Copyright Yardbarker
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Division Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers felt like the end of an era. A veteran core that’s had tremendous success over the last four years saw another opportunity go by the wayside as their window to win a World Series dwindles. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suarez are among the key Phillies who loom as pending free agents. Losing one or multiple of these players would signal a big change in Philadelphia, but by the sounds of it, we shouldn’t expect it to stop there. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is never shy to shake things up, particularly via trade, and his year-end media availability comments might have just given us a hint at how bold it could get. Could the Phillies truly jolt their core and trade Bryce Harper? Insider Joel Sherman believes it’s a possibility, and Dombrowski’s jab at Harper over his status as one of the game’s elite players was interesting, to say the least. Such a blockbuster coming to fruition remains unlikely given the obstacles at play, but the last few weeks have altered things more than anyone could have imagined, so keep an eye on Harper and the Phillies this winter. Bryce Harper to the New York Yankees makes too much sense If the Phillies ultimately decide to shop Harper, the number of potential suitors is honestly quite limited. The 33-year-old is about to enter the eighth season of the 13-year, $330 million mega deal he signed to come to Philadelphia back in 2019. There are only so many teams that can afford to take on that money, let alone be willing to do so. And that’s without factoring in whether a team already has a good first baseman or lefties in the middle of their lineup. All of that being said, there are still a handful of options that are plausible to envision, but when truly diving into this, nobody stands out as a more obvious landing spot than the Yankees. One of the biggest markets in sports, an iconic franchise, always willing to spend, desperate to win now, in need of a first baseman and potentially a middle-of-the-order bat. It all lines up perfectly. Some may think it would be foolish to acquire an expensive, aging superstar coming off what was widely considered one of his worst years, but this is a motivated Bryce Harper we’re talking about; he has more big-time seasons in him. Even in a down year, the former first overall pick of the Washington Nationals (2010) hit for a .261 average and an .844 OPS. That average would’ve ranked fourth on the Yankees among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances, and that OPS would’ve ranked second behind only Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. New York’s lineup and defense were exposed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. Far too many non-competitive at-bats, along with miscues and mental errors scattered throughout the infield. Harper will improve all of that, whether he’s the guy he was in his prime or not. He remains an extremely tough out at the plate and has developed into one of the better defensive first basemen in the league. With Paul Goldschmidt set to be a free agent and Ben Rice still learning to play first, it would be ideal to have the two-time NL MVP take over. What a return package would look like is a major question, but if there were one team that could actually make a Harper trade work, it’s the Yankees.
