Tag: Bryce Harper

Could Harper and Machado be on the same team?

As the MLB hot stove continues on throughout the beginning of winter, two of the biggest dominoes have yet to fall. Former MVP Bryce Harper and perennial All-Star Manny Machado have yet to choose their new teams for the foreseeable future. It seems that literally any team in the league would jump at the chance to have even one of these amazing players on their rosters. But could they both possibly land on the same team?

Rumors have been flying that the Chicago White Sox could potentially try to acquire both Harper and Machado. When I first heard this I honestly thought there was no chance that could happen. Why would two players in their primes go to such a terrible team? Well, money always plays a big factor in these type of situations and that is what the White Sox have. Harper and Machado have potentially both been looking for deals in the 10 year, $200-300 million range, so this seems like a long shot the White Sox could pull that off and get both of them.

If I had to take a guess, I truly believe Machado will become a Yankee. He’s made it known he wants to be one and he would fit well into their infield. He just seems like the type of player that was born to be a Yankee. The real question is where Harper will land because he’s been tied to numerous clubs during the offseason such as the Cubs, Phillies, Nationals, White Sox, Dodgers and Yankees. The final team that could emerge and acquire them both is the Yankees. Why? Because they’re the Yankees and always have the money and appeal for the biggest stars in the league.

Wherever each of these two massive assets land could really shake up the league this year. Machado was a huge factor in the Dodgers late run to the World Series and Harper is always a threat to pop off at any time. As the stove warms up we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Dave Cook – Contributor

 

Bryce Harper Free Agency Prediction 2.0

 

            The Chicago Cubs seemed primed to land the superstar outfielder who grew up with Kris Bryant and has dreamed of the two teaming up since little league. Unfortunately, that reunion now seems unlikely with Cole Hamels $20 million option being exercised by the Cubs. The real crime here is that the contracts preventing Harper to Chicago are mostly poor, highlighted by Yu Darvish ($20 million in 2019) and Jason Heyward ($22.5 million in 2019.) Tyler Chatwood will earn $12.5 million following a season in which he posted a 5.30 ERA in 103.2 IP.

See the source image

While I still believe Harper’s first choice would be to reunite with his best friend Kris Bryant, it seems unlikely that the Cubs will be able to free up the funds to acquire his talent. His agent Scott Boras is not exactly known for taking a discount, and Harper appears to have the Lebron James superstar mentality that would lead me to believe he will try to break the bank and change the way MLB contracts are handed out. Harper will challenge the new age analytics loyalists that do not believe in overcommitting to one player by offering insanely high salaries and decade long contracts. At least one team will have to budge and go against the grain.

The Washington Nationals will be the team to pay up and get the face of their franchise back in D.C. This is somewhat of a hot take considering the Phillies are the sudden favorites and the Cubs are a fairly distant second according to Vegas. The Phillies have been “favorites” to land a lot of guys, like Machado at the trade deadline last season. Philadelphia is the hot team right now because they just started spending money and saw results. The Phillies will have interest and most likely make an offer, but I would not consider them the favorites.

Bryce Harper will remain in Washington because both sides would love to make that happen. The Nationals showed confidence when they decided not to trade Harper for a boatload of prospects at the deadline. Since then it has been reported that the Nationals made an “aggressive” offer on the last day of the season. The narrative has been that Harper rejecting that contract means he will no longer re-sign with the team. That is not what Harper is saying. Bryce Harper has been an icon since he was drafted first overall in 2010. Harper, Boras, and fans everywhere have been long awaiting the contract that Bryce Harper is going to sign. There was no offer that Washington could have made that close to free agency that Harper and Boras would have seriously considered. He wants to set the new record for a Major League Baseball contract, and Washington could step up to the plate as they have clearly shown the desire to bring him back. As for Harper, you cannot watch the most recent Home Run Derby and tell me Harper doesn’t bleed red, white, and blue, for his country’s capitol. That man would love to bring a championship to the District of Columbia.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

Bryce Harper Free Agency Prediction

Bryce Harper is debatably the top free agent in baseball. The only competition he has at the top is Manny Machado, and he did not help his case by being a blatant douche in primetime.

