On New Year's Day, I wrote an addendum to the the post about Kikuchi signing and said I had a hunch the reason why the Giants were not spending on the free agent market is they were keeping their powder dry for Bryce Harper. You can find that post in the Archives linked to the left. As for whether signing with the Giants would be a good thing, I wrote up a Scouting The Free Agent Market: Bryce Harper on 10/6/2018. You can also find that post in the archives to the left. Let's just say it's mixed bag. Bottom line, a 10 yr/$300+ M contract would likely be good for the team for the first 5-7 years and bad for the last 3-5. I don't expect Harper to age particularly well, but he's just 26 years old now, so likely has at least 5-7 good years in him.
What do all you readers and commenters think of an out-of-the-box offer? There has been recent speculation about Harper accepting a 1 year contract. What if the Giants offered him the highest guarantee ever for one season but with a series of mutual options that repeat the process for years? 1 yr/$40 M with a succeeding series of mutual options for $40 M with a $10 M buyout? His salary each season would be $40 M but would guarantee him another $10 M, and if another 1 year/$40 M was not to his liking, he could always opt out. Such a contract offers Harper both opportunity and security while it limits the risk for the team.
Of course, all this is probably just Scott Boras trying to goose his market, but how about it?
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The Nationals agreed to terms with RHP Jeremy Hellickson. I wrote up a scouting report on Hellickson on 10/27/2018 which you can find in the Archives linked to the left. The contract is similar to what the Giants signed Drew Pomeranz for. Base of $1.3 M with incentives up to $4 M. Oracle Park and the NL West would have been a perfect environment for Hell Boy to make good on this contract. Nationals? Maybe not so much.
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We as Giants fans need something to get excited about this year and Harper would accomplish that. I wish he batted right handed but other than that he is better than ANY other option out there in the trade market or draft for the foreseeable future. Build a team around this guy with our veteran core to help groom him into the player he needs to become. Who better to show Harper the right way to carry yourself than Buster, MadBum, and Craw. Much like Steph, KD, and Klay have done with guys like Javalle McGee and Demarcus Cousins. This makes too much sense lets hope they can pull it off.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of signing Harper, it brings excitement and a real power hitter for the Giants who are so desperate to have one again. He's young and could be someone who helps keep the Giants competitive while we wait for other contracts to fall off the books and be there when Bart and Ramos are ready to arrive. He could be a transitional player from one core of players to another, like Bonds did. I do wonder though, if spreading that money around to guys like Span, Adam Jones and Dallas Keuchel as examples of players who could be had with shorter term contracts and fill more holes. Would that be a smarter path?
ReplyDeleteI'd offer two years with a team option for the third year. $20 per with 30 for the option year. No no trade clause.
ReplyDeleteI doubt there is much between 1 year and 10 years that Harper would accept. He's going to want either the security of a 10 year deal or the freedom of a 1 year deal.
DeleteBy the way, pitchers and catchers report soon. He's close to missing significant ST time, regardless of who he signs with.
ReplyDeleteEh, spring training is way too long anyway.
DeleteVery roughly speaking, Doc's pie-in-th-sky premise a few days ago suggested that all of the "star" 5 offensive players need to have better than their average offensive year for the Giants to contend.
ReplyDeleteHarper's addition to the lineup may mean that only 3 of the quintet need to have better than average years.
That's a bet-able proposition.