It will be interesting to see whether the Nats make a serious run at re-signing Harper. A compelling case can be made that with Robles and Soto in the pipeline, and serious needs elsewhere, the money would be better spent elsewhere. And if you’re determined for whatever reason to make a massive investment in one player, they’d probably be better off with Machado.
On the other hand, Scott Boras is like a silent partner in this franchise. He represents a boatload of Nats; the Matt Wieters contract was and remains a joke. So who knows — I wouldn’t be shocked if they played to help Boras establish a floor. Or maybe the play as well because Harper is this “new” franchise’s foundational player — even though he has not played like one.
He is very good, not great, and as the years pile up the burden of proof falls more heavily on the folks who insist he is a generational player.