Harper has had one of the greatest starts to a career of all time. Through his age 25 season, Harper has amassed 922 hits, 184 homers, 521 RBIs, and 610 runs. He is a career .279 hitter that averages 32 homers, 91 RBIs, and a .900 OPS each season.

At only 26 years old, Harper should expect to make a ton of money this off-season. He is coming off his worst season of his career, though his numbers aren’t as bad as they appear. Harper hit .249 with 34 homers, 100 RBIs, and an .889 OPS. He led the league last season with 130 walks. Put him on a team with offensive weapons around him and he will see a lot more pitches to crush into the third deck.

Where Will He Land?

Chicago Cubs. Bryce Harper has been very vocal over his love for Wrigley, he even named his dog after his future home field:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWl5XM6B9-s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bryce is also famous for his love for current Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant, who he grew up with. Their wives are also best friends and have been openly pulling for Bryce to join the Cubs.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV3jrqLhUsI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The Cubs have a boatload of money and could use a power bat of his caliber. It clearly should not be too difficult to sign the six-time All-Star and former National League MVP. He should have a lot of motivating factors leading him to end up in a Cubs uniform.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

Cubs acquire Daniel Murphy from Nationals – what this means for Bryce Harper

The Washington Nationals have been on the cusp of contention all season. They now sit 7.5 GB in the National League East and 6.5 GB of the National League Wild Card. The Nats have been reluctant to ship off some of their premier talent this season, despite being in third for majority of the season. Washington has finally agreed to part ways with Daniel Murphy in exchange for second-base prospect Andruw Monasterio and either a player to be named later or cash considerations. Monasterio is not exactly a top prospect as he is hitting .263 with 3 HRs and 31 RBIs in 109 games as a 21-year-old in high-A ball. Now this is a great deal for the Cubs as Murphy is hitting .300 with 6 HRs and 29 RBIs in 56 games this season. He has a .784 OPS and can provide a boost to the Cubs lineup in a close race for the National League Central Division. The best part for the Cubs is that they essentially got him for free.

What does this have to do with Harper? With the departure of Daniel Murphy, the Nationals have officially bowed out of the 2018 Playoffs. The Dodgers picked up Harper on waivers, but the Nationals decided not to deal him to Los Angeles. That means they believe they can retain Harper this offseason. Bryce is entering his age 26 season and is hitting .246 with 30 HRs, 79 RBIs, 9 SBs, a .380 OBP, and an .891 OPS. It will cost a boatload to acquire Harper’s talents for 2018 and beyond. That said, I do believe it is possible for the Nationals to re-sign the 2018 Homerun Derby Champion.

Side notes: Matt Adams was claimed by the Cardinals, Gio Gonzalez (7-10, 4.51 ERA) and Mark Reynolds (.154/.214/.154) are also up for grabs on the waiver wire.

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports

MLB Deadline Frenzy: Archer, Dozier, Ramos, Schoop, and Pham among names Traded on Final Day; Harper stays put

Alrighty, the MLB Trade Deadline was pretty exciting today if I do say so myself. And as I fill in for the usual baseball writer, I will go in order of the big time deals that went down since Ian Kinsler last night!

First off, Bryce Harper will remain with the Washington Nationals despite being a free agent at season’s end. Nats still believe they have a chance.

Now on to the real deals.

983931704-0

Reliever Keone Kela will now become the Pirates set up man as they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot being just 3.5 GB in a season that no one expected them to truly compete. The combination of Kela and Vazquez give them two players with a combined ERA of around 3.10, while combining for 47 saves as well. This was an interesting move due to the fact no one would know if they would be buyers or sellers.

