Washington Nationals: Higher priority, Bryce Harper or Anthony Rendon?

Two of the best players in Washington Nationals history have their contracts expiring soon. Who should be a higher priority, Bryce Harper or Anthony Rendon?

It can’t be emphasized enough how big of an offseason the Washington Nationals have ahead of them this winter. Two of their best players have contract situations that need addressing. Bryce Harper is a pending free agent and Anthony Rendon will be entering the final year of his contract.

In an ideal world, the Nationals would love to lock both of them up this winter and ease any concerns heading into 2019. However, with the team set to exceed the luxury tax threshold in 2018, the reality is that they may not be able to afford to keep both on long-term deals.

It’s still certainly possible, with a little bit of salary wizardry, for lack of a better phrasing. The Nats can buyout Ryan Zimmerman‘s large contract after 2019 if they haven’t re-negotiated it. Tanner Roark and Howie Kendrick are also set to come off the books after that year, so if they waited until then to make a run at Rendon, it could work.

But if it does come down to deciding between these two superstars, then it’s a decision that needs to be made soon. Harper’s free agency is going to be the talk of the town, and the whole baseball world for that matter.

All signs point towards the team wanting to at least make a move on their long-time outfielder. However, the big question is how much money, and years they are prepared to throw at him, and how much will be deemed too much.

In this article, we took a look at the merits of keeping each player instead of the other, which does assume it’s not financially possible to re-sign both. Then we decide which will be the best course of action for the Nats. First up, it’s Bryce Harper.