Major League Baseball teams are very serious about those players that they consider to be essential for the franchise and Bryce Harper is such a player. The Washington Nationals are trying to make sure that their star outfielder remains in the nation’s capital, but until his contract issues get resolved, things could easily go sideways. His situation is uncertain and the case could be subject to arbitrage, unless the two parties involved to reach an agreement in the next couple of days.
He was drafted in 2010 and expected to receive $9.9 million, an amount that includes the signing bonus of more than $6 million. Things went according to the plan, until the star outfielder insisted to have a clause included in his contact, allowing him to opt out of the contract terms under certain conditions. Back then, Harper and his family decided to accept the Major League Baseball deal, counting on the fact that he will sign a major league contract earlier than expected.
This came to fruition and now that Bryce is one of the Super Twos, he is not happy with the prospect of receiving $900,000 in 2014 and $1 million the next year. As a result he and his agent are ready to fight the Washington Nationals over the contract terms and conditions, and the outcome will be ugly, to say the least. Nothing good can come out of the scandal, because regardless of what party wins, it will inevitably damage the relation between the Nationals and the outfielder.
Assuming the team gets its way and the tricky clause is excluded from the contract, they will pay less for his services while being sure that Bryce won’t be leaving the club anytime soon. On the other hand, it is only fair to assume that the player will lose interest and is unlikely to perform at 100%, which will in turn damage Washington’s chances of making the playoffs. If the opposite happens and Harper wins after a lengthy battle, he will look for the first chance to leave the franchise.
Impartial observers find it strange that the Nationals are willing to go through all this trouble, especially when it comes to one of their best assets. This is why, the most likely outcome is for the two parties to shake hands and Harper to be given a hefty payout over the next two years.