Back to the MLB Newsfeed

Juan Soto can be the face of the Nats -- with or without Bryce Harper

WASHINGTON -- That the Washington Nationals were open to trading Bryce Harper speaks volumes.

First and foremost, it speaks to just how disappointing the first two-thirds of the season were, for both Harper and the Nats. Second, and almost as importantly, it speaks to just how good Juan Soto has been.

One of the main arguments against trading Harper, an idea that would've seemed blasphemous not too long ago but gained traction as the deadline approached and the Nats continued to hover around the .500 mark, was about this winter: Regardless of whether it made baseball sense, shipping the star right fielder elsewhere -- or even the mere thought of doing so -- might offend him and/or agent Scott Boras and greatly decrease the odds of Harper re-signing with Washington after his current contract expires.