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 Cincinnati Reds.

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

It may take weeks 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 Reds joining forces:

On the field

The only thing greater than pairing two Hall of Fame caliber left-handed hitters would be the cost-effective, right-handed slugger the Reds could bat between them.

Harper and Joey Votto had characteristically good seasons in 2018, far from the best for either of them yet still among the top 20 in the NL in OPS. Neither held a candle to Eugenio Suarez, however.

The third baseman bashed 34 home runs, drove in 104 and his .892 OPS tied Freddie Freeman for seventh in the National League.

He did all this while earning a mere $2.25 million base salary. In 2019, he will be paid just $7 million in the second year of a seven-year, $66 million deal that already looks like a managerial masterstroke by the Reds.

It’s the sort of found value that can pry open a window of contention. And the best way to smash through that glass might be to field a world-class lineup in their hitter’s heaven of a ballpark.

As they’ve slogged to four consecutive last-place finishes – losing between 94 and 98 games a season – the Reds have churned through dozens of starting pitchers, a mélange of arms largely homegrown or imported through big-time trades that inspired hope for a well-reasoned rebuild.

Now, the club is ready to spend some dough again and the intuitive move is to sink its cash into pitching.

But waving $90 million or so at a singular starter, such as Dallas Keuchel, won’t turn the Reds into a pitching-and-defense squad overnight.

What they do have are a ton of arms that seem ill-suited to conventional pitching roles. The likes of Raisel Iglesias, Amir Garrett, Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson, Brandon Finnegan, Tyler Mahle, Cody Reed – the list just keeps going – have taken cracks at starting with bursts of success, but nothing sustained.

Adding an aging starter to the mix won’t be the most efficient way to turn their mound fortunes around. Their own $105 million investment in Homer Bailey offers something of a cautionary tale in that vein.

No, given who they are and where they play, the quickest path to glory likely lies in run explosion, not run prevention.

And with the hitters they have on hand – and those on the way – there’s another entirely different Red machine to be built.

First off, it’s mind-boggling to ponder how Harper’s left-handed bat would play in Great American Ballpark – the most consistently friendly hitting palace in baseball. As he enters what should be his peak power years, that notion would certainly appeal to him, too.

And there’d be no shortage of pitches to hit.

Should the Reds be so inclined, they could stack the top of their 2019 lineup with on-base dynamos. Imagine navigating through Scooter Gennett (.357 OBP in 2018), Harper (.393), Suarez (.366), Votto (.417) and Jesse Winker (.405 in 89 games).

Coming soon: Nick Senzel, the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball who will play wherever once he’s ready, and likely replace Gennett at second after 2019.

The Reds system also leans heavily toward position players, led by emerging center fielder Taylor Trammell and advanced hitter Jonathan India.

The Harper-Suarez-Votto triad would ensure these players a pressure-free landing in the big leagues. Should they enjoy a surplus of hitters both now and in the future, all the better: They can deal from this position of strength to bolster what may be their most sustainable pitching plan – versatile power arms, in bulk.

Off the field

Is baseball truly a national sport? There may be no greater test of this concept than placing its biggest star in the 35th-ranked TV market.

Yet in this era when virtually every game is available (almost) everywhere, Harper’s Q rating doesn’t necessarily have to die in the Queen City. And his presence would significantly prop up a franchise drenched in tradition but struggling for relevance since winning the 1990 World Series.

Harper’s reverence for the game’s history is legitimate and joining the franchise that essentially birthed professional baseball would dovetail with that vision. Perhaps his dog, Wrigley, wouldn’t answer so quickly to “Crosley” or “Nuxhall.” Then again, with a nine-figure contract in hand, Harper could just get another dog.

Lest we forget, Cincinnati is a mere 100 miles from Columbus, site of wife Kayla’s collegiate soccer exploits and, more recently, Harper’s epic turn on College GameDay.

Can they pull it off?

With a franchise valued at $1.1 billion and annual revenues of $243 million, according to Forbes, the Reds certainly have the wherewithal to add Harper.

Admittedly, his addition would create some inflexibility, though the club’s relatively clean ledgers will further clear up over time. Bailey’s $23 million deal will be off the books after this season, while Votto will earn $25 million annually through 2023.

Tying up some $60 million annually in two players – Harper figures to sign for, say, $420 million over 12 seasons – would be challenging in the near term. But if owner Bob Castellini somehow has cash flow problems, he could backload the deal to ease them through the Votto years. While that might chafe agent Scott Boras, backloading is still preferable to deferred money, which Boras has had to accept in recent years for some of his nine-figure clients.

Will it happen?

Not likely. The Reds’ opening-day payroll has gone as high as $115 million in 2015, but even with baseball revenues bursting higher into the stratosphere – hello, gambling! – adding Harper would be a significant departure from their MO.

It still might be cheaper -and a lot more fun – than paying a premium for pitching, though.