Rating: A-

usa_today_10265990-0

This deal comes as a surprise due to the fact that Tommy Pham was a phenomenal player just last season for the Cardinals. However, after some frustration on both sides, it seems as though that this would not work out well in the end. Pham had a 11th place finish for the MVP last year, and while that is not much to write about, he had a great year batting .306 and totaling over 20 HR and SBs. This season, he is struggling, but the Rays were able to buy low here and get them a good core piece for their rebuild.

Rating: B, however could turn out really well.

martin-leonys-getty-ftr_w43b3la4vwnj1hhc8im7v592q

This is bit of a minor deal that gives the Cleveland Indians a platoon for center field as Martin has been great against righties all season long, while Rajai Davis thrives against lefties. This deal should set them up real nice for the post season in all aspects of their team.

Rating: C, Doesn’t shake up the team but gives them a consistent outfield for the season

brad-ziegler-3-fe

Can confirm that the Diamondbacks have completed the trade to bring back Brad Ziegler to the team. In his last 28 appearances, Ziegler has a 0.64 ERA and is now a very big piece for the Diamondbacks to add as they continue forward on a hopeful playoff spot. The submariner is a solid addition to the back end of the Diamondbacks bullpen, could very much be in line to be the setup guy for the time being.

Rating: B+

The CF Cameron Maybin has been a solid player in his long career. Maybin isn’t have his absolute best season, but gives the Mariners a solid CF now that Dee Gordon will be playing second base more often than not due to Cano being ineligible for a possible playoff run. Maybin has become a solid fixture in the league, and with career numbers of a .255 BA and being a solid fielder, this should work out well for the playoff push. Mariners made a lot of moves going in.

Rating: C+

wilra

This is a big time move for the Phillies, adding the AL All-Star to their team for essentially nothing it feels. Ramos has been fantastic this season in his first season truly back from injury, swinging .297 with 14 HR and 53 RBI. His .834 OPS and 2.4 WAR is also a big get for the Phillies. Getting a catcher who can also swing the bat this well means a lot for a team, giving them an edge going forward.

Rating: A, best deal so far

kevin-gausman-1400

To answer the Phillies, the Braves decided to bolster their rotation by acquiring the RHP for a chance to make it back to the playoffs. While his numbers are nothing to jump up and down for, a WAR of 2.3 and an middle-to-end of the rotation numbers all season long gives the Braves another inning eater who could be crucial down the line for them.

Rating: B-, could become even better if he continues his ways and improves.

usatsi_9527139

BLOCKBUSTER: This trade was the biggest to this moment, as Dozier, a former All-Star and Gold Glover, has been a prolific offensive player for the Twins in past seasons, involving his past three seasons where he has hit 28, 42, and 34 HRs. Dozier now joins a lineup that needed some help even though they have studs all throughout. The players they sent were not too hurtful to their roster, and this betters them for the long run adding such a big time player. First Machado, now Dozier, this was surely a great deadline for the Dodgers, as they look to get hot for the playoff run.

web-chris-archer-rays-pitcher-1533064199

BLOCKBUSTER: A huge trade went down right before the deadline, as the Pittsburgh Pirates went all in this deadline, adding Kela earlier on and now Chris Archer. Archer has been an ace for the Rays for a while now. He has been a strikeout machine for the Rays, however he hasn’t always been the best version of Archer we would expect. Yet, the Rays managed to acquire OF Austin Meadows who has been fantastic in his time in the big leagues, and also got a pitcher in Glasnow who may be able to adjust now on a new team. Chris Archer comes with an more than just the rest of this season, making it an overall valuable trade for the Rays. Pirates look to storm their way into the playoffs with these two moves.

959972762-0

The final big time trade of the day involves the Brewers once again adding an infielder. The Brewers have been all in on making the playoffs this season, and with adding Mike Moustakas and now Jonathan Schoop means that they certainly mean business. Schoop hit 32 HR last year and drove in 105 RBI, and while he has struggled this year, you can’t blame him considering how bad the Orioles have been all season. This gives Schoop a chance to play for a real time team.

 

And this caps off a big time Trade Deadline for the MLB, and now expect some deals to happen through the waiver process.

