I've simmed the next few years (2018-2023) for the SF Giants several times. My best runs all involve signing Harper, for sure. They have a gaping hole in RF and money. But he can be had for much less than $500M (in OOTP at least).
Signing Harper (and some additional moves) can make the Giants competitive in 2018-2020 while you work behind the scenes rebuilding the awful farm system and finding your replacements for the aging core. This way, you avoid the "total rebuild" which keeps your fan loyalty (and payroll) sky high. More money to allocate to drafting, player development etc.
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