Fansided

Dodgers, Yankees lead the pack of teams that crushed it at the trade deadline

By Rucker Haringey

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 30: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman look on during batting practice before the start of MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 30, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Aaron Boone;Brian Cashman
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 30: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman look on during batting practice before the start of MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 30, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Aaron Boone;Brian Cashman /
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22:Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper (34) takes a few swings on deck against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park July 22, 2018 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22:Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper (34) takes a few swings on deck against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park July 22, 2018 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

2. Bryce Harper and Nationals fans

There was a lot of chatter the night before the deadline that claimed Harper could be on his way out of Washington. In the end, all that speculation proved to amount to absolutely nothing. Harper is staying put and will hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Standing pat wasn’t the right move for the organization, but it’s a win for Harper and the team’s fan base. Their star player doesn’t have to get his life uprooted before he makes a big decision about where he wants to play for the foreseeable future. Moving to a contender might have been fun, but it would have been a massive upheaval for his life. Harper will be happy to wait until the offseason to move when he can choose his destination.

Nationals’ fans should be breathing a sigh of relief at this point. There was a real possibility their team was going to initiate a full-blown rebuild this week. Instead, they can continue to watch their team try to scratch and claw to get back in the NL East race for the next several weeks. That definitely beats the ugly alternative.

It’s still an open question where Harper is going to play in 2019 and beyond, but the Nationals still have time to recruit him to return. At the very least, their chances of re-signing him this summer are boosted with the news that he’ll stay with the Nationals for the rest of the year. That’s definitely a win for Washington fans.

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