While the 2017 season isn’t going anywhere near where the Chicago Cubs and their fans had hoped. The good news, especially for the fans is that the club is going to have quite a bit of money to spend on pitchers during the 2017 off season. Moving forward, it’s expected Theo Epstein and company are going to have money to spend when it comes to the 2018 offseason as well.
That year is especially important because it’s the winter where Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is likely going to be a free agent. Most people would probably assume Harper’s price tag is just going to be too high.
There are some who believe the Chicago Cubs might take him for a test drive at the very least. One interview by long time baseball reporter Peter Gammons seems to indicate Harper might want to take the defending World Series champions for a spin as well.
Just how realistic is Harper to the Chicago Cubs?
The topic of Harper actually came about because Gammons was talking to Mully and Hanley on 670 the Score. The long-time reporter was speaking about Kris Bryant and his contractual future with his current club. During that conversation, he was asked whether he felt the potential contract for the Nationals’ outfielder might have an effect on the asking price for Bryant, especially if the third baseman continues to go the way he has been going the last two years.
Gammons gave his thoughts on that topic and then threw out a little red meat to Chicago fans. “I have people tell me that Bryce Harper, really, would prefer to play for the Cubs.” If that comment doesn’t give you at least a modest increase in your pulse then you just might be dead. Gammons is talking about two of the best young players in Major League Baseball on the same team.
Bryant and Harper could play on the Chicago Cubs together for at least a time
While it seems unlikely any team, not even the New York Yankees would have the money to pay both players what they will be asking for, there is a caveat. While Harper will be a free agent after the 2018 season, Bryant won’t be able to make the really insane bucks until after 2021.
That means there are at least a few years where having the pair on the same team would be costly, but not out of the realm of possibility. If the Nationals’ outfielder really is looking to land on the Chicago Cubs when he becomes a free agent, it would mean the team would be among the most feared in the National League and that’s without the other young players on the team taking the next step.
