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Los Angeles Dodgers: Why Bryce Harper is worth a massive contract

By Jason Reed

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 30: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals in the dugout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 30: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals in the dugout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers /

1. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot of money freeing up

We could have started with the obvious and went with Harper’s talent and age. We will save that for later. The biggest reason why the Dodgers can afford to pay Harper the massive payday that he is asking for is because the team is going to have quite some money freeing up after this season.

If the Dodgers cannot move on of the expiring deals then the team is going to have to take its medicine and go over the luxury tax for a year, unless the Dodgers structure a deal in which the first year keeps them under.

Either way, the Dodgers are getting significant relief with cap space for 2020. Rich Hill, Matt Kemp and Hyun-Jin Ryu will all be free agents after this season. The Dodgers likely will not re-sign any of the three players. Those three alone combined for a $54.57 million cap hit this season.

The three biggest contracts, Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner all end within the next three years and all fit in the Dodgers title window. The next big contract the Dodgers have to look forward to is Corey Seager in 2022 and should have the funds by them to re-sign the star shortstop.

Turner, Jansen and Kershaw are all great but the chances are that when their contracts are up there is going to be a new wave of players leading the way. Nobody expected Justin Turner nor Kenley Jansen to be the stars that they are and the Dodgers have done a great job of keeping the momentum going with new talent.

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