Toronto Blue Jays: Don’t get too excited by Bryce Harper talk

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins had plenty to say about Bryce Harper on Monday, but the chances of him moving to Southern Ontario are tenuous at best.

It’s pretty clear the Toronto Blue Jays are in a major rebuild, as they look to turn around the franchise and become long-term contenders. The likes of Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki have moved on, with the possibility of players such as Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez following them out of the exit door.

With all this in mind, general manager Ross Atkins’ Monday appearance on TSN 1050 took an interesting turn, when Bryce Harper was brought up. In theory, the Blue Jays don’t have a realistic shot at signing the biggest free agent on the market.

Further, you have to wonder why the team would even go down this road, given the aforementioned rebuild? Regardless, as per TSN.ca, Atkins admitted he has considered Harper:

"“Believe me, we’ve spent time and energy on it. It makes sense, there’s no doubt about it…It’s something that we’ve contemplated; we’ll continue to. There’s a lot of talent that would be able to help our organization moving forward and we’ll continue to consider all of our alternatives.”More from Toronto Blue JaysBlue Jays avoid disaster as Kevin Gausman injury not seriousBlue Jays interested in outfielder Andrew BenintendiBlue Jays hope fresh start for Sergio Romo boosts bullpenBlue Jays need to have a break from Yusei KikuchiBlue Jays: Nate Pearson suffers yet another setback"

In fairness to Atkins, it was the TSN 1050 hosts who brought up the subject of Harper. In addition, you shouldn’t read too much into the GM saying the front office has spent time considering the player; they wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t consider him.

As if to show how much Atkins and the team have considered the prospect, he discussed how the 2015 National League MVP would fit into the lineup. As per TSN.ca, he said:

"“He would fit well in between (Bo) Bichette and (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) at some point, there’s no question. He’s an intriguing player.”"

There’s no denying Harper would be an explosive addition to the Blue Jays. Despite already having played seven years in the Majors, he’s only just reaching his prime and still has a long career ahead of him.

(The 2010 first overall draft pick is coming off a season where he set career-bests with 100 RBIs and 130 walks. He also produced the second-most hits, homers and runs of his Major League career.)

However, there are several reasons why the six-time All-Star won’t end up in Toronto. For a start, he wants to play for a team which will contend immediately, as opposed to undergoing a rebuild.

Secondly, Harper is going to demand a lot of money. Consider that he reportedly turned down a 10-year, $300 million from the Washington Nationals after the 2018 season.

The Blue Jays are trying to shave money off their payroll, not add to it. And even if they were willing to increase it, you can’t imagine Rogers would even entertain a contract approaching what the Nationals apparently offered, never mind exceed it. (Not that Rogers can’t afford it.)

(In this respect, it has since been reported by CBS Sports‘ MLB Analyst Jim Bowden, that the 10-year, $300 million deal was only the Nationals’ first offer. They apparently then went on to offer much more.)

In any event, USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reports that the Philadelphia Phillies have emerged as the clear-cut favourites to sign Harper. The meeting between the two sides apparently went extremely well; and don’t rule out the significance of the right fielder getting to remain in the National League.

Overall, it’s nice to dream and wonder about what could be; there’s no denying the potential impact of signing Harper. Unfortunately for Toronto Blue Jays fans, back in the real world it just isn’t going to happen.

What is your take on Atkins’ comments about Harper? Do you see any scenario where the 2015 NL MVP ends up with the Toronto Blue Jays, are did you immediately dismiss the possibility? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.