MLB 2018 regular season thread

A year ago, talk was of a $400 million or $500 million contract for FA Harper.

These past two years, the increase in shifts, this has not been kind to Harper.

Assuming he continues his production like this through the end of the year, does anyone still think he's getting that kind of money?

 

A pick in the 30's.

 

The return for Harper is whatever the value of his play over the next two months is worth. Nothing more, nothing less. The team acquiring him gains nothing in the attempt to sign him in the offseason. And according to The Ringer, the compensation pick is after the fourth round because the Nats are over the luxury tax.

Make the Case: Why the Astros Should Trade for Bryce Harper

 

Given the season he's having, why would anyone give much unless they need a generic left-handed bat. He's never been someone who overperforms his regular season in the post-season.

 

The Yankees should over trade for him.

With him they have from the left side Harper, Didi, Bird, Hicks

From the right is Judge, Stanton, Sanchez, Torres, Andujar

Sit Gardner or make him your spot starter.

That gives them a lineup where the oldest player is... 28. Start him at 10 years 400 mil and be ready to go to 10 years 500 mil.

This is a once in a decade chance to put the perfect bat in your line up.

 

He is far from just a generic left handed bat. Get past the batting average.

 

He's pretty generic right now. An .842 OPS and a 121 OPS+. Only seven home runs in the past two months. Hurt? Uninterested? He isn't Bryce Harper right now.

I loved this from Boras awhile back. Harper is struggling is because those goddamn pitchers won't play fair!

"The other thing is, 70 percent of pitchers are right-handed, so they're getting sliders and breaking balls that are naturally inclined for them to hit where the ball is pitched and go the other way. Right-handed hitters can take a natural approach to the game as they were trained in their youth. They can hit a slider or curveball the other way, whereas left-handers, they're saying you're supposed to hit everything now the other way. The breaking ball's coming, the slider's coming, the fastballs are in, and you're now supposed to take inside-out swings?

"That's not how a power hitter's trained. You're affecting baseball on many, many levels in a negative way. You want hitters rewarded on both sides of the plate equally. If this continues, you're going to see the absolute absorption by parents of left-handed hitters ... I don't think it's good for the game. It's clear that hard-hit balls have almost 100 to 150 points lower average for left-handed hitters than right-handed hitters for exit velocities above 93 mph. When you see stats like that, you know there's reason for change. The game should be equal for both sides whether you're a right or left-handed hitter."

 

42nd in OPS, 53rd in slugging, 26th in OBS. Not worthy of a teams top-tier prospect. It sounds like the Nats want a lot, I'm just not sure if he is a difference-maker for any team.

 

His protection in the order is Matt Adams and and Soto, who is a beast but is still 19. You are not throwing Harper a strike.

In NYC he would possibly have Judge, Stanton, Didi, Sanchez lined up behind him. No one is putting him on base with a walk with Judge behind him.

 

It's home run or nothing for Harper these days.

He had two doubles in the entire month of July. He had 13 RBIs for the month, and only four RBIs in games in which he failed to homer. Lots of swings and misses - only two games in the last month in which he failed to strike out (compared to 10 games in which he struck out two or more times).

He did not get off to a great start in April and May, and he's gotten even worse since then.

 

Remember back when front offices were dumber and Boras could show up with a shiny, leatherbound book of handpicked stats, and get unreal contracts for his clients?

 

I'm willing to bet I watch as many Nats games as anyone on this board. The problem is not Bryce not seeing strikes. .... He's not hitting the strikes he sees.