Harper and Rizzo on the deal for 2018, and what comes next

The Nationals didn't have to offer Bryce Harper a 2018 contract right now. And Harper didn't have to accept the Nationals' 2018 offer right now.

So why did the two sides believe now was the time to take care of negotiations that would've been taken care of this winter and agree to a $21.625 million salary for next year?

"Why now is just because it's a good time to have a comfortable player throughout the rest of the season," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We don't have to worry about things after the season. There will be no anxious moments, arbitration moments and that type of thing."

Harper concurred, emphasizing the significance of removing this distraction from his plate for the rest of this season.

"I think it's huge," the right fielder said. "We're able to go into the offseason and worry about different things. We're able, as a team and this organization, to just go out and not have to worry about me going into arbitration for another year or anything like that. We're going to solidify that, and get going and worry about this year, of course, and worry about what we can do to get things done this year, and go into the offseason and get things done that we need, too, not worrying about me or anything like that."

That's a long-winded answer - not to mention a run-on sentence - but it does help underscore what has at times been questioned but should be pretty clear by now: The relationship between Harper and the Nationals is strong.

If it wasn't, this deal wouldn't have been signed right now. There's no real motivation or pressure to get it done in mid-May, other than to bring peace of mind to both sides and show they are not adversaries but partners.

"Harp and I have gone way back, since he's 16 years old," said Rizzo, who began scouting the kid well before he was drafted No. 1 in the country in 2010. "We've always had a great relationship and confidence with each other. He knows I've got his back, and he's got great confidence in me as a GM, with the ownership group and with the Nationals in general. It's only gotten more trustworthy, and a deeper appreciation for each other. And I think it bodes well for Harp continuing to have a great 2017 and 2018."

Most fans, of course, are far less interested in the state of the Nationals' relationship with Harper in 2017 and 2018 than they are in the state of that relationship come 2019 and beyond. It needs to be pointed out that today's signing does nothing to change the fact Harper is eligible for free agency after the 2018 season.

But by finalizing his 2018 salary right now, and making Harper the highest-paid arbitration player in baseball history, the Nationals are putting forth some legitimate goodwill toward the most important player in club history.

And that player appreciates it.

"My relationship has grown with Rizzo every single year," Harper said. "I love the Lerners. I always talk about that and always say that I love playing here as well. Love walking into this clubhouse every single day and putting my Nationals uniform on."

Both Harper and Rizzo were careful not to delve into the long-term scenario, other than to say they did not discuss a contract extension during these negotiations.

"We were trying to get this portion of it done, so we didn't discuss anything beyond 2018," Rizzo said. "Our focus was trying to ... like I said, we started this a while back, so our focus was trying to get this thing done through his arbitration years."

"I don't like to talk about anything beyond anything like that," Harper said. "So 2018 is solidified, and we're going to worry about what we can this year, and control this year and next year, and the rest is just not on my mind as of right now."