The Nationals would only trade Bryce Harper in an ‘extreme’ situation

The Nationals are 50-51. Stephen Strasburg just hit the disabled list, again, this time with a cervical nerve impingement. Washington is in third place in the NL East, ahead of only the comically inept Mets and the bad-on-purpose Marlins. They’re seven games back in the NL East, in last among the eightteams realistically vying for a wild card spot in the NL, and look like they’re about to cap off their second straight month of sub-.500 ball, and their third of the 2018 season.

With Bryce Harper a free agent at year’s end, it’s fair to wonder if the Nats would deal him to a contending team in the hopes of wooing him back this offseason -- it’s not like a Scott Boras client is necessarily going to give home-field advantage to the Nats here, so why not bring back some prospects to help out in the future? Joel Sherman took this question to Nats’ general manager Mike Rizzo, and while the response was not a clear no, it seemed pretty close to one: “Something extreme would have to happen for us to consider moving him.”

What is extreme? Dropping to as far out of the race as the Reds, who sit double-digits back of the second NL wild card spot? The end of the season for Strasburg, or Strasburg and another pitcher? The Nats don’t need to deal Harper today, or even by the July 31 deadline: they could always try to trade him in August if they continue sliding in the standings. While Harper won’t clear waivers, a contending team could claim him and then a deal could be worked out. Losing teams in August aren’t going to jeopardize draft position to get six weeks of Bryce Harper in their lineup.

Is that even worth it, though? It’s difficult to say. There’s likely no harm in terms of future negotiations between Harper and the Nats: he might want to latch on with a contender and try playing for another team to see how it feels before he attempts signing a mega-deal somewhere else. And maybe heading somewhere else could put him in a situation where he can get back on track and bring his average up. That’s not to say Harper is having a bad season, as he’s leading the NL in walks and has gone yard a senior circuit-leading 25 times, too. He’s just got a better shot at the expected mega contract if he finishes the last two months out strong across the board, not hitting .216.

The fan base might be the real issue, but as Grant Brisbee recently wrote about, there are other reasons for Washington’s baseball fans to have hope. Whether Harper is there or not is of little consequence in the long run: if the right deal presents itself in August, the Nats might want to think about it, extreme circumstances or no.