They were and remain a top-level contender who rather than adding talent over the course of the winter, seemed more willing to subtract it in order to cut down on costs. The Dodgers had the most disappointing offseason in baseball. What the Dodgers do have to worry about is encountering Harper in the postseason, and also making it to the postseason without Harper in their lineup. Los Angeles Dodgers: You could say the Dodgers lucked out in the sense that they don't have to worry about Harper joining Manny Machado as National League West foes for the next 10-plus years. Even if he doesn't, he should be an above-average contributor whose catch-all value metrics could receive a boost without him changing much at all. The Phillies probably hope that Harper can summon his MVP-winning 2015 self a couple times throughout this deal. His OPS+ was 133, or 33 percent better than the league-average mark. 249 last season and still posted an on-base percentage of. The problem is that the Phillies needed to land an impact-level contributor to ensure they were closer to the top of what projects to be a loaded National League East.Ĭertainly a lot of ink has been spilled about how good Harper is, but most of the skepticism stems from one year of defensive metrics, or from his batting average. In a vacuum, the Phillies had a good offseason with or without Harper by adding the aforementioned names, as well as David Robertson and other potentially useful relievers. Philadelphia Phillies: We touch on what makes the Phillies winners already, but let's rehash. Still, if you were going to list attributes of a club that's going to be competitive most years, it's probably one whose financial resources allow them to dole out contracts like this. But no fan base is going to like an underperforming star, and no team is guaranteed to be good for the next 13 seasons. Obviously there's risk that Harper becomes disliked by the Phillies fan base, or that the Phillies themselves fail to maintain a good enough roster around him to compete annually. Either way, Harper is the much-needed centerpiece of the offseason and now of the lineup. Manager Gabe Kapler can decide whether he wants to maximize Harper's power and bat him fourth or leverage his on-base skills and bat him second. The Phillies have the potential to run out a deep, above-average lineup. ![]() ![]() He should also enjoy being surrounded by the likes of Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins, J.T. From a performance standpoint, Harper figures to enjoy playing in Citizens Bank Park.
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