Mets may never have to worry about Bryce Harper again
By Richard Heaton
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 08: Daniel Murphy #28 of the New York Mets throws on to first base over Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals to complete a game-ending double play in the ninth inning at Nationals Park on September 8, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Mets might not have to worry about Bryce Harper anymore. There's only one reason for the Nationals keeping him and it may help us in the long run.
That's a weird thing to think about. Bryce Harper not being on the Nationals. But it's a future that's very possible and fans of the New York Mets should be excited about it.
I mentioned earlier about how the Nationals failed to take advantage of the trade deadline and how in the following weeks they just failed in general. The only way that their actions make any sense at all relies on a qualifying offer.
Think about it. First the Nationals had every opportunity to trade Harper at the deadline. But they didn't. It would have been amazing for them to trade him, regardless of whether or not they signed him in the off-season.
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If they planned on making an offer, they could have gotten something for him and then gotten him back. If they didn't plan on signing him, then at least they would have gotten something in return.
The Nationals apparently thought they were going be contending and figured that they would need to keep Harper. A few weeks later they gave up on the season and dumped Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams.
They had an offer for Harper but kept him yet again. It made even more sense to trade him this time around, but they didn't. Why?
The only logical option at this point is that the Nationals are riding on a qualifying offer. Since the Dodgers were the ones to claim Harper, they were the only ones who were allowed to make an offer.
It must have been a bad offer. The only theory that makes sense is that the Nationals believe the extra draft pick from letting Harper sign elsewhere in the offseason is better than what the Dodgers were offering.
This theory makes even more sense when you think about a rumor that was circulating on Twitter the day after the claim was made.
The Dodgers are a really good team, it's possible that they made the claim only so that other division rivals couldn't claim him, and that the Dodgers had no intention of making a real offer.
This is hurting my brain, just give me the short and sweet version.
The Dodgers don't want teams like the Diamondbacks and Rockies claiming Harper so they make a bogus claim and send a weak offer. The Nationals decide that keeping Harper and getting a compensation pick when he rejects qualifying offer is better than what the Dodgers offered.
Next. Should Jose Reyes return next season?
It's the only reason the Nationals would decide to keep him, especially if he was going to walk at the end of the season anyway. If this works out like this, there's a 99% chance Harper won't return to the Nationals next season. At the same time, most of the other teams who can really afford him and need him wouldn't bother the Mets.