The Nationals announced today that they have acquired righty Ryne Harper from the Twins. Young righty Hunter McMahon goes to Minnesota in return.
This Harper should not be confused with former Nats’ minor-leaguer Bryan Harper, who’s also a 30-year-old right-hander. The Nationals’ incoming hurler was acquired after he was designated for assignment recently by the Twins.
The Nationals obviously faced some competition to bring in Harper, as they parted with a recent ninth-round draft pick to get him. McMahon, 21, signed an at-slot deal to join the D.C. farm system. He impressed in his first 12 2/3 professional innings, racking up an 18:2 K/BB ratio and allowing just one earned run in the low minors.
It seems there’s a good chance we’ll see another Harper uniform in D.C. While Bryan never made it past Triple-A, big brother Bryce was rather a notable player with the team for a stretch.
The Nats’ newest Harper isn’t exactly a high-ceiling player but could be quite a useful asset. He reached the bigs for the first time in 2019, spinning 54 1/3 innings of 3.81 ERA ball with 8.3 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, and 1.16 HR/9 while leaning on his excellent control and heavily utilized breaking ball. If he can repeat something along those lines, the still-optionable Harper would be well worth his non-guaranteed, league-minimum salary.
As for McMahon, the 21-year-old was the Nationals’ ninth-round pick just this past summer in the 2019 draft. The Texas State product allowed one run in 12 2/3 innings of relief with an 18-to-2 K/BB ratio in his brief professional debut.
It is a crime that the headline isn’t “HARPER TO NATIONALS.”
Ikr
Nice piece for the Nats to add to the BP.
Well he’s much cheaper than Bryce!
He can probably play the outfield better too.
And he allows them to recycle old preprinted merchandise.
an addition that would almost pay for itself.
I really hope he’s #34. Might be able to pull the jersey out again.
Yeah but what about all the folks who put their 34 in a circie and then drew a diagonal right through it?
Definitely not #34 in the Twins organization…
That seems like a good return for a 30 year old reliever with one pitch.
If Bryan Harper is 30, then Bryce is definitely not “big brother”
Actually Bryan Harper is left-handed. FWIW.
Why would anyone confuse someone named Bryan with someone named Ryne? Seems pretty easy to me.
Nice pick up for sure. Great curveball. He carried the Twins bullpen for a while when everyone else was not so good.
Weird way to say Bryce Harper,
Give him #34, get those old jerseys out of the warehouse and sell them for $19.95.
Make room for all of the leftover Rendon jerseys and save warehouse space.
Use the money saved to pay Max Scherzer in 2034.
this
If they really need to get rid of Rendon jerseys they should have a dollar beer night and then bring in Hector Rondon
Anibal wears his 2019 number (19), so there’s a chance…
Bryce is not the big brother…He’s 3 years younger.
Tell us more about McMahon. What was his K:BB ratio?
They did, re-read the post.
r/whoosh
Had a smidge on my phone Screen and did a serious double take
I knew harper would end up as a nat
I knew harper would end up as a nat
Twins fan here… Harper is definitely a serviceable reliever (second lowest ERA for their relief corps and good K/9), but I don’t think there was room for him this year? Seems like a good return for the Twins
I wonder whatever happened to that Bryce guy? He make it?
Bryan Harper is left-handed. Although he is right-winged.
He was good out of the pen
“The Texas State product allowed one run in 12 2/3 innings of relief with an 18-to-2 K/BB ratio in his brief professional debut.”
Um….I hate to be pedantic, but….isn’t the point of the K/BB ratio to tell me that this is exactly the same as 9-to-1?
The point of not reducing itti the lowest comm on denominator is that you have the gross production and the ratio in one number.
I hope that answers your question