Bryce Harper is scorned by his childhood team; will he enact revenge?

In 2009, the last year the Yankees won anything, 16-year-old Bryce Harper earned his GED and became eligible for the MLB draft. When anyone asked, he happily described his goal in life: To play for the New York Yankees! 

For the last decade, everyone understood the secret plan: Harper would stack time in lowly Washington so he could reach free agency and come to the Bronx. Every fan knew it. He would someday be a great Yankee. He would have a plaque in Monument Park. It was his destiny.

Ainta. Gonna. Happen.

Turns out, ten years later, the Yankees are not the New York Yankees any more. That distinction belongs to Boston. Weird, eh? All this time, I'd have bet one of my yachts that the only thing separating Harper from Pinstripes was the time ticking on his Nats contract. Whenever I heard "Bryce Harper," I mentally inserted the phrase "future Yankee." Now, it's over. It's as if our best prospect just moved to Japan. 

Today, as we mourn the death of a 10-year Yankee fantasy, it's worth wondering where Harper will go, and whether he'll enact revenge on the team he once loved. The rumors say the Phillies or Dodgers, or maybe the White Sox. But until recently, those whispers always included the Yankees. Supposedly, there is a mystery team in the mix. The Orioles, looking to rebuild? Toronto, with Vladimir Guererro's kid? Or - gulp - Boston?  

Keep in mind that Harper only costs money, and MLB owners are billionaires. In Boston's case - as with Hal Steinbrenner - the owner's total worth is closer to infinity than to zero. All it takes is for somebody to want Harper more than everybody else. If he comes to the AL East, he could torture us for years. 

Meanwhile, we haven't closed the door on Manny Machado, though it's hard to know if we're merely pretending to be the Yankees - a manhood thing. The Yankees said Harper was a bad fit, but Machado comes with his own implications:

1. The reputation for not hustling. That will not go over well in NY.
 
2. He hits RH, where we are already top-heavy.

3. If he plays SS, he has limited range.

4. He won't cost any less than Harper. In fact, he might cost more.

Machado's signing could prompt the Yankees to blow up their roster. With no more money to spend, they might have to trade Miguel Andujar or Clint Frazier - both RH - for badly needed pitching. If a trade goes south - Brian Cashman's track record in trades for power arms is not promising - the Yankees could find themselves back in the doldrums. 

Either way, the Yankees do not act like a team of power and swagger. And Bryce Harper's dream, our dreams, of playing for the New York Yankees! - was always doomed. That team no longer exist.