The 2018 Trade That Almost Sent Bryce Harper To Astros Is Revealed!

Bryce Harper will enter the batter’s box at Minute Maid Park sometime on Friday night to begin his World Series career against Justin Verlander and the Astros. Harper’s World Series career may have begun four years earlier for the team he will face in this year’s Fall Classic if former Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow had his way.

Prior to the 2019 season, Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies, committing his whole baseball career to Philadelphia.

The 2018 Trade That Almost Sent Bryce Harper To Astros Is Revealed!

Throughout his walk year in 2018, he remained a Washington National, but there was a significant commotion around a potential deadline deal.

The blockbuster transaction that failed to materialise before the July 31 trade deadline in 2018 is now known to have involved Harper and the Houston Astros. This is already known.

The Astros’ pursuit of Harper at the 2018 Trade Deadline has since grown to be one of the most significant “what if” scenarios in modern baseball history, as the Houston Chronicle revealed on Wednesday. In an interview with Chandler Rome of the Chronicle, Luhnow revealed that the Astros and Harper, a pending free agent, had agreed in principle.

The deal involved Abraham Toro, who was ranked No. 24 in Houston’s system at the time, Randy César, who was ranked No. 30, and Josh James, who was ranked No. 6. J.B. Bukauskas, who was ranked No. 8, and unranked Kent Emanuel. Although Luhnow had previously stated that there was an agreement between the two teams, the specifics of the potential trade deal had never been disclosed.

None of the five prospects was able to establish themselves as major league regulars. Emanuel spent the entire 2022 season on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, although he never played in a major league game. This season, Toro played in 324 at-bats for the Mariners, but he put up awful stats.

In the majors, Randy César has yet to appear in a game. James is out after undergoing flexor tendon surgery a month ago. He has hardly pitched in the majors over the last two years, while Bukauskas reached the majors with Arizona last season.

General manager Mike Rizzo of the Nationals needs ownership clearance to finalise the trade since Harper was a franchise player. Trade was terminated by owner Ted Lerner. Harper stayed a National for another two months, and he went on to sign a massive deal with a division rival.

“Needless to say, I was really bummed,” former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told Rome.

Would Harper have remained an Astro if the deal had been approved? In all likelihood, no. Less than one-third of Harper’s $330 million contract is larger than the most significant free agent contract the Astros have ever signed (for Carlos Lee in 2006), which was worth $100 million. In 2020, Harper did admit that the Astros had attempted to lure him to a one-year contract with an outrageous average yearly value, but he had little interest in such proposals.

 

 

 

FOR MORE MLB UPDATES-

Frank Thomas Has Been “Name Called” By Ex-Teammate In New Book

Former Yankees Star Mariano Rivera: “If I am the owner, Aaron Boone wouldn’t stay!”