So this is still a few years premature obviously, and of course a component of wishful thinking on my part, but an incredibly exciting possibility for Yankee fans and one that came to mind again today after watching him being assaulted by Papelbon in his own dugout.
Harper will be a FA after the 2018 season when he has just turned 26, and as a Boras client, it's unlikely WAS will be able to lock him up long-term before then. Harper grew up as a Yankee fan, and says Mickey Mantle is his favorite player and he wears #34 because those add up to Mantie's #7.
Buster Olney and others wrote about this in June when Harper and WAS played in Yankee Stadium and Harper took pix in Monument Park. Buster Olney, who has no vested interest, wrote about it at the time and concluded as follows:
"Harper to the Yankees? Is it possible?
Let’s put it this way: The Washington Nationals, who might have the wealthiest ownership in the sport, will do what they can to keep Harper. Other teams will be interested in talking with Harper if and when he reaches free agency (and almost all Scott Boras clients test the open market).
But any forecaster with any sense of the player and the franchise would tell you: It would be shocking if Harper isn’t wearing a Yankees uniform on Opening Day in 2019."
http://espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post?id=10400
Harper will be a FA after the 2018 season when he has just turned 26, and as a Boras client, it's unlikely WAS will be able to lock him up long-term before then. Harper grew up as a Yankee fan, and says Mickey Mantle is his favorite player and he wears #34 because those add up to Mantie's #7.
Buster Olney and others wrote about this in June when Harper and WAS played in Yankee Stadium and Harper took pix in Monument Park. Buster Olney, who has no vested interest, wrote about it at the time and concluded as follows:
"Harper to the Yankees? Is it possible?
Let’s put it this way: The Washington Nationals, who might have the wealthiest ownership in the sport, will do what they can to keep Harper. Other teams will be interested in talking with Harper if and when he reaches free agency (and almost all Scott Boras clients test the open market).
But any forecaster with any sense of the player and the franchise would tell you: It would be shocking if Harper isn’t wearing a Yankees uniform on Opening Day in 2019."
http://espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post?id=10400