REPORT: Nationals Willing to Trade Bryce Harper
By Henry McKenna
This year’s MLB trade deadline has the chance to be electric in a historic way. Baseball’s LeBron James could be on the move.
The Washington Nationals are making it known they are open to trading outfielder Bryce Harper, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Harper is in the final year of his contract, and is slated to enter free agency after this season.
According to a source, the Nationals are making it known to other teams that Bryce Harper is indeed available.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 31, 2018
Sources confirm: #Nationals sending “feelers” out on Bryce Harper. “I’d be shocked if they do it,” one rival exec says. “They’re seeing if someone wants to go crazy.” First with the news that Harper was available: @chelsea_janes and @Feinsand.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2018
The Nationals (52-53) are six games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Rumors have swirled that teams, including the Cleveland Indians, are interested in trading for Harper, but the news had not broken that the Nationals were shopping him until Monday night.
The 25-year-old is tied for second in the National League with 25 home runs — he also has 78 hits, 62 RBIs and 84 strikeouts. His .842 OPS and .220 batting average are below his career average of .895 and .227, respectively.