Harper agrees to big 2018 contract

Outfielder will get $21.6 million with free agency looming.

B r y c e H a r p e r p u t u p another big number Saturday without taking a swing.

Harper a nd t he Washington Nationals reached a $21,625,000 deal for the 2018 season, a contact that covers the slugging outfielder through his last year before he can become a free agent.

The 24-year-old would’ve been eligible for salary arbitration next year. The fourtime All-Star was the unanimous NL MVP in 2015.

“It’s huge,” Harper said. “We’re able to go into the offseason and worry about different things. We’re able as a team and an organization to go out and not have to worry about me going into arbitration for another year or anything like that.”

Harper is making $13.63 million this season. After winning the MVP, Harper hit .243 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs in 2016.

This season, he is hitting .372 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 31 games for the team with the best record in the National League.

“I think it shows the comfort level Bryce has with the organization and that we have with him,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “It does a lot of good things for us. It gives us cost certainty going into the season next year, and next year’s payroll.”

Harper and Rizzo said the two sides didn’t discuss anything beyond 2018.

“I love walking into this clubhouse every single day and putting my Nationals uniform on and I’m going to enjoy this year and next year and not really worry about anything beyond that,” Harper said.

Added Rizzo: “We have a great relationship with Harp. We love having him around. He’s our own. Drafted, developed, signed, been an MVP for us.”

Cubs: The contract of Ian Happ was bought from Triple-A Iowa and the outfielder was put in Saturday’s starting lineup against St. Louis for his major league debut.

The Cubs also optioned pitcher Felix Pena to Iowa on Saturday.

Chicago is short on outfielders, so Happ st ar ted in right field. NL MVP Kris Bryant missed his second game Saturday against the Cardinals with stomach flu. Right fielder Jason Heyward remains on the 10-day disabled list with a finger injury.

Happ was hitting .298 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in 26 games with Iowa. He was a first-round draft choice, No. 9 overall.

Red S ox : L e f t - ha nder David Price, sidelined since early spring training because of a strained left elbow, is set to make a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket today.

Reds: Left-hander Tony C i n g r a n i , who i s o n t h e 10-day DL, will have his next bullpen session pushed back a day or two because of soreness in his injured oblique.

R a y s : R i g h t - h a n d e r Tommy Hunter, on the 10-day DL with a strained right calf, threw a bullpen session Saturday and said he felt fine.

Mariners: Right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma is expected to miss four to six weeks because of a sore shoulder.

Diamondbacks: Catcher Chris Iannetta has several stitches in his upper lip, plus a couple of fractured teeth and a broken nose after being hit in the face by a fastball Friday night from the Pirates’ Johnny Barbato.