Bryce Harper Trade Rumors: Would Washington Nationals Really Deal Him Or Are The Rumors False?


Bryce Harper trade rumors may have caught Washington Nationals fans off guard. Harper was rumored to have asked for a $400 million contract over the next 10 years, with the front office of the Nationals rejecting the contract demands. A report by ESPN.com sheds some additional light on what suddenly became Harper trade rumors, but at the same time may have doused the flames of the unconfirmed demands.

So is there any truth to the Bryce Harper trade rumors? Are the Washington Nationals actually planning to move the former National League MVP rather than deal with his contract demands? Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo commented on the earlier reports but didn’t quite answer the pressing questions that many MLB analysts are asking.

“It’s not like us to discuss anything that we talk [about] when we’re talking to players about anything. I’m not going to answer any of those kinds of questions. Those are private discussions between us and the players. With every player that you acquire, it’s a possibility that you may lose them in a specific time frame. So with Bryce Harper and every other player that has a contract expiring, you better make plans. It’s not just Bryce Harper. It’s everybody on the roster.”

[Image by Greg Fiume/Getty Images]

So where does this leave the team and one of its biggest stars? Harper has played five years with the Nationals, making four All-Star teams and winning the 2015 NL MVP Award. He has a career batting average of .279 to go with an OPS of .883 in that time. The 24-year-old outfielder has a lot of power at the plate, but he has been ridiculed for inconsistency at the plate and for his temperament. Harper also has two more arbitration years, keeping him under team control through the 2018 MLB season, with little leverage until free agency finally hits for him.

The Washington Nationals are in a difficult position, as the team doesn’t want to risk losing Harper to free agency. So in regard to the recent Bryce Harper trade rumors, his value might be as high as it could be around baseball. He is a young star player with two team-controlled years left on his contract. For a contending team, Harper could become the perfect addition for the next two years. If it is a big market team looking to acquire him, Harper could also be looking at a long-term contract extension with that new franchise.

Many additional MLB trade rumors have linked the Washington Nationals to star players this offseason. Included among those players is Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale. An acquisition like Sale would further confirm that the Nationals are playing for success in the short term. A trade for Sale would also make it a bad idea to then trade Harper, as he is a very important piece to the current offense. Dealing him would leave a hole in the middle of the batting order for the Nationals, even if he does only have two more years of team control on his current contract.

[Image by Harry How/Getty Images]

It is no secret that Harper has been a lightning rod for controversy, but it doesn’t take away from the talent he has on a baseball diamond. There isn’t a team in Major League Baseball that wouldn’t be improved by having him on the roster and every general manager knows this fact. If it turns out that the Washington Nationals decide to shop him for the best return package, GMs will be lining up to extend offers. If that moment occurs, Mike Rizzo won’t make it a secret that the team is looking to deal, which would lead to more substantial Bryce Harper trade rumors.

[Featured Image by Patrick Smith/Getty Images]

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