 

Regardless, who do you think made the best deal today? Worst?

 

Let us know!!!

 

-Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports

Why Bryce Harper MUST be Better

664192610-0

This past week over the All-Star break, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred took jabs at the absolute best player in the world in Mike Trout. He said, ““Mike has made decisions on what he wants to do, doesn’t want to do, how he wants to spend his free time or not spend his free time, I think we could help him make his brand very big.” He continued, “But he has to make a decision to engage. It takes time and effort.” Major shade is being thrown at Trout here, and while many may agree that Mike Trout is not nearly close to where he should be in worldwide popularity, it is not completely his fault, or really his at all. It isn’t like he is demanding more money, giving up the way he plays, or anything by that means. He is trying to live as simple of a life as he can, by being a baseball player and loving what he does. He doesn’t need the fame and fortune, and I respect that. However, there is something that could be said for how the MLB markets all of their players, bringing me to the topic at hand.

Bryce Harper is probably the most well-known current day player there is in the entire league. He is in all of the commercials, he has looked the part since day one with either the wavy hair:

giphy5

Or just the pure swagger:

giphy6

Bryce Harper is simply the most important player to this sport.

All the popularity runs through Bryce Harper. If he is going well, so is the MLB. When it is going bad, it feels as if there are less eyes on the product. Maybe it is due to the fact that he was the 16 year old who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated because he threw absolute flames and hit absolute bombs:

sports_illustrated_1004210_20090608-001-2048

Actually, what do I mean maybe? He has been the Chosen One since that moment, by the people and by the MLB. Rob Manfred can do all he wants, trying to blame baseball’s popularity struggles to the young people because Mike Trout doesn’t want to do a commercial, but it is truly because of Bryce Harper. And do not get me wrong, I love Bryce Harper, he is the other favorite player of mine who wears 34 (sup Big Papi), but his struggles this season and being inconsistent or hurt every season continues to hurt the game of baseball because he has been the MLB’s GUY. Simply put, performance wise, Mike Trout is everything the MLB dreamt of Bryce Harper being, and it just didn’t happen that way.

Sure, Bryce has been awesome in years past, including winning the NL MVP in 2015 with the numbers of .330 AVG, 42 HR, 99 RBI, and a 1.109 OPS, which are amazing numbers and helped baseball a ton it felt that season. While this season, it is COMPLETELY different. It feels this season, more and more focus are on the popularity, or should I say the lack there is, and it feels Bryce Harper may be part of that blame. As much as I hate to say it, so much attention hits him in the face every single game. I feel if he was given more freedom like Mike Trout instead of having the spotlight on him every single moment, it would be completely different. Yet, Harper is hitting a career worst .214 so far with a decent number of homers 23 and 54 RBI. The .833 OPS is pretty good considering his struggles, but simply put, everyone expects so much more, including Bryce himself.

If you want to fully understand how important he is to the league, look at the highlights of the Home Run Derby this past Monday, or at least the last round:

Electrifying. Bryce Harper is the epitome of excitement and popularity. He is so important to the game of baseball, like him or not. You can be cheering against or for him, that is why he is the most important to the league. Not Trout, not Kershaw (well if he was healthy that’d be great), not Betts, and not Judge, it is a will be Bryce Harper. This offseason will all be focused on Bryce for a reason, because he is the center. How much money will he get? Where will he go? Can he bounce back? All these questions will be asked because he matters so much to baseball.

Now I could be wrong (I’m not), but Bryce is just that important. What do you think though? Is the popularity of baseball somewhat run through the success of Bryce Harper? Or is it running through the way Trout is advertised? Or is it something else altogether?

 

As always, let me know!

 

– Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports

Harper a Walk-Off Homerun Hero in D.C.

