Nationals’ Relationship with Bryce Harper Probably Isn’t Great Right Now and Other Bullets

washington nationals logoIf you’re just tuning in this morning, the team on the other side of Chicago struck again overnight, reportedly signing Melky Cabrera.

  • Nationals star outfielder Bryce Harper did not attend the team’s annual fan fest thingy this weekend because of the upcoming grievance hearing (Tuesday) about his arbitration situation. The gist of that fight: when the two sides agreed on his contract at the very last minute after the draft in 2010, Harper’s camp (including agent Scott Boras) believed that his big league deal included the right to opt-out if he qualified for arbitration as a Super Two player, for which Harper has now qualified. The Nationals disagree that that was part of the deal. If Harper is permitted to opt out, he might make twice as much in arbitration next year than he would make under his contract, and then he’d likely make a bunch more down the road with three more passes in arbitration, rather than just a total of three after 2015. There are a lot of potential dollars at stake. That fight will be settled on Tuesday, and Nats GM Mike Rizzo expressed “disappointment” that Harper didn’t attend NatsFest.
  • It’s an ugly situation for the two sides – especially if the grievance hearing goes forward on Tuesday – and makes you once again wonder about that “blow the roof off the place” Nats rumor from the Winter Meetings. It’s certainly possible that the rumored deal involved multiple one-year free agents, as the Nationals have a ton (Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Ian Desmond, Denard Span, Tyler Clippard), but the way the rumor was described – given the current Harper sparring – sure made you wonder if Harper was involved. To be sure, there are no explicit rumors about the Nats shopping Harper out there right now. But it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they came out at some point soon. And, as I said last week, if that happens, there are only a handful of teams that could realistically pull off a trade for Harper. Just sayin’.
  • A very useful read after yesterday’s discussion about the Cubs’ rotation and the (unkind) Steamer projections: here’s a FanGraphs piece on the way most projection systems work. It does a good job capturing the point I was trying to make about why projections seems to be conservative toward the center of possible outcomes. If you’re into graphs, there’s a particularly good visualization of why, for example, Steamer projects just three pitchers to have ERAs under 3.00 next year, even though everyone knows there will be more than that.
  • The Red Sox were disappointed not to get Jon Lester (at least at the $135 million they were offering). Thought they’re not admitting it in so many words, it sounds like there’s a feeling of the old “mistakes were made” kind of thing in how they pursued re-signing him earlier in the year.
  • In his first 16 games in the Dominican Winter League, Arismendy Alcantara is hitting .304/.361/.482. His .843 OPS would be fifth in the league if he had enough at bats to qualify. He’d be just behind Manny Ramirez, in fact. In the DWL last year, Alcantara’s OPS was .511 in limited duty.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Oh, Come On: Cody Bellinger Lifted Mid-Game with an Apparent Injury (UPDATE: X-Rays Negative)

    The Cubs cannot catch a break this year, man. They've already dealt with injuries to Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ (did I forget anyone?). And tonight, it seems maybe something...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Astros 2 – April 23, 2024

    Well there was one big thing not to like about tonight's game - Cody Bellinger was lifted with a right rib contusion after colliding with the outfield wall - and about a million things that were great. And since we...

    Mike Tauchman Did it AGAIN – Second Oppo Homer of the Game!

    Nothing like a little insurance late. Mike Tauchman, who already hit his first home run of the season earlier in this game, just hit his second home run in the 8th! Another opposite field blast for Tauchman, who's been hitting...

    James Triantos Homers TWICE for the Smokies

    It really is a Cubs homer party up and down the system. In Chicago, Cody Bellinger and Mike Tauchman have gone deep. At Myrtle Beach, Christian Hernandez and Jefferson Encarnacion each homered. At South Bend, Yohendrick Pinango homered. And at...

    Kevin Alcantara Led Off Tonight’s Game with a Bomb (UPDATE: And Then Did It Again!)

    Kevin Alcantara wasted no time giving the Tennessee Smokies the lead on Tuesday night (or maybe he just wanted to be a spiritual part of the homer party going on at Wrigley Field). Facing off against the Rocket City Trash...

