Harper Available?

[Ken]

Harper blows.

9 win talents grow on trees, you're right.

[Mithrandir]

9 win talents grow on trees, you're right.

What do you mean 9 win talent?

Harpers career WAR (Baseball Reference)

5.2 - 2012
3.7- 2013
1.1 - 2014
10.0 - 2015
1.5 - 2016
4.7 - 2017
0.4 - 2018

[Ken]

What do you mean 9 win talent?

Harpers career WAR (Baseball Reference)

5.2 - 2012
3.7- 2013
1.1 - 2014
10.0 - 2015
1.5 - 2016
4.7 - 2017
0.4 - 2018

Sorry you are right! 10 win talents grow on trees, not 9 win talents.

[Mithrandir]

Sorry you are right! 10 win talents grow on trees, not 9 win talents.

You conveniently ignore the other years he has been pretty bad or simply average. Got it!

I know Harper has prodigious talent, but more often than not he doesn't seem to achieve much with that talent.

[Ken]

You conveniently ignore the other years he has been pretty bad or simply average. Got it!

I know Harper has prodigious talent, but more often than not he doesn't seem to achieve much with that talent.

I'm not ignoring anything. I said 10 win talent. A player that is capable of putting up a 10 win season. That "talent" has a ton of value. There are only a few players capable of that output.
Other factors apply obviously but ignoring the talent part of the equation would be a mistake. Saying he "blows" is silly. He has more trade value in his pinky finger than most mlb players.

[chancellor]

Would the Mets, Reds, Padres or Marlins claim him, pay a price in prospects and pay his $7m salary remaining to get him for 6 weeks with no hope of signing him and no compensation for losing him? I doubt it. What's to gain, some ticket and soon-to-be obsolete jersey sales? Would they place a claim just to block him from moving? Maybe.

So if he clears those teams, the rest are above .500 and would stand to reap some benefits from a Harper claim & trade.

Do you think that's an implausible scenario?

I don't think it's plausible. I suspect a playoff contending team would put in a claim even if they're not interested to block a team that could use him from getting him, and the Nats won't just dump him for the salary relief.

[Mithrandir]

I'm not ignoring anything. I said 10 win talent. A player that is capable of putting up a 10 win season. That "talent" has a ton of value. There are only a few players capable of that output.
Other factors apply obviously but ignoring the talent part of the equation would be a mistake. Saying he "blows" is silly. He has more trade value in his pinky finger than most mlb players.

The He blows was tongue in cheek. And I know his trade VALUE is huge, his output certainly hasn't been. Taking a chance he regains that 10 win season is something I guess teams are willing to take.

[revo]

Any examples of a superstar on an expiring deal being traded in August instead of pre-deadline that anyone can think of?

Justin Upton last year.

While not “superstars”, Jay Bruce and Yonder Alonso were also players having great seasons on expiring contracts and were dealt in August 2017.