Bryce Harper Appears on a $400M Mission to Dominate Free-Agent Year

The name Bryce Harper and the words "contract year" always had an intriguingly ominous ring.

A week and change into the 2018 MLB season, they've had an ominous outcome as well. Not for the Washington Nationals, nor for Harper's bank account.

But certainly for opposing pitchers.

As he marches toward what could be the most lucrative winter for any player in baseball history, Harper looks like a man on a mission.

Check out this sequence in a game between the Nationals and Cincinnati Reds. It's indicative of how locked in Harper is and how accustomed opposing fans have become to him playing the role of beloved villain:

Through nine games, Harper is 10-for-28. Of those 10 hits, six have been home runs. If you're keeping score at home, that equates to a 1.535 OPS.

"I don't care who's on the mound," Harper said after homering against the New York Mets' Matt Harvey, against whom he'd been 2-for-29, per Jamal Collier of MLB.com. "Just trying to go out there, have good at-bats, see pitches over the plate and drive the ball."

The Nats are 4-5 after their Sunday night loss to the Mets, which was the culmination of a three-game sweep by the Queens contingent. Harper, meanwhile, is rolling.

"Bryce is a great hitter. He's getting even better," veteran teammate Howie Kendrick said, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. "It seems like the plate discipline [is] becoming even more. Not that he hasn't known the strike zone before, but it's impressive what he's been doing and what he did last year."

We've been eyeing this eventuality for a while. Harper's impending foray into free agency was a simmering story almost from the moment he won National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2012. By the time he was named NL MVP in 2015, it seemed like a scintillating, foregone conclusion.

Now, it's about to happen. Barring an eleventh-hour extension, Harper will hit the open market after this season. A Brink's truck payday awaits.

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

In the six seasons prior to this one, Harper has made five All-Star appearances and tallied 27.3 fWAR, which ranks 11th in baseball over that span.

He's also had a range of injuries and surpassed 150 games only once in his career. Last season, he was limited to 111 games by a knee issue.

This is where we note Harper's age. The kid—and we can credibly call him that—won't turn 26 until Oct. 16. He's almost six months younger than New York Yankees masher Aaron Judge.

In December 2016, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Harper was angling for a deal in the neighborhood of 10 years and $400 million. MLB has never witnessed a contract in excess of $400 million before, though Giancarlo Stanton cracked the $300 million threshold with the Miami Marlins in November 2014.

In February 2016, Harper responded to the notion of a $400 million pact thusly, per Chris Lingebach of CBS DC: "Don't sell me short."

Teams were stingy this offseason. Some top-tier free agents, including right-hander Jake Arrieta, dangled unsigned into spring training.

That said, the luxury tax threshold is set to rise from $197 million in 2018 to $206 million in 2019. Clubs that saved their ducats could be primed to splurge.

Let's assume Harper maintains his pace and meets or exceeds his outburst of 2015, when he tied for the NL lead with 42 home runs and posted a Bondsian 1.109 OPS. If so, he'll be a prize worth pursuing for several deep-pocketed suitors.

The Nationals have touted outfield prospect Victor Robles, who's marinating in the minors, but they will be compelled to make at least a token effort to re-up with their franchise player.

The Yankees should enter the sweepstakes along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and any number of mystery teams. In a free-agent class that could also include shortstop Manny Machado, left-hander Clayton Kershaw (assuming he opts out) and other luminaries, Harper stands tall.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Mix in his brash personality and "make baseball fun again" shenanigans, and he's arguably MLB's most marketable star. Picture him in L.A. Picture him in the Big Apple.

We're forgetting the plight of the Nationals, who have not advanced past the division series since the franchise moved from Montreal between the 2004 and 2005 seasons. If this is Harper's D.C. swan song, surely he's motivated to guide the only squad he's ever known to the promised land.

A man on a mission. A generational talent. That should add up to a ludicrous statistical output and a gargantuan contract.

It should also be an ominous sign for opposing pitchers—and an enticing storyline for the rest of us.

All statistics accurate through Sunday and courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.