Wednesday, 25 Dec 2024

Nationals player takes a last shot at Bryce Harper

This won’t make the Bryce Harper market look any better.

With the longtime face of the Nationals set to — eventually — sign a deal in free agency, at least one veteran member of Washington believes Harper’s departure could end up being beneficial for the team, agreeing with a Washington Post assertion that the team’s fundamentals would improve without the flashy superstar.

“Write it,” a prominent Nationals player, under anonymity, told the Washington Post.

While Harper is a six-time All-Star and produced an all-time offensive season during his 2015 NL MVP campaign, the 26-year-old has curiously been left unsigned as spring training starts. Washington made Harper the first-overall pick in 2010 and brought him up in 2012, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year. Since then, Harper has held one of the most feared bats in baseball, drawing an NL-leading 130 walks last season, even while batting .249.

Change is coming to Washington, though.

“We’re going to be more proactive on fundamentals,” manager Dave Martinez said this week. “There will be days when they don’t bring their bats to the field. It will all be team defense, base running and fundamentals. They can still hit in the cage.”

When they’re not hitting former teammates.

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