Washington Nationals: The Future of Bryce Harper
By Ron Juckett
LONG-TERM DEAL
The less you hear and read about what contract demands each side wants, the better. As with Strasburg, only when the deal was announced did most realize the two sides were negotiating.
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The chances of Harper not testing free agency are slim. The demand for his services will be broad and pay him tens of millions per year for a decade or more. To willingly pass that up would show a level of comfort and commitment that would make any Nats fan giddy all winter.
Although unlikely, if Harper wants to stay and the right numbers exchanged, Washington can give him the millions he wants without the acrimony of an extended free agency tour.
Yes, this is more of a fantasy right now. Still, Boras has a history of doing what his clients demand. Where the Nationals stand in the future is a secret to no one. If Harper is content with it why not get it done now? Both sides know he will grab north of $30-35 million on the open market.
A deal this year, even in the five or six-year range, would pay Harper beyond his wildest dreams and score a major coup for the Nats.
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One that signals Washington as a major player in the business of baseball.