Washington Nationals Put Bryce Harper's Major League Debut on Hold

Could we call this the GQ feature jinx?

Washington Nationals sensation Bryce Harper is the subject of a profile in the April issue of GQ, which hit the internet last week. Just a few days later, the Nats delayed Harper's expected ascension to major league stardom by assigning the outfielder to Class-AAA Syracuse on Sunday. 

The decision was likely finalized by Harper's four-strikeout performance against the Detroit Tigers, in which he left six runners on base. That gave him 11 strikeouts in 28 at-bats during Grapefruit League play, with two walks and no home runs. Not exactly what the Nats were hoping to see from him this spring, and a pretty good indication that struggles with off-speed pitches are preventing him from being major league ready. 

What might be more interesting about Harper's minor league stint is that he will be playing center field in Syracuse. Previously, he'd been ticketed as the Nats' future right fielder. But the team hasn't had much luck in trying to find someone to man center field.

Nyjer Morgan didn't pan out before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. A trade for Denard Span at last year's trade deadline fell through. And while the Nats brought back Rick Ankiel to be their center fielder for the second straight season, he and last year's .659 OPS are hardly the long-term solution needed at that position. Nor is Jayson Werth, who the team briefly considered for center field before coming to their senses and putting him back in right field. 

Is it possible that Harper could become an even more vital player to their future than he already was? If he can handle center field, which he says is his favorite outfield position, the answer is probably yes. 

Harper's demotion is surely a disappointing development for Nationals fans, who wanted the future to begin now, especially with the team looking like a contender in the NL East. But expecting him to make the Nats' Opening Day roster when he hasn't played much above Class-A was probably never realistic to begin with. 

Another consideration, as pointed out by Dan Kolko of MASNSports.com, is that bringing Harper up later in the season—for instance, in June—delays his major league service time and puts him under club control for one more season, through 2018. 

Obviously, this doesn't mean that Harper won't see the majors this season. If he's mashing Triple-A pitching while playing a slick center field, the Nationals would be crazy to leave him in Syracuse when he could make a significant contribution. By that point, perhaps Harper could be the key difference in what looks to be a fierce NL East race this season.