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Report: Bryce Harper will remain with Nationals

The Washington Nationals threw in the towel on the 2018 season on Tuesday, dealing both Matt Adams and Daniel Murphy. But according to a report, Bryce Harper will not be going anywhere.

Jon Heyman of Fancred noted that the waivers on Harper have expired, meaning he’ll remain in Washington.

Overall, the 2018 season hasn’t been great for Harper. He has 30 home runs and has a respectable .380 OBP and .511 slugging percentage. Even still, a .246 batting average is well below his capability.

That said, he’s been very strong in the second half of the season. Since the All-Star break, Harper has hit seven home runs and has backed it up with a .350/.436/.650 slash line. That’s a stark contrast to the .214/.365/.468 line that he had before the break.

While we wouldn’t have been shocked to see Harper moved, Tuesday’s news is less than surprising.

Harper is a free agent at season’s end. If the Nats were going to get good compensation for him, the time was before the non-waiver deadline on July 31. That way, teams could at least get Harper’s services for two months, plus a possible playoff run.

With little more than a month to go in the regular season, Harper would be not only a rental, but a short-term rental. That certainly limits what teams around the league would be willing to give Washington.

With Harper staying with the club, the Nationals will receive a compensation pick should they fail to re-sign him in the offseason.

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