Sports News With MLB

Las Vegas is the place to gamble. To bluff, to double down, to win.

And to lose.

Major League Baseball’s meetings in the desert continued Tuesday and deals got made, but none involve former Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who could still be interested in the 26-year-old veteran of seven seasons, signed Andrew McCutchen to a three-year deal. They also need to add pitching – a lot of it. The New York Yankees, who acquired Giancarlo Stanton in a trade last year, are quite capable of hitting home runs without Harper and have said they are not interested.

The Nationals, for whom Harper has played his entire career, have said they wish Harper well – that means goodbye – but that they haven’t closed the door on his hefty contract wishes – that means he wants too much money.

Harper was raised in Las Vegas, and he is there as the MLB meetings go on. Teams are coming to see him and his agent, but what are they bringing? And what will he add in the right place?

A six-time All-Star, he has driven in 100 runs in a season once. Other than his monster MVP year in 2015, when he hit 42 home runs, and last season when he hammered 34, he has never been over 30. His postseason batting is as disappointing as the Nationals were in their four playoff appearances — .211 batting average, 10 RBIs in 19 games. In the five-game loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2015 National League Division Series, he had one RBI.

So what is for sale here, at perhaps $325 million for 10 years? A young, powerful player who could probably outlast that contract. A slugger who strikes out a lot (169 times in 2018) and also draws a number of walks (MLB-high 130 last season).

Baseball is mostly home runs and strikeouts now, so Harper fits that profile.

Sometimes the player can be right, but the price is wrong.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman