Bryce Harper 2018 and beyond

[rileyn]

Reports of Harper being sick (usually "flu")

July 2012
April 2013
August 2013
March 2014
July 2014
September 2014
March 2015
August 2016
July 2017
September 2017
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018

Thanks for putting this together.

[bluestreak]

 

Reports of Harper being sick (usually "flu")

July 2012
April 2013
August 2013
March 2014
July 2014
September 2014
March 2015
August 2016
July 2017
September 2017
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018

[Baseball is Life]

Reports of Harper being sick (usually "flu")

July 2012
April 2013
August 2013
March 2014
July 2014
September 2014
March 2015
August 2016
July 2017
September 2017
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018

FIFY

[Kevrock]

IT'S TIME TO SIGN BRYCE HARPER RIGHT NOW.

YEAH BOY WOO that's what I'm TOM BOUT SVRLUGA

[Ray D]

I used to think Svrluga was smart.

[Baseball is Life]

IT'S TIME TO SIGN BRYCE HARPER RIGHT NOW.

YEAH BOY WOO that's what I'm TOM BOUT SVRLUGA

Completely agree with Svrluga. 10 years at $280M with opt outs.

Look, too, not just at this season, but at the body of work. Since 2012, when Harper came up as a 19-year-old, he has a .900 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, a figure that encompasses an MVP season and some swoons. But as a whole, here are the active players in that time with at least 2,000 plate appearances who outpace him: Mike Trout (.998), Joey Votto (.961), Miguel Cabrera (.940), Paul Goldschmidt (.938), Giancarlo Stanton (.923) and Kris Bryant (.906). Every single one of those players is older than Harper.

[bluestreak]

Completely agree with Svrluga. 10 years at $280M with opt outs.

Look, too, not just at this season, but at the body of work. Since 2012, when Harper came up as a 19-year-old, he has a .900 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, a figure that encompasses an MVP season and some swoons. But as a whole, here are the active players in that time with at least 2,000 plate appearances who outpace him: Mike Trout (.998), Joey Votto (.961), Miguel Cabrera (.940), Paul Goldschmidt (.938), Giancarlo Stanton (.923) and Kris Bryant (.906). Every single one of those players is older than Harper.

10/280 wouldn’t be awful. I can’t see him taking that though...

[Natsinpwc]

The problem in filing out all the money is that he goes through prolonged slumps. And doesn’t seem to know how to get out of them.

Would signing Harper preclude them from signing Rendon? 
Would signing Harper preclude them from signing a starting pitcher this offseason?

He not the Lerner’s know for sure.

[mitlen]

The problem in filing out all the money is that he goes through prolonged slumps. And doesn’t seem to know how to get out of them.

Would signing Harper preclude them from signing Rendon? 
Would signing Harper preclude them from signing a starting pitcher this offseason?

He not the Lerner’s know for sure.

I'm in on the Rendon and pitcher option.

[Natsinpwc]

I'm in on the Rendon and pitcher option.

Yea. Me 2. Of course Rendon will cost a bundle. More important defensive position. Harper is nothing special defensively.

[Baseball is Life]

10/280 wouldn’t be awful. I can’t see him taking that though...

I think something in that neighborhood gets him to sign here. Maybe 10/$300M. It's a higher AAV than Stanton 13/$325M contract as the article points out.

[dcpatti]

Yea. Me 2. Of course Rendon will cost a bundle. More important defensive position. Harper is nothing special defensively.

Rendon will get his big money right when Zim comes off the books. It will be a very tight balancing act for a few years but it’s do-able to keep Harp, Rendon, and beef up the pitching. It does require, however, at least some of those newly drafted (2016/2017)  pitchers becoming viable contributors about 2-3 years down the road rather than being traded away. But that also would make for a very young team, which helps preserve depth.

[Natsinpwc]

Rendon will get his big money right when Zim comes off the books. It will be a very tight balancing act for a few years but it’s do-able to keep Harp, Rendon, and beef up the pitching. It does require, however, at least some of those newly drafted (2016/2017)  pitchers becoming viable contributors about 2-3 years down the road rather than being traded away. But that also would make for a very young team, which helps preserve depth.

