Bryce Harper, a National League MVP at 23, is a free agent at 26, peddling his services in an industry that’s grown to nearly $11 billion in annual revenues. His combination of skills, age and marketing cachet make him an excellent fit for any major league franchise.

Even the Kansas City Royals.

Harper, who has 184 career home runs and a lifetime .900 OPS, rejected a 10-year, $300 million contract offer from the Nationals in September, and is a good bet to set a new standard for the most lucrative contract in North American sports history.

It’s taken weeks – and will possibly require several more – for that process to play out. In the meantime, USA TODAY Sports will examine why every team could use Harper’s services – some more than others, certainly some better-equipped to procure them.

A case for Harper and the Royals joining forces:

On the field

That November day in 2015, when half a million or so folks turned out for the Royals' victory parade, seems like a distant memory. Yet what those Royals accomplished in 2014-15 deserves another round of applause, and a fresh look through today’s lens.

Winning consecutive American League pennants and a World Series title is a gargantuan accomplishment for any team; it’s downright astounding for one in baseball’s third-smallest market.

It also proved that virtually anything is possible for any franchise.

After three decades of baseball malpractice, the Royals reignited a fan base thirsting for a winner – and paid handsomely to do so. For four consecutive seasons, they fashioned payrolls of at least $112 million, and ranked in the top 10 in spending in 2016 and 2017.

In retrospect, they paid the biggest price not to win, but to try to keep the good vibes going.

Their opening-day payroll peaked at $143 million in 2017, the final years for stalwarts Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. They spent a franchise-record $72 million to retain left fielder Alex Gordon, and $60 million on Ian Kennedy to shore up the rotation.

It’s understandable that GM Dayton Moore and owner David Glass wanted to capitalize on the good vibes. And that sentiment did not come without a price: It’s almost certain the club lost money the past two years. Moore put the estimate as high as $65 million.

That might be a bit overstated, given the creative means franchises may take to state profits and losses. And while the Royals’ expenditures are expected to recede as the club rebuilds, it’s not like running in the red dampened their desire to spend.

Lest we forget, as a rebuild loomed, they tendered the first nine-figure contract offer in their history in an effort to retain Hosmer. The offer was believed to be as high as $140 million, but Hosmer opted to sign a more front-loaded deal with the San Diego Padres.

Still, major points for trying. And information worth considering as the Royals go forward with their rebuild.

Off the field

Remember those somewhat ill-conceived outlays mentioned earlier? They’re on the verge of expiring.

Gordon is owed $24 million and will be a free agent after this season. Kennedy is slated to earn $33 million over the next two years. After that, it’s just lefty Danny Duffy and catcher Salvador Perez on the books for 2021, and nothing beyond.

The Royals for now appear bent on trying to out-run teams, not out-slug them. With Billy Hamilton and Adalberto Mondesi expected to have everyday – or close to it – roles and old friend Terrance Gore back on a major league contract, Kansas City will aim to steal runs in a cost-effective fashion.

That may be just a temporary workaround as opposed to a sustainable long-term approach as the club rebuilds its farm system. Weakened significantly by the club’s go-for-it years, the best of an improving system won’t be major league ready until at least 2020.

So how best to time the aggressive portion of the rebuild?

That will be the next rabbit Moore must pull out of his hat, and a question the organization likely won’t ponder for at least another year.

Can they pull it off?

With a franchise value now over $1 billion and annual revenues estimated at $245 million, the Royals certainly have the wherewithal to land Harper or anyone of their choosing. Naturally, such an expense would leverage their future to a possibly uncomfortable extent.

Yet if the club is rebuilt on the timeline they wish for, the next core wouldn’t hit their big earning years until Harper was more than halfway through even a decade-long commitment. In a strange sort of way, the timing isn’t too bad.

Will it happen?

Is Arby’s better than Arthur Bryant’s? (Chris Cillizza might think so).

There’s simply not enough cash and not enough will to make a Harper-Royals marriage happen. But their run at World Series glory – and a subsequently stealthy run at Hosmer – shows the will exists in Kansas City.

Even if the cash on hand doesn’t.