The 2018 Homerun Derby was the most exciting one to date. I never thought I would say this but Josh Hamilton’s 2008 Derby has been topped. This Derby appeared as if it would be somewhat of a dud with guys like Jesús Aguilar and Max Muncy taking up spots for more recognized stars. This would be turned around early on. Rhys Hoskins came out firing with seventeen homers in the opening round, while Aguilar went down easy with a boring twelve homerun performance. He popped up a ton, looked just happy to be there and was eliminated in no time.

The Homerun Derby really kicked off with the second match-up in the opening round: Kyle Schwarber vs Alex Bregman. With Baez at the ESPN table calling his teammates shots, Schwarber slugged sixteen bombs and made it looked grim for the 5’10” 190 lb Bregman, but he did not look intimidated. Watching his team react reminded me of why I loved the derby growing up, and why this is such a fun event. Garrett Cole was Bregman’s biggest fan while Verlander was Instagram Live recording his teammate. Bregman was hitting line drive rockets on his way to 15 homeruns, falling one homer short. It came down to the wire with his last two hits being warning track shots. While it was devastating to watch, the derby kept on rolling.

See the source image
Bregman raking at the Homerun Derby

Next came Javier Baez vs Max Muncy. Baez is a proven electric factory who was made for a flashy competition like the Home Run Derby. After some bad tosses from his older brother they started connecting for six homers before calling a time-out with 1:58 remaining. He finished strong and with the overtime ended up with sixteen homers. Then Max Muncy came up and became his own story. While he was putting balls in the seats the announcers shared his story of how he was released by the Athletics and had to wait for a high school team to finish up each day just to get in the cage. His Dad rebuilt his confidence, who months later would be throwing to his son again, but this time in D.C. for the 2018 Homerun Derby, a slight upgrade over a high school batting cage. Muncy would win seventeen-sixteen on a walk-off homer with 32 seconds on the clock.

From then on, all eyes were on Bryce Harper who made the event his derby from round one throughout. It started with an underwhelming performance by Freddie Freeman who was only able to put twelve balls over the fence. Harper then showed off his power by smoking thirteen in the clouds with 26 seconds left on the clock. He finished with a walk-off blast as he did in each round of his epic run. Harper’s shots looked different than everyone else’s, it was a special day for him and the crowd behind him.

Harper moved on to face underdog Max Muncy, who impressed in round one to edge out Baez. Muncy did not have the same gas he had in round one, putting up only twelve homers in round two. Harper would then have the task of walking-off again. While thirteen homers seemed like a foregone conclusion, Bryce struggled early, adding to the legacy of this derby for years to come. Harper went deep just three times in the first 1:30 before catching fire and hitting five straight out of the park. Bryce got to ten before taking a time-out with 1:33 remaining. The next three would come easy and he would walk it off yet again with 1:11 left on the clock.

The final round would come down to slugger Kyle Schwarber vs Hometown Hopeful Bryce Harper. Schwarber went first and mashed eighteen homers to put the crowd on edge. Harper was faced with adversity and came out flat, hitting only four dingers before calling a time-out with 2:38 remaining. This led to debatably Bryce Harper’s biggest moment in a Washington Nationals uniform. The crowd was behind him loud, supporting Harper as much as they ever have. He came out of the break on a mission and rallied to get five homers with 50 seconds left on the clock. Harper would then mash nine homeruns in only 47 seconds to tie Schwarber at eighteen. Then came the 30 second bonus where Harper would bash his derby winning nineteenth homerun and bat flip to victory. Bryce then turned to the crowd as the entire stadium erupted. With Harper mic’d up, you hear him celebrating with his father who threw to him and struggled in the final round before they connected on seemingly every pitch.

Harper was quick to acknowledge his father, coaches, teammates and everyone around him. He was momentarily a child winning a little league baseball game where it felt like nothing else mattered but that one victory. The general public is mixed on Bryce Harper, but I love that man and real baseball fans do too. People who genuinely love baseball and want the sport to maintain relevance should get behind Harper because like him or not, he is great for baseball. 

Here is Harper’s epic comeback to tie it:

Scott Neville – Head Baseball Writer – WTF Sports