Bryce Harper is available and the Dodgers have the ammunition

Huge MLB news broke on Monday night that the Washington Nationals could be shopping Bryce Harper at the MLB Trade Deadline. Enter the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already pulled off the biggest trade of the season by landing former Baltimore Orioles’ slugger, Manny Machado. Before Tuesday is over, the Dodgers could follow that deal up in the perfect Dodger way; by acquiring Bryce Harper.

Harper’s name has picked up some steam on the trade blocks as the Washington Nationals continue the descent towards missing the postseason. Washington 5.5 games out of the division and 6.0 games out of the second wild-card spot with a 52-53 record.

Of course, that ground can easily be made up with some in-division series wins down the line. However, if the Nationals are not confident, trading Harper as a rental is the smartest thing the team can do.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was first to report that the Nationals are in fact making Harper available via trade. However, the possibility of a trade still seems small, as the team may simply be testing the water.

Chances are that the Nationals will end up holding onto Harper, hoping to make him an August trade piece before the start of September if the ship does indeed sink. If that happens, the chances of the Dodgers actually landing Harper becomes slimmer.

At that point, though, it would make much more sense for the Nationals to deal Harper. The team would still likely get an elite prospect for Harper, while only sacrificing a month of service.

Harper is a free agent after this season and has been connected to multiple teams, none of which being the Nationals.

While I do still think the chances of Harper being traded before 1 p.m. PST tomorrow are slim, if it does happen, the Dodgers are one of the most logical teams to make a deal.

The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball and managed to really avoid tapping into that deep farm while trading for Machado. The team still maintained its top-three prospects and would utilize the number one prospect to land Harper.

That would be Alex Verdugo. Verdugo is not only the Dodgers’ top prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, he is the 29th-best prospect in baseball.

Los Angeles could send Verdugo along with catcher Will Smith (third in organization, 73rd in MLB), right-handed pitcher Yadier Alvarez (10th in organization), shortstop Ronny Brito (23rd in organization) and an expiring big league contract, such as Yasiel Puig or Logan Forsythe.

The Dodgers can easily afford this with a deep outfield and a deep catching farm system; Smith is not even the best catcher in the Dodgers organization, that honor goes to the second-best prospect, Keibert Ruiz.

As for the Nats, the team is receiving two elite prospects, a right-handed pitcher with a ton of velocity with a large ceiling, a solid shortstop that could progress into an everyday infielder and an expiring contract with no long-term commitments.

While other teams certainly can match that deal, the list of teams that likely want Harper and the list of teams willing to beat that offer may not line up.

Whether or not it happens we will all know by lunchtime. If it does happen, chances are the Dodgers will emerge as World Series favorites.