Bad look: Harper flirting with Yanks

With the Nationals struggling badly, their superstar outfielder suddenly decided to take ground balls at first base.

Which raises an obvious question: Just how much is Scott Boras starting to panic over Bryce Harper’s price tag in free agency?

You have to believe Harper’s pregame work at first base came straight from the Boras suggestion box. In fact, it seemed like a transparent attempt to get the Yankees’ attention, as Greg Bird’s ongoing struggles raise questions about whether he’s their longterm answer at first base.

After all, it was followed by Boras’ all-out assault on defensive shifts as being bad for baseball because they’re unfair to left-handed hitters, which he wants everyone to believe is the reason Harper is hitting .215 entering Thursday.

Harper is still doing damage, with 21 home runs, while leading the league with 68 walks. But it’s logical to think his funk could be related to his upcoming free agency and his desire to set a new standard with the richest contract in baseball history.

But ground balls at first? You can’t help but think some of his teammates raised an eyebrow upon seeing that. He’s the guy they need to save them, and here he is creating the appearance that he’s more concerned about where he’ll play next season.

Here’s how one executive from a team unlikely to be in the Harper sweepstakes viewed it:

“The timing makes it a really bad look. You have to ask whether leadership is an issue, and some of that comes back to your best player. I don’t know what their other players think of Harper, but they don’t need another first baseman, so I can’t imagine they thought he did that for the good of the ballclub.”

The best approach for Harper isn’t trying to catch the Yankees’ eye by taking ground balls at first base. It’s to start hitting like Bryce Harper. And perhaps inspire his teammates while he’s at it.