Let us not forget: Bryce Harper loves him some J.T. Realmuto.
Harper badly wanted his Nationals to acquire Realmuto last season, but Washington was so disappointing that instead of buying ahead of the trade deadline, it sold.
After a game on July 29 in which Realmuto delivered the game-winning RBI single, Harper had something pretty interesting to say:
"If that guy was on our side, it wouldn't have happened," Harper said of Realmuto.
Not a comment you often hear a player make about a competitor.
Weeks before that, at the All-Star Game, Harper playfully put a Nationals cap on Realmuto's head.
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It's not nothing ...
Harper isn't going to base his decision on where Realmuto is playing in 2019. But if the Phillies make or have already made the best offer to Harper, Realmuto is quite the sweetener.
The Phillies, with Realmuto, look like a team capable of winning 84 to 88 games. That should make them more appealing to both Harper and Manny Machado. It should show both stars that this roster is capable of pushing for a playoff spot even without them and that their presence would put the Phils over the top.
The Phillies can offer more than just the most money now.
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