Nick Piccone
The Phillies are pretty hard to watch.
Coming into the season, I had some high hopes that the team would progress from last season and actually give us a baseball team in the city worth watching night in and night out.
Unfortunately, they’ve been the complete opposite. In fact, it feels like most of their losses lately have been blowouts.
Which is why we have free agency to look forward to. If not after this season, then after next season. Because Bryce Harper appears to be on the Phillies’ radar already, according to John Perrotto of FanRag Sports. Though Harper’s been linked to the New York Yankees, Perrotto says the Phillies are also looking to add an elite bat to their lineup, and Harper, of course, would fit the bill.
However, a Phillies source says his team would have interest in trying to lure Harper to Philadelphia if he reaches free agency. Harper readily admits how much he loves to hit at Citizens Bank Park, where he has batted .296/.361/.627 with 12 home runs in 158 career plate appearances.
Part of the Phillies’ pitch to Harper would be that he could finish his career with historic home run numbers if he played half his games at CBP. The 23-year-old Harper had 134 career home runs in six seasons.
“Could you imagine what he could do in that ballpark playing 81 games a year in that bandbox?” a scout from a National League team said.
The Phillies believe Harper could be the centerpiece of a potentially explosive offense that would include catcher Jorge Alfaro, first baseman Tommy Joseph, second baseman Cesar Hernandez, third baseman Maikel Franco, shortstop J.P. Crawford, left fielder Aaron Altherr and center fielder Odubel Herrera.
“We have a lot of good young players but we don’t have that one guy who has taken off and become one of the better players in the league,” the Phillies source said. “Adding a true impact hitter would make all the difference in the world.”
Harper signed a $21.65 million contract that will keep him in DC through the 2018 season. Throw. The. Bank. At. Him. Money won’t be hard to come by for the Phillies, but it’s not like they can control whether Harper hits free agency or not.
Unless they, you know, call him right now and say he has a blank check waiting for him in 2019. Which I’m sure happens around the league all the time despite it being “illegal.”
Is Harper a dick? Sure. Does that mean the Phillies shouldn’t sign him?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahano.
Oh, and they should get Mike Trout. By any means necessary. And every other great player in the game. BECAUSE I MISS BASEBALL.
You can follow Nick Piccone on Twitter (@nickpiccone) and e-mail him at [email protected]. Subscribe to his podcast on iTunes here and listen live on WildfireRadio.com every Friday at 6pm. Click here to read his pro wrestling articles on PhillyVoice. Follow Philly Influencer on Twitter (@PHL_Influencer), Facebook and Instagram.