Yankees have room to make run at Harper

Bryce Harper, a National League MVP at 23, is a free agent at 26, peddling his services in an industry that’s grown to nearly $11 billion in annual revenues. His combination of skills, age and marketing cachet make him an excellent fit for any major league franchise. Particularly the New York Yankees. Harper, who has 184 career home runs and a lifetime .900 OPS, rejected a 10-year, $300 million contract offer from the Washington Nationals in September, and is a good bet to set a new standard for the most lucrative contract in North American sports history.

It may take weeks for that process to play out. In the meantime, USA TODAY Sports will examine why every team could use Harper’s services – some more than others, certainly some better-equipped to procure them.

A case for Harper and the Yankees joining forces:

ON THE FIELD

When a generational talent with megawatt star power comes on the market in his prime, the Yankees’ lineup suddenly resembles a family dinner table at the holidays. There’s always room for one more. The Yankees’ acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton nearly one year ago ostensibly closed the door on their long-anticipated pursuit of Harper. A power-hitting outfielder with a $325 million contract? Stanton filled that role on the payroll and at the plate, where he belted 38 home runs and posted an .852 OPS, a fine season as he adjusted to a new league and market. Yet, the Yankee season also illustrated how easily they could accommodate Harper.

Stanton served as the designated hitter for 86 games, and at 29, that’s likely his home for the majority of his remaining career. An injury to Aaron Judge even forced Stanton into right field for 72 games, and while the Yankee outfield has plenty of bodies, there’s not a lot of staying power.

Should they add Harper, the player likeliest to lose a starting job would be left fielder Brett Gardner.

And Stanton, lest we forget, may opt out of his contract after the 2020 season – though whether he can, at 31, top the seven years and $218 million remaining on his deal is debatable.

In the near term, the Yankees could bracket Hicks with Harper and Judge, with Stanton at DH.

Longer term, they could conceivably play Clint Frazier in center field, or shift Harper to first base, where there’s still no viable full-time solution. These are trifling details, though, when you consider the thunder a Judge-Harper-Stanton grouping could produce at the plate.

Consider their career on-base and OPS: .398/.963, .388/.900, .358/.905.

And consider that at 26, Harper and Judge will be entering their prime power-hitting years.

And finally, consider that Harper will be moving to Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch.

OFF THE FIELD

A Harper-Yankees pairing has been so anticipated, it would almost feel cliché were it to occur.

From his love of Mickey Mantle, to his teenage tweet in support of CC Sabathia while under the Washington Nationals’ employ, to the New York press corps nudging him at every opportunity, a decade of buildup has finally given way to go time. Yet, now that the moment everyone’s been waiting for has finally arrived, it almost feels counterintuitive to pair the two. It shouldn’t. Harper as a Yankee would be an undeniably good outcome for almost every party: His significant national profile Donaldson agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Monday. McCann’s deal was announced by Atlanta, where he became a seven-time AllStar from 2005-13. He got a $2 million, one-year contract to play near his home. would expand, the Yankees would have yet another superstar to tout on a TV network they are expected to buy back, and Major League Baseball would have its most visible player on its most popular team.

It’s been far too long since the Yankees were branded the Evil Empire; pinching pennies last season to duck under baseball’s luxury tax ceiling saved them tens of millions of dollars in the long run.

Stealing Harper would cast he and they as public enemies once again. That’s OK: Baseball is better when there are characters placed in specific roles. And these Yankees would be a traveling road show many would come to see – if only to boo a freshly-shaved Harper.

CAN THEY PULL IT OFF?

Do the Yankees have the money? (Cue laugh track here). Consider this: When the Yankees splurged on free agents Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett and won the 2009 World Series, their franchise was worth $1.6 billion, according to Forbes. They had estimated revenues of $441 million – and a player payroll of $200 million. MLB, meanwhile, was generating about $6 billion in annual revenue.

In 2018? The Yankees are worth about $4 billion, their annual revenues exceed $619 million and its industry produces more than $10 billion in revenue.

Meanwhile, the Yankees’ openingday payroll was around $167 million.

Yes, you read that right: The franchise value has doubled, revenues are up 40% – and the payroll has decreased 17%.

Sure, the Yankees have their limits. But they can absolutely add Harper – say, for 12 years and $420 million – and still augment elsewhere while retaining their core.

Heck, they’ll get Judge at just above the league minimum for one more season, and then enjoy his production for around $10 to $20 million annually through three arbitration seasons.Stanton and Aroldis Chapman are the only players with guaranteed money past 2020. The Yankees could add Harper, a top-flight starter and replenish the bullpen and still have very clean books heading into the next decade.

With significant prospect capital remaining, they could even opt to pair a prospect with a toxic contract – such as Jacoby Ellsbury’s remaining $47 million – if they want to save a few bucks.

WILL IT HAPPEN

Quite possibly. Certainly, the Yankees will take a hard look at Manny Machado, who would ease the loss of Didi Gregorius in the near term and keep Miguel Andujar off third base in the long term. There’s been little indication they’re currently strongly in on Harper.

Yet a year ago, there was virtually nothing connecting them to Stanton. And when they have hundreds of millions of dollars to burn and a marquee superstar with eyes for them – well, let’s just say the Yankees are always in it.