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What a difference two weeks makes. Bryce Harper was hoisting the Home Run Derby trophy in the air to the delight of a ruckus crowd at Nationals Park. Two weeks later he may be playing for another team, that is because the Nationals have informed teams that the six-time All-Star and 2015 NL MVP is available for a potential trade, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
According to a source, the Nationals are making it known to other teams that Bryce Harper is indeed available.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 31, 2018
The Nationals are caught between rock and a hard place as the trade deadline is Tuesday and they stand six games out of first place in the National League East with 57 games remaining. Ownership reportedly has pressured general manager Mike Rizzo to sell, but Rizzo has fought the urge and held out hope of contending down the stretch with nine games against both the Phillies and the Braves, the two teams ahead of them in the division standings.
However, the Nats are perplexed to consider the strong possibility that Harper may not re-sign with the team when he becomes a free agent this winter. With traditional free agent powers such as the Cubs, Yankees, Phillies, and Dodgers are chomping at the potential of landing Harper in free agency, the Nats could get one of them or some other unforeseen contender to pony up a hefty price betting on the chance to keep Harper beyond the final two months of the season.
This is a complete opposite of earlier reports that suggest the Nationals would not move Harper in hopes of getting him to re-sign with the team this winter of a long-term deal.
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic still is skeptic of the Nats getting an offer that would intrigue them to give the green light to trade Harper. He went as far as throwing a scenario that would see Harper being traded and the Nats still going after Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Sources confirm: #Nationals sending “feelers” out on Bryce Harper. “I’d be shocked if they do it,” one rival exec says. “They’re seeing if someone wants to go crazy.” First with the news that Harper was available: @chelsea_janes and @Feinsand.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2018
The irony there could compelling after Harper seemingly advocated for acquiring the all-star catcher.
Skepticism within industry that #Nationals will trade Harper. Idea MIGHT make sense if Nats could get a SP in return, acquire Realmuto from #Marlins and play Soto in LF, Eaton in RF and Michael Taylor in CF. But per source, Realmuto talks with MIA not currently active.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2018
Nats insider Mark Zuckerman also feels it will take a lot to impress Rizzo enough to deal Harper away.
There’s a lot that would have to happen to get from “Bryce Harper is available” to “Bryce Harper is traded,” but at this point it’s pretty safe to say the #Nats are considering just about everything right now. https://t.co/zBMAks1K0T
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) July 31, 2018
The Nationals have underachieved at this point and with time running out on the season, and Harper being made available suggests Washington is facing the reality that the Bryce Harper era in D.C. is near an end. Turmoil has rotten the baseball season in D.C. and just hours away from the trade deadline a report surfaced that the team’s clubhouse is a “mess” with players at odd with leadership (or lack thereof) of manager Dave Martinez, who ironically has received praise from Harper.
There was always a chance that Bryce Harper would be in a different uniform at the start of the 2019 season, but no one ever seen the circumstances that led to this moment in #Nats history https://t.co/YpPNMsjSl9
— King of DC Sports (@dcsportsking) July 31, 2018
Whether Harper is dealt or not, the speculation may still be damaging for the relationship between he and the club. While there was always a chance that he may leave this winter, hard to imagine the recent circumstances would be how Harper in D.C. could end.
