Why Yankees should think twice about signing Nationals’ Bryce Harper

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper will be a free agent after the 2018 MLB season. Several deep-pocketed teams, including the Yankees and Phillies, are expected to make a run at the 2015 National League MVP. Perhaps clubs should think twice about throwing $400 million at Harper.

Before the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, The Athletic took a poll of more than 240 current players, asking about everything from who’s the best player in the game to what are the favorite cities to visit. 

The Athletic explained how the poll was given:

Before we get to the answers, note that these results are not entirely scientific. We divided the questions below into three sets, in order to cover as much ground as possible; some players answered every question below, others answered only one set. Even granted anonymity, many players declined to answer a few of the more controversial questions, so the players who did answer had a bigger say in the results. And we were able to get more players from some teams to answer than others, whether due to quirks of the schedule or just their willingness to participate. We were able to survey more NL players than AL players, which likely skewed some results.

One of the most interesting polls ended up focusing on Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper:

Who is the most overrated player in the game?

Top result: Bryce Harper (48.6%)

Runners-up: Chris Davis (10.8%)

Also receiving multiple votes: Javier Baez

Notes: Even anonymously, just over half of the players we polled declined to answer this one — “It’s bad karma,” one said — but among those who did, this was a landslide. As one player told us, it’s not that Harper isn’t talented: “It’s more like guys are kind of tired of him being put up on this pedestal when from a consistency standpoint, he hasn’t sustained it.”

MLB odds for awards, playoffs

Harper had a horrible first half of the 2018 MLB season, hitting a career-low .214 (although he’s tied for second in the National League with 23 home runs).

Perhaps Harper is ready to turn things around after his prolific display during the Home Run Derby at Nationals Park on Monday, becoming just the third player ever to win the derby in his home ballpark. Ryne Sandberg did it for the Cubs at Wrigley Field in 1990. New Jersey’s own Todd Frazier did it for the Reds at Great American Ball Park in 2015.

If Harper can stay locked in at the plate, that will go a long way toward helping him secure a ridiculous nine-figure contract when he becomes a free agent after the season, when several deep-pocketed teams like the Yankees and Phillies are expected to make a run at the 2015 NL MVP.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.