Bryce Harper is still only 22.
Bryce Harper is still only 22. (USATSI)

After an early edition last week, it has been a while since we've checked in with some dumb, so let's do it. It's This Week in (Dumb) Baseball (first installment here | second here | third here | fourth here) early. 

1. Harper/Nats impasse

Earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote a column about how the Nationals and Bryce Harper are in the middle of a dispute regarding whether or not Harper can opt out of his deal after next season and enter the arbitration system.

Now, Harper isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2018 system regardless, but his five-year deal expires after next season and he'll then enter his arbitration years. Since he's qualified into "Super Two" status, he could enter arbitration this season -- and make a lot more money than the $2.25M he's due in 2015 -- if there was an opt-out clause. Harper's camp, led by agent Scott Boras, believes there is. The Nationals believe there's not. These things are pretty standard for the highest picks and even Anthony Rendon has one. He wasn't the top overall pick like Harper was.

What I'm wondering is why such a drawn-out argument -- it may be headed to a hearing after first coming to light last summer -- is worth it for the Nationals. They have plenty of money. The Lerner family is one of the richest ownership groups in the majors. A player of Harper's ilk (.272/.351/.465 with two 20-homer seasons under his belt) is worth far more in today's MLB dollars than what he's making now. He also just turned 22, meaning he's still younger than, just to name one prospect, Kris Bryant.

I'm just not understanding what's to gain here from Washington's perspective. He's still one of the youngest players in baseball, is a two-time All-Star, hits well above average, has light-tower power, has helped the team get to the playoffs two of the past three seasons and was one of the few players to show up in the NLDS loss to San Francisco. Factor in that his talent could rather easily blossom into an MVP here within the next few years (Andrew McCutchen, for example, didn't even make his MLB debut until he was older than Harper is now) and the Nationals still have him under control through 2017 and none of this makes sense.

I don't wanna discuss them setting a precedent because everything should be handled on an individual level and few have Harper's talent.

From where I sit, it's pretty dumb to not just let Harper opt out and cough up a few extra dollars. Again, they can more than afford it.

1a. The Harper Hate Train

You hear it? It's barreling down on us!

Let's see ... I'm guessing we'll see things in the comments about Harper being "overrated," a "punk," disliked by his teammtes (which has never been proven), a "media darling" and so much more. A few greatly misguided individuals may even call him a bust.

Harper's always going to be polarizing for various reasons (he was a teenage millionaire, he was getting hype at 15, he shows both positive and negative emotion while playing, etc.), but let's try to keep our wits about us. He's still done more before age 22 in the majors than an overwhelming majority of the players in baseball history. Once he shakes the nagging injuries and grows into what he can be, watch out.

Let's just put it this way, if there was a player as good as Harper on your favorite team at his age in the minors, you would be talking about how he was set to become a superstar. I would (oh wait, I do! Kris Bryant!).

If and when Harper becomes the superstar most think he can be, the Nationals might be wishing they didn't squabble over a few million bucks -- especially when they're paying Nate McLouth $5 million next season.

2. Stop throwing at heads, please

Awful news from the sporting world came down last week when Australian cricket player Phillip Hughes died. He had been injured when a ball struck him in the upper neck. Cricket balls are similar enough to baseballs that it got my mind wandering.

Baseball helmets don't cover necks.

While getting hit with a pitch is an occupational hazard that is accepted by baseball players, pitchers throwing at the heads of opposing players shouldn't be part of that pact. It's unnecessