already. Yes, either Trout or Harper could play CF, but neither is a great defensive CF. They will be a want, not a need. Even Machado may not be needed if Andujar and Torres do well. Seems pitching might be a bigger need.
Lol
Did you not see Trout at the Super Bowl rooting for the Eagles? He’s a Philly fan through and through. I got to think they are waiting and waiting for him to become available. That’s a long ways away though.
Lebron is a NYY fan but he’s not playing in NY anytime soon.
Nope. Incorrect.
I wonder whether the Nationals, or any team, are comfortable committing 1/5 – 1/4 of their entire payroll to one player for the next 10 – 15 years?
Surely Harper, who’s agent is Boras, is going to try to set a record in terms of a contract. True or not, we’ve all hear things like 10/400 and 13/??? bandied about the media and blogs. While Harper and Boras haven’t said anything publicly, it sure seems as though it’s headed in that direction.
Here’s a bit of caution I’d throw out to MLB teams:
ARoid was on exactly one WS winning team, and had to go to the Yankees to do it. Harper, as great as he’s been, hasn’t had a team make it past the first round of the playoffs, while hitting .211/.315/.487 in 89 postseason PA. I’ll go further: Mike Trout, as great as he is, has been to the postseason once in 6 seasons.
Harper will get paid, but it will be by a high revenue team, not mid-market or small market team – and if history is any indication, signing Bryce Harper will guarantee very little postseason success unless the rest of the team is really good too.
Angels could swing it, they’ve got 124 million in guaranteed payroll for 2019 and plenty of room under the 206 million luxury tax threshold to sign Harper and whatever other holes need filling. An outfield of Upton, Trout, Harper would be pretty formidable.
Personally I would rather see them go after Manny Machado though, since Kinsler will be gone after 2018, Zack Cozart could move back over to 2B with Machado at 3B.
Imagine trying to hit a grounder or beat out a dribbler hit to a left side of Machado and Simmons??
Only problem is machado has said he wants to be a shortstop going forward. What do you do with Simmons?
This is the same Alderson who a week ago said he wasn’t convinced the Mets needed another SP…
It would be more shocking if one of the remaining LH RP don’t get signed by the Mets. Also still think there is a trade out there. Flores really seems to be the odd man out.
The comment section on this is so wild I can’t tell if anyone’s being serious or everyone’s being serious.
I like the idea of Flores in the OF. I’m sure he would have at least a 50/50 chance of catching anything in the 12 foot area he’d be fast enough to cover.
Harper will be a marlin on a 13 year deal.
But then he’ll be traded to the Yankees during the next fire sale 3 years into his contract.
and don’t forget about Miami only getting low level prospects in return!
Apparently no one reads anything ever. Machado is playing SS the rest of his career. He has already told teams that. He said if i sign with you it’s to play SS so who ever signs him better already have a 3rd baseman. He is already screwing us in Baltimore. We were going to have Schoop at 2 Beckham at SS and Manny at 3rd. Now we have to hope Beckham can play there
My gramma can beat Flores in the 50 yard dash so not confident on him playing outfield for the Mets (unless it’s at Kiddie Field)
There’s no way the Yankees sign both Machado and Harper. As much as I’d love it being a huge Yankees fan… I think they go after Machado and if he balks at playing third. They then switch to Harper and he will play Left with Judge in right and Stanton at DH. Andujar and Torres have a chance this season to change the need for Machado tho. Clint Frazier I actually c as a CF candidate moving forward. A OF of Harper in LF Clint in CF and Judge in RF would make many pitchers shake. That’s if Clint can prove to hit in the bigs.
If I’m the Yankees I would focus on a starter instead of Machado or Harper. They already have a massive bat to build around (Stanton) and tons of other great hitters with 20-30 home run pop. Nobody seems to mention Keuchel or Kershaw, which would really help their staff become top notch. Top notch. They could conceivable get an ace and an incredible second-tier bat like Blackmon or Cruz for less than the price of a 1st tier slugger.
Almost no chance the Dodgers let Kershaw walk.
Andujar will never curtail the want for Machado. If the Yankees want Machado you better believe Andujar and even Didi will become expendable. Frazier is not a good CF option and I think you forgot about Hicks.
With his talent and the way he’s expected to move fast up the ladder Estevan Florial is the CF of the future!
Frazier can’t even win the job over Hicks. Why would they add another OF in Blackmon when they have too many now? Nelson Cruz who is a DH only and is too damn old.
The Yankees will have a scary lineup for a number of years to come, though what they really need is reliable starting pitching. Severino is developing nicely, but then they have a bunch of question marks. I like CC as a person, but they are in trouble if they “need” him for 180-200 innings. Same thing with Tanaka.
They have a killer BP and won’t necessarily need 180 from either. 160 is the new 200..John Smoltz…
If baseball players want fans to come see them play then they will need adjust their lofty asking prices. I’m all in favor of the union, but I’m glad there’s unsigned talent out there this offseason because maybe the asking price will begin to truthfully reflect the talent. Bryce Harper may be a good player, but he’s not a great player. Mike Trout is the best player in baseball right now. I think Harper needs to grow up a bit and so does Machado. Like others have said giving any of those players 1/4 or 2/3 of your payroll is idiotic and honestly alienating to fans. Big contracts will kill baseball… I realize that it has adjusted as the years have ticked by, but as ownership and teams demand new ballparks (see Atlanta, Texas, Arizona) that aren’t needed, and players demand contracts they don’t deserve, and as a result they’re about to price fans out of the game. It’s sad really and Scott Boris should be ashamed of himself for his part in it.
blame the team. their the ones signing the checks.
Riiiiight. I wonder if Bryce Harper knows the difference between they’re and their? Because you clearly do not.
Do we really need to seek out more defensive positions for Flores to be below-average at?
It’s laughable there was news on the MLB Network today about Harper’s “ingrown toenail”.
Hope his hair was “perfectly quaffed” for the procedure.