Chicago Cubs made the right call in passing on Bryce Harper

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

With less than two months until postseason baseball begins, a struggling Bryce Harper in Philadelphia is a welcome sight for many Chicago Cubs fans.

The 2018-19 offseason for the Chicago Cubs was largely defined by the team’s pursuit – or lack thereof – of former National League MVP and Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. Of course, Chicago was never seriously in the hunt for him – but that didn’t stop us all from playing the ‘what if’ game.

Imagine it – Harper paired up with Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. That would, at least in theory, be one of the most fearsome combinations in the game today – maybe in baseball history.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Harper signed a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies – putting a bow on one the biggest question of the offseason. Perhaps even more intriguing is the fact the deal lacks any type of opt-out, all but guaranteeing Harper will finish his career in the City of Brotherly Love.

Year one of the Harper era hasn’t been what Phillies fans had hoped for. The slugger hasn’t lived up to the hype – despite the increased ticket sales and the abundance of #3 jerseys that fill the seats at Citizen Bank Park.

Given how the season has played out for the Chicago Cubs, you can’t help but think they dodged a bullet in this case – no matter how the next 12 years play out for Harper in Philly.

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Harper hasn’t put up the numbers – at least not yet

When you’re playing on the largest contract ever given to a free agent, people tend to expect things. I mean, we’ve seen this at Wrigley Field the last three years in Jason Heyward, who initially struggled to live up to the hype of his eight-year, $184 million deal signed prior to the 2016 campaign.

This year, at long last, he seems to have settled in – and is putting up some of the best offensive numbers of his career, while providing his usual Gold Glove-caliber defense across the Chicago outfield. But that success certainly didn’t come overnight, as we all know.

The same might be said for Harper. He leads the league with 137 strikeouts and a lackluster 116 OPS+ across 117 games. To this point in the year, according to Baseball Reference, he’s been worth just 1.9 WAR – barely more than Heyward, who clocks in at 1.7 WAR.

Philadelphia’s lackluster performance this year has certainly increased the pressure on Harper, who was supposed to lead a revitalization for the ballclub and begin a new era of success where the Phillies reigned supreme in the National League East.

Instead, the team appears destined to miss the postseason for the eighth consecutive campaign. Harper seems likely to put up another 30-100 performance, but at the end of the day, Philadelphia needs more – a lot more.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Team’s season would look quite different with Harper

We all know the Chicago Cubs offense has a tremendous amount of talent, especially since they added Nicholas Castellanos at the trade deadline. Despite their inconsistencies that have seemed glaring at times, this roster has the pieces needed to win.

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But had the Cubs added the nearly $28 million in Harper’s payroll to the mix last offseason, Epstein would have been completely handcuffed this summer. With injuries piling up in the bullpen and a huge hole at the back end, Chicago went out and signed free agent closer Craig Kimbrel in early July, bringing in the likely future Hall of Famer on a three-year, $43 million deal.

Then, ownership approved the funds needed to add Castellanos, a huge bat, to the mix right before the deadline on July 31. Since then, the team has looked drastically improved at the plate – and the guy has lengthened the lineup in a big way.

None of these moves would have been possible if the team had Harper in tow. While he certainly is an upgrade over someone like Albert Almora in the outfield, the Cubs are pretty well set with Kyle Schwarber, Castellanos and Heyward manning those three spots.

dark. Next. Maddon optimistic he'll be here for years to come

With the Phillies languishing, Harper not living up to lofty expectations and guys like Heyward and Schwarber playing well for the first-place Chicago Cubs, it’s easier than ever to look at this offseason and feel like the team made the right call not blowing the budget on the former phenom.

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