What a Harper trade could look like
What if the Nationals -- everyone's preseason pick to run away with the National League East -- really do decide to sell before Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline? And what if (gasp!) star slugger Bryce Harper -- arguably the face of the franchise and one of the biggest names in the
What if the Nationals -- everyone's preseason pick to run away with the National League East -- really do decide to sell before Tuesday's non-waiver Trade Deadline? And what if (gasp!) star slugger
Three weeks ago, when MLB.com's Mike Petriello considered the possibility of a Harper trade, it sounded crazy. But now that the Nats are 51-51 and have just placed right-hander
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Keep in mind: Harper, 25, is a free agent at season's end, making him a rental much like fellow superstar Manny Machado, who was traded from the Orioles to the Dodgers on July 18. The lefty-swinging outfielder is also due the remainder of his $21.6 million salary for 2018. And while Harper has maintained his perch near the top of the NL home run leaders (25), his production has dropped off since early May, leaving his slash line at .216/.364/.476 -- which is subpar for him.
That said, if one of the contenders below added Bryce's bat, it could impact the postseason picture -- and quite possibly the postseason itself -- in a major way.
While a Harper trade still remains highly unlikely, things could change if the Nats lose a couple more games in the NL East standings this weekend. If that happens, here are seven blockbuster proposals that just might be enough to pry Harper away from Washington.
1. New York Yankees
Harper for outfielder Estevan Florial (New York's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), right-hander Erik Swanson (No. 22) and right-hander Juan De Paula (No. 27), or right-hander Chance Adams (No. 13), Swanson and De Paula
Duquette's take:
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Harper for right-hander Adonis Medina (Philadelphia's No. 3 prospect), outfielder Adam Haseley (No. 4) and left-hander Kyle Dohy (No. 23)
Duquette's take: Much has been made of the Phillies' needs on the left side of the infield, especially with the club making a push for Machado, and Philadelphia doesn't have an obvious opening in the outfield with
3. Cleveland Indians
Harper for right-hander Shane Bieber (Cleveland's No. 2 prospect), third baseman Nolan Jones (No. 3) and outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez (No. 23), or Bieber, catcher Noah Naylor (No. 5) and Rodriguez
Duquette's take: Aside from
4. Oakland A's
Harper for left-hander A.J. Puk (Oakland's No. 2 prospect), right-hander Wyatt Marks (No. 26) and either shortstop/outfielder
Duquette's take: When the A's are in position to contend, executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane usually likes to go for it at the Trade Deadline. Case in point: Oakland swung deals for Jeff Samardzija and
The A's entered Friday within one game of the Mariners in the AL Wild Card race, and they could use an upgrade in the outfield, making Harper a perfect fit. Oakland and Washington pulled off a deal just last year that worked out well for both clubs, with
5. Seattle Mariners
Harper for outfielder Kyle Lewis (Seattle's No. 1 prospect), right-hander Sam Carlson (No. 6) and third baseman Joe Rizzo (No. 12), or first baseman Evan White (No. 2), Carlson and Rizzo
Duquette's take: The Mariners have the longest postseason drought in the Majors, as they haven't made it since 2001, and the red-hot A's have closed the gap in the AL Wild Card race. While
6. Colorado Rockies
Harper for right-hander Peter Lambert (Colorado's No. 2 prospect) and right-hander Robert Tyler (No. 12)
Duquette's take: Even after trading for
7. San Francisco Giants
Harper for outfielder Heliot Ramos (San Francisco's No. 2 prospect), outfielder
Duquette's take: With a veteran-laden roster, the Giants are built to contend this season, but their production in the outfield has been lackluster (94 wRC+). Harper would remedy that problem, giving San Francisco's lineup some much-needed thump. The Giants' farm system is not all that deep, so they would likely have to put Ramos in any offer to be a serious competitor for Harper's services. S.F. is also up against the $197 million luxury-tax threshold, so it would probably need Washington to pay some of Harper's remaining salary and/or take back a decent-sized contract to make a deal work.
Jim Duquette, who was the Mets' GM in 2004, offers his opinions as a studio analyst and columnist for MLB.com.
Jason Catania is a reporter for MLB.com.