    Mike Tauchman’s First Homer of the Year Caps Off a 5-Run Cubs Ambush!

    I don't like to use "ambush" lightly. But what would you call it when the Cubs put five balls in play over 100 MPH, including a single, a double, and two home runs en route to putting five runs on...

    Ian Happ Hit Missed a Homer by a Foot, So Cody Bellinger Launched One into Space to Pick Him UP

    Ian Happ was back in the Cubs lineup tonight after missing a few games with a sore hamstring. And in his first at-bat back, he sent one 412 feet to dead-center field for a VERY long double (Statcast says it...

    Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs are back in action tonight for the first of three games against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. Here's a look at the Cubs lineup for Game 1. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, 2B...

    Jefferson Rojas Has the Longest Active Hitting Streak in High-A

    I know what you're thinking – what the heck is this basketball junkie doing over here on our turf!? He normally only shows up when he accidentally puts his Bulls articles in the wrong category! I need a little palate cleanser...

    MLBits: Jared Jones Made Brice Turang Look Ridiculous, Dylan Cease Dazzles at Coors, More

    If you're familiar with me/my writing, you know how much I love good pitching. To that end, Jared Jones has been one of my favorite stories of the young season. And on Monday, he gave us one of the best...

    Latest News

    Giants vs. Mets: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Blake Snell will take the mound for the San Francisco Giants (11-13) when they host starting pitcher Sean Manaea and the New York Mets (12-10) on Wednesday, with first pitch at 3:45 PM ET.See how to watch the San Francisco-New...

    Orioles vs. Angels: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Jordan Westburg and the Baltimore Orioles (15-7) visit Taylor Ward and the Los Angeles Angels (9-14) at 4:07 PM ET on Wednesday.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options for the Baltimore-Los Angeles matchup.When...

    Mike Tauchman Did it AGAIN – Second Oppo Homer of the Game!

    Nothing like a little insurance late. Mike Tauchman, who already hit his first home run of the season earlier in this game, just hit his second home run in the 8th! Another opposite field blast for Tauchman, who's been hitting...

    Rangers vs. Mariners: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Texas Rangers (12-11), with Jon Gray on the mound, host the Seattle Mariners (11-11) who will counter with Bryce Miller, at 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday.Find out how to watch the Texas-Seattle matchup below.When is Rangers vs. Mariners and...

    Oh, Come On: Cody Bellinger Lifted Mid-Game with an Apparent Injury (UPDATE: X-Rays Negative)

    The Cubs cannot catch a break this year, man. They've already dealt with injuries to Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ (did I forget anyone?). And tonight, it seems maybe something...

    James Triantos Homers TWICE for the Smokies

    It really is a Cubs homer party up and down the system. In Chicago, Cody Bellinger and Mike Tauchman have gone deep. At Myrtle Beach, Christian Hernandez and Jefferson Encarnacion each homered. At South Bend, Yohendrick Pinango homered. And at...

    Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Wednesday at 1:15 PM ET, Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks (11-13) play Nolan Arenado and the St. Louis Cardinals (10-13) at Busch Stadium.Find out how to watch the Arizona-St. Louis matchup below.When is Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals and when...

    How to Watch Yankees vs. Athletics: Live Stream or on TV

    Clarke Schmidt takes the ball for the New York Yankees (15-8) when they host starting pitcher Joseph Boyle and the Oakland Athletics (9-14) at 7:05 PM ET on Wednesday.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for TV and...

    Twins vs. White Sox: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Minnesota Twins (8-13), led by Ryan Jeffers, host Gavin Sheets and the Chicago White Sox (3-19) at 7:40 PM ET on Wednesday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Minnesota take on Chicago live.When is...

    Cubs vs. Astros: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In a series opener on Wednesday, Jameson Taillon will take the mound for the Chicago Cubs (13-9) versus Spencer Arrighetti and the Houston Astros (7-16), with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 PM ET at Wrigley Field.Keep scrolling to find out...

    more cubs news