An impending free agent, Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper’s frustration seems to be boiling over during what has been a disappointing season for the talented team.
That was taken to a whole new level after his Nationals lost on a walk-off single by Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto Saturday night. Stuck between irrelevance and contention in the National League Playoff race, it’s an open question whether Washington will buy or sell ahead of Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Well, Harper himself made sure to tell everyone how he feels about the situation.
Bryce Harper on J.T. Realmuto’s walk-off single: “If that guy was on our side, that wouldn’t have happened.”
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) July 29, 2018
This comes with the Nationals and Marlins engaged in trade discussions surrounding Realmuto. Interesting timing, indeed.
Saturday night’s loss dropped Washington to 52-52 on the season and six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. It’s also 4.5 games out of the final wildcard spot.
Washington has a major decision to make moving forward. Does it decide to sell? If so, is Harper potentially on the chopping block? At least one rival NL team has inquired about his services.
Either way, Harper’s frustration boiled over after the Nationals’ most-recent loss. Whether that plays into what the front office decides over the next few days remains to be seen.
One thing is clear: Washington’s loss to the lowly Marlins will play a role in the team’s decision-making process.