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Even if the Washington Nationals swap Bryce Harper on Tuesday, their window of opportunity to win will not necessarily be closed. They have Max Scherzer, the Cy Young Award winner and one of the favorites to win this honor again this year. They have fielder Juan Soto, who can win the NL rookie of the year. They have third-baseman Anthony Rendon, short-stop Trea Turner and talented fielder Victor Robles
The Nationals have been discussing with the teams to determine the return that they could get back. they decided to trade outfielder Bryce Harper before Tuesday's deadline.
There have already been a lot of transactions, but we could go to a blockbuster at 4 pm
The brief and disastrous return of the DL's Strat – an eruption, a skirmish with Scherzer and now another injury – could force the Nats' hand.
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But an era would end with the departure of Harper – an era in which the Nationals had high expectations by winning several championships around the excellence of Harper and Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals of these years will join the 1994 Montreal Expos, the 2001 Mariners and others as one of the largest talent collections ever to win the World Series.
Nobody liked Bryce Harper more than Washington director Mike Rizzo; no one has defended Harper more than Rizzo; no one has protected Harper more than Rizzo. So, for Rizzo, a Harper trade should be unbearable, a tangible acknowledgment that the plan has never unfolded as he imagined it.
If the Nationals swap Harper on Tuesday, these are the teams for which he could make the most sense:
1. Cleveland Indians
The Indians were looking for an outfielder – a Right-handed fielder – but they could probably live with the left-handed Harper, who could clean the bats behind him. Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley and Jose Ramirez. This group would provide incredible opportunities for run production for him. The Indians should also be in agreement with Harper's defense in the central field, in a year where his glove work has suffered.
Harper will make about $ 7 million in the last two months of this season, and no doubt Indians who run should include significant compensation dollars from the Nationals, who would get better prospects in return if they ate salary.
2. Chicago Cubs
Because of the recurring problem of Kris Bryant's left shoulder, he may never be in full health this year, and Will never offer the same kind of power as in the past. If the Cubs are preparing a set of candidates in addition to a great player (speculation: Albert Almora Jr. Ian Happ?), Maybe they could be the team that keeps Harper away from the Nationals, and as a rental, Harper could absolutely prosper, launching into a free agency.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
They have already made the largest acquisition of the summer in trading for Manny Machado, and with many chips pushed in the middle of the table, maybe they're trying the Nationals with an offer built around a young pitcher (Yadier Alvarez, maybe, or maybe Julio Urias) and another piece or two. They might try to include Yasiel Puig in a move, or maybe Washington would like to include the recently resurrected Joc Pederson.
But imagine a range of Dodgers that looks like this in October and up to October:
Cody Bellinger CF
Machado SS
Harper RF
Justin Turner 3B
Matt Kemp LF
Yasmani Grandal C
Max Muncy 1B
Chris Taylor 2B
That would be great. [19659007] 4. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks have played better lately and are only half a game behind the Dodgers as the day begins. A move for Harper could be similar to the agreement they made last year for J.D. Martinez, who helped drive the Diamondbacks into the playoffs. Harper would fit well in the D-backs lineup between Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock – or the Diamondbacks could hit Harper in second place ahead of this duo. Other clubs see Arizona as a team with a window to win now. The question that would hover over the negotiations between the Nationals and the Diamondbacks would be whether Washington would identify something at the top of Arizona's farming system that could serve as a target. As the Orioles were discussing Machado's trade, they thought the Diamondbacks' group was lacking prospects.
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