What should the Washington Nationals do with Bryce Harper as their playoff hopes continue to take a hit?
Hoping to begin flipping the script on their disappointing season, the Washington Nationals entered last weekend’s series against the Miami Marlins hoping to make a statement and quiet the rumors that superstar Bryce Harper could be made available for trade. That didn’t quite happen. After winning the first two games of the four-game set in convincing fashion, the Nats lost the final two and fell back to to 52-53. Their deficit in the competitive National League East remains at six games.
The split with the Marlins did nothing to quell the swirling rumors around Harper, and the Nationals have a difficult decision to make. They have not come to the point of openly shopping the All-Star, but still have over 24 hours to field offers. A deal could come together very quickly if ownership decides to pull the plug on what was expected to be another run at the World Series.
Things outside of Washington’s control have pushed them down the standings, namely the surprising breakouts of the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Injuries have also been a major hindrance to the Nationals. Overall, the year feels very similar to 2015, the last time the team missed the playoffs.
Washington remains extremely tight-lipped over Harper’s fate, and for good reason. Trading him will represent a total waving of the white flag and multiple trades should follow. Unfortunately, the Nationals haven’t left themselves much time to put together a viable “rebuilding” strategy heading into the deadline, which could limit the moves they are able to make.
This will come down to the wire, and there is a case to be made for and against trading Bryce Harper. So, how will one of the most intriguing trade-deadline debates in recent years play out over the next two days?