Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is the frontrunner to win the National League MVP this season. The 22-year-old leads the MLB in various hitting categories and is tops in the league with 9.7 wins above replacement (WAR). Is it time for rumors to start rumbling in regards to the Nationals giving him a long-term extension?
Harper is a three-time all-star in just his fourth MLB season. He cranked 22 home runs in his rookie season as a 19-year-old, and while many doubted his ability to stay healthy after injury-shortened campaigns in 2013 and 2014, the former Rookie of the Year has blown away the league in 2015.
His batting average (.340), on-base percentage (.467), slugging percentage (.669), OPS (1.136) and OPS+ (204) all lead the MLB. He has scored 110 runs (leads MLB), hit 40 home runs (leads NL) and batted in 92 runs, all of which are career-highs. After last night's game he also matched his career-high in games played (139), which he'll surpass tonight.
Oh yeah, and when he hit his 40th home run earlier this week, he joined an elite class of MLB players to hit at least 40 home runs in a season before the age of 23. Mel Ott, Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Mathews, Johnny Bench, Juan Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez are among the others. Pretty good, right?
After this offseason focused on the slugger's Super-Two status, which nearly led to a grievance hearing, the Nationals signed Harper to a two-year, $7.5 million deal to cover his first year of arbitration. But will the Nationals even let him make it to his next two arbitration years with the way he has played this in 2015?
"Harper has rocketed so high that, before he can duplicate his 2015 show in 2016 and certify a market value of, perhaps, $500 million, the Lerners need to decide whether they should approach him about a lifetime contract, like Miami did when it signed Giancarlo Stanton for $325 million over 13 years," writes Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post.
"Harper can't leave D.C. until after 2018. But the earlier you make your big play, the greater the team's leverage because they assume the risk while also showing enormous confidence and affection bordering on 'join our family as a partner.'"
Harper will not be cheap, but if the Nationals were willing to dish out $210 million for Max Scherzer, who only had two all-star-caliber seasons before agreeing to that mammoth contract, there's no reason they should hesitate when dealing with Harper. He's happy in D.C. and wants to help the Nats win.
"To have the games, have the walks, have the ability to stay in games and really do the things I can to help this team win -- before the season, that's all I wanted to do," he told Eddie Matz of ESPN. "I wanted to stay in games, I wanted to do everything I could to really this team, help this organization win ballgames. If that was 40 homers, if that's 100 walks, if that's anything I can do in the outfield or any position I can play, that's all I wanted to do."
So if there was ever a time for the Nats to make a drastic move, it's now.
Let's not forget - Harper grew up a Yankee fan, and I'm sure New York would welcome him with open arms if he reaches free agency by 2018.
