Mike Rizzo wants Bryce Harper to be a Washington National ‘for life’

Until Bryce Harper is locked up with a long-term contract, fans of the Washington Nationals will be left to wonder and worry about his long-term future with the team.

Though those fans certainly enjoyed watching Harper break out during the 2015 season, a campaign that will no doubt net the 23-year-old superstar his first MVP award, his elite production will only heighten those anxieties further.

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Harper is a young player who is living up to the hype, much like his counterpart Mike Trout with the Los Angeles Angels. However, unlike Trout’s current deal, Harper isn’t a lock to be with Washington into the next decade. He’ll be eligible to elect free agency following the 2018 season. He is, however, a lock to have everybody’s best offer thrown his way should he reach the open market, which is undoubtedly a scary thought for Nationals fans.

In an effort to calm those fears — perhaps in his own mind as well — Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo spoke out about Harper’s status during the general manager’s meetings this week. Rizzo made it clear that he’d love for Harper to remain a National ‘for life,’ which is about the only scenario that would allow fans to relax.

“We want Bryce to be here for a long long time. ” Rizzo told the gathered media. “He’s a guy I’ve seen play forever it seems. I’ve seen him play since he was 14. He was a guy we signed, drafted and developed. He’s turned into an MVP-type player for us. We love the guy. We’ve got him locked in for the near future and we certainly would love for him to be a National for life. …. I think he likes being in D.C. I think he loves playing for the Nationals. He loves the city of D.C. I think that bodes well for us.”

Granted, there’s nothing shocking here. Aside from Trout, there’s no more valuable player in the game than Harper. There’s no telling what his ceiling will prove to be as offensive force, but he’s already shown that his floor equals All-Star production. There’s a real chance he’ll be challenging multiple baseball records before he’s done, because he’s still years away from what most would consider his prime.

The Nationals relationship with Harper and agent Scott Boras has been dicey. They narrowly avoided a grievance over this contract status by agreeing to a two-year contract last winter. That seems to have smoothed things over for now. Harper still has two more years of arbitration eligibility, which will no doubt be expensive. But it also means the Nationals have time to continue strengthening the relationship and work toward getting a deal done.

Here’s more from the Washington Post:

A deal that would keep Harper in Washington would likely be historic and enormous. Some rival agents believe Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, would want to set a record with Harper’s first big deal. The benchmark: Miami’s 13-year, $325-million deal with star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, which also includes an opt-out after six years. Stanton inked that deal at 25 before his second year of arbitration. Harper would be a free agent at 26.

One big positive for the Nationals is Harper’s reaction to their coaching staff overhaul. Harper called the new group headed by Dusty Baker an All-Star staff, which indicates he’s more than content with the direction they’re headed. 

As for Boras’ thoughts:

“I don’t discuss what teams do contractually,” Boras said when asked about Harper’s potential long-term future with the Nationals. “Bryce is certainly very happy with Washington and I’m sure Washington is very happy with him.”

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We’re guessing Boras will have more to say next winter when Harper hits arbitration again. Especially if he repeats or even surpasses his 2015 production.

For now, everybody is saying the right thing, if not the predictable thing, which is to be expected. Regardless, this will remain one of baseball’s more intriguing underlying stories until Harper’s massive payday and long-term contract is finalized.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813