They need a good starting pitcher next year. It’s obvious that Strasburg cannot be relied upon for a full season. And Gio is gone. They need to extend Rendon this offseason. To help avoid what’s happened with Harper this year. Someone will make Harper an offer he can’t refuse.
A

[varoadking]

They need a good starting pitcher next year. It’s obvious that Strasburg cannot be relied upon for a full season. And Gio is gone. They need to extend Rendon this offseason. To help avoid what’s happened with Harper this year. Someone will make Harper an offer he can’t refuse.
A

They can extend Rendon this year without his salary kicking in until 2020...

[Natsinpwc]

They can extend Rendon this year without his salary kicking in until 2020...

Why would he want to do that? In any event he is going to get a big raise this year.

[UMDNats]

I'm not super interested in giving a free agent pitcher big money. For me, get stud position players and stockpile as many good arms as you can, even if none of them are "ace" level. I know it's a little too late for us to do that, but still.

[Slateman]

IT'S TIME TO SIGN BRYCE HARPER RIGHT NOW.

YEAH BOY WOO that's what I'm TOM BOUT SVRLUGA

Why does he think that it's the Nationals that are waiting?
 

10/280 wouldn’t be awful. I can’t see him taking that though...

Maybe if there's an opt out after next season.

But keep in mind, 28 million a year will get you:
- A front line start (Patrick Corbin) and a high quality reliever (Kelvin Herrera, Adam Ottavino, Adam Warren)
- A decent number 3 (JA Happ) and a starting catcher (Yasmani Grandal)

Just not sure I want to spend 28 million on a guy who honestly doesn't seem to have any urgency in his play. He came into this season dedicated to hitting 50+ home runs. It ended up costing the team quite dearly. Just not sure I want someone like that on a team that is, frankly, kind of soft.

[Natsinpwc]

I'm not super interested in giving a free agent pitcher big money. For me, get stud position players and stockpile as many good arms as you can, even if none of them are "ace" level. I know it's a little too late for us to do that, but still.

They don’t appear to have anyone ready to move up next year and yet they will have two spots behind Max-Stras-Roark. That’s what happens when you don’t develop pitchers and:or trade what you have. If they want to compete next year they need at least one.

[Slateman]

They don’t appear to have anyone ready to move up next year and yet they will have two spots behind Max-Stras-Roark. That’s what happens when you don’t develop pitchers and:or trade what you have. If they want to compete next year they need at least one.

To me this is huge. This team's safety net has always been it's starting pitching. This season, the starting pitching tanked. Stras has missed  a bunch of time. Gio has fallen apart in the second half. Roark was a disaster in the first half. This team needs to go back to getting a great rotation. The Phillies are close to one, with Nola leading the way. The Braves have the makings of a good one and the farm system to trade for another starter. Both of those teams have payroll to add pitching as well.

Now, if Harper is the path to doing that (ie, keeping him long term allows you to trade Eaton, Robles, and/or Keiboom), okay. But if deals aren't lined up, then you're wasting your money by signing Harper and hoping to compete in this division with Scherzer, Roark, half  a season of Stras, and a lot of prayer.

[tzinc]

signing Stras was a mistake
dude is way too injury prone

now will they make the same mistake with a soft player like Harper

[Slateman]

Reports of Harper being sick (usually "flu")

July 2012
April 2013
August 2013
March 2014
July 2014
September 2014
March 2015
August 2016
July 2017
September 2017
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018

Confirmed sick tonight.

He does seem to get ill an awful lot

[Panther Modern]

Interesting how he gets sick always near or during the same period.

[dcpatti]

Interesting how he gets sick always near or during the same period.

The only pattern in that list is “months in which baseball is played.”

[DCFan]

The only pattern in that list is “months in which baseball is played.”

Which is close enough for government work.

[mitlen]

Confirmed sick tonight.

He does seem to get ill an awful lot

He probably told dave he's not available to pinch hit either.