San Francisco Giants: Is Bryce Harper the $300 Million Man?

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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 22: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals in the dugout during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on September 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Anyway, now that I have set the parameters for my arguement, here is my arguement. Nope, not worth it. The fun part is, my reasoning for this, contains more questions.

First question: Is Bryce Harper better than Alex Rodriguez was heading into their first major free agent year?

The answer there is no. Harper won an MVP, but to say he is a better and more valuable player than A-Rod was, is a tough argument to make.

A-Rod was a year younger and had better offensive numbers across the board. Furthermore, Rodriguez was a shortstop. Not only did he play a more valuble defensive position, but his offensive production obliterated the offensive production of any other player at that position. Therefore, Harper should make slightly less than what A-Rod got after factoring in inflation and other economic factors.

Second Quesion: Is Bryce Harper better than Giancarlo Stanton?

Oh, man, I don’t know. Maybe? I’ll say yes.

I don’t have any factual basis for that claim. They have pretty comparable numbers, but I’d say Harper’s defensive ability and versatility give him a slight edge. But because he’s a slightly better player/athlete doesn’t mean he deserves to be paid more. So I’d say I FEEL like he is a better player, which is very scientific of me.