The Cubs' Path to Reuniting MLB MVPs Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant

Following a 2017 season in which much went wrong, the Chicago Cubs have a lot to figure out this winter.

It also isn't too early to hammer out a plan for reuniting Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant.

As he has been for all six of his major league seasons, Harper will be under the employ of the Washington Nationals in 2018. The Nationals locked him in for $21.65 million, a new record for an arbitration-eligible player, in May.

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That deal did nothing to delay Harper's free agency, however. He's still ticketed to hit the open market after 2018, which would set off the hottest free-agent sweepstakes in Major League Baseball history.

Harper, 25, is roughly three years younger than fellow superstar right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, who's the holder of the biggest contract in sports history at 13 years and $325 million. The Washington man's career averages include a .902 OPS, 25 home runs and 4.4 wins above replacement per season. He was named MVP in 2015 and might be the favorite for another this year had he not missed 41 games with a knee injury.

All Harper must do in 2018 is stay healthy—which, given his track record, will be the hard part—and otherwise be himself. If he does, he and superagent Scott Boras will have a shot at realizing the oft-mentioned hypothetical contract worth $400 million or even $500 million.

The Cubs are a reasonable entry in a not-so-long list of possible suitors for Harper. And according to internet gossip, any interest would be mutual.

David Banks/Associated Press

As Tony Andracki covered at NBC Sports, Harper has teased a move to Chicago by openly flaunting his appreciation for Chicago sports teams and for the home of the Cubs themselves. Notably, he has a dog named "Wrigley."

Then there's his relationship with Bryant.

The two former MVPs are just a year apart in age and, once upon a time, played as teammates and opponents during their youth baseball days in Las Vegas. They and their wives are good friends, and both parties have cranked the rumor mill with Instagram hashtags like #HarpertotheCubs and #Back2BackOneDay.

All this could be mere trolling largely perpetrated by a troll king.

"I do that to the media because they stir it more than I do," Harper said in July, per Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post. "That's why I do the things I do at times, because it's funny to me. It's like, 'All right, people want to talk about this and talk about that. Why not just throw this out there and make them think about it?'"

But even that quote might be an attempt to mislead. Legendary baseball reporter Peter Gammons has heard Harper's preference is indeed to end up in Chicago. So has FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman, who wrote on October 26: "There continue to be whispers that Bryce Harper could eventually wind up with the Cubs."

Chicago is far from finished with a contention window that, just over the past three years, has produced 292 regular-season wins, two NL Central titles and a long-awaited World Series championship in 2016. It also has pockets deep enough for two straight $170-plus million payrolls.

They are a natural fit for Harper to those extents, but they don't stack up as well in future financial flexibility. As seen here, they place toward the high end of the spectrum for 2019 payroll commitments:

This is assuming Jason Heyward declines to opt out of the five years and $106 million remaining on his deal after 2018. And not pictured are the other expenses the Cubs will have after 2018.

They are all but certain to pick up the 2019 options for Jose Quintana ($10.5 million) and Pedro Strop ($6.25 million). And with Bryant, Kyle Hendricks, Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber slated for arbitration, Chicago's arbitration payouts for 2019 should eclipse even Cot's Baseball Contracts' projection of $35.5 million for 2018.

That doesn't leave much room for a $30 million to $40 million-per-year player. There would be even less if the Cubs break the bank to patch more immediate needs this winter.

They need starting pitchers to occupy the slots left open by Jake Arrieta's and John Lackey's free agency. They must also address a bullpen that was weak even with ace closer Wade Davis, who's also a free agent.

A reunion with Davis is doable, but it will cost the Cubs quite a bit more to either reunite with Arrieta or to fill his shoes will fellow free-agent ace Yu Darvish. A wiser play would be to go to the trade market. In Russell, Baez, Schwarber and Happ, the Cubs have pieces to pursue a deal for top-flight starters—such as Chris Archer or Michael Fulmer.

The Cubs could also score a relatively cheap coup by landing Japanese flamethrower/slugger Shohei Otani. But as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported, uncertainty over MLB's posting system has created doubts as to whether Otani will be available this winter.

But if not, oh well.

Some affordable options for Chicago's rotation include Alex Cobb, Andrew Cashner, Jaime Garcia, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Hellickson, each of whom is a pitch-to-contact type who could thrive in front of the excellent Cubs defense. Fits on the relief front include Brandon Morrow, Jake McGee, Pat Neshek, Anthony Swarzak, Steve Cishek and Brandon Kintzler.

All told, the Cubs have plenty of options to make necessary improvements for 2018 while also keeping the door open for Harper to join up for 2019 and beyond. And while they would have competition in that arena, a couple things could have the fortunate effect of lightening it.

For one, it's likely Stanton will soon be traded to a team that might otherwise have Harper in its sights. The list includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies.

For two, the long-since-cemented assumption the New York Yankees will go all out for Harper doesn't hold as much water anymore. In Aaron Judge, they have an elite right fielder who might soon be Harper's equal in MVPs and who might already be his equal in marketability.

So even if it's not quite a straight path, there is a route for Harper to join Bryant on the North Side of Chicago. If the Cubs can avoid blocking it or altering it, they would stand to eventually benefit from it.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference. Payroll and contract data courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts.