The True Value of Bryce Harper
With MLB free agency on the horizon, two of the biggest stars within the league are set to hit the market. This includes Los Angeles Dodgers’ Manny Machado and Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper. While there are multiple suitors for both superstars, the belief is that Harper will start his bidding price higher than expected.
According to report, Harper is expected to start bidding at a 10-year, $350 million evaluation. The 26-year old has held a .279 batting average throughout the course of his six years in the league, while smacking 184 home runs to go along with 521 RBI. In 2018, Harper smacked 34 home-runs, while driving in 100 RBI and leading the league in walks with 130. He only able to muster-up a .249 batting for the season, but overall, it will be considered productive season.
Based off Harper’s history, is he justified in asking for $350+ million? The short answer would be no. Without taking into account whether or not any baseball player should be paid that much money, Harper’s history simply doesn’t justify him being the highest-paid player in history by such a large margin. In the same breath, Harper may actually be worth the money he’s asking based off what he hasn’t done yet.
If Harper continued averaging the production he’s shown since he was 19-years old, he would still go down as one of the better players in league history and would be in the argument for a place in the Hall of Fame. While that still wouldn’t be worth $350 million, there is a belief that Harper will continue to grow. He is just 26 and likely hasn’t entered his best years yet, which is an insane thought considering he has already done so much in the league, including winning an MVP award in 2015.
Based off the fact that Harper is on pace to tally a minimum of 550 home runs, any improvement upon that will see Harper tally 600+ home runs over the course of his career. So while there is an argument to be made that Harper isn’t worth the amount of money he’s asking for, there is just as much of an argument for why he’s asking for it and why I believe he will receive that amount, or at least close to it.
Featured Image: USA Today
You always ask for too much and see if you can get it.Why not?He doesn’t lose anything by asking,he’s only 26 and besides his .249 BA. I wonder if he was getting “pitched around “but he was pressing too much,although he walked 139 times and struck out 169 He hit 34 HRs and drove in 100 on the nose.But that’s even though the BA was .249 You only had a handful of guys hit .300 or better,so what I’m trying to say is don’t get caught up on the BA the 10 years and him asking for 350,it’s a starting point of a negotiation.Imaigine what his numbers could be with the short porch in Yankee stadium,see if he is willing to try to play 1base.And if not isn’t he an upgrade from Cutch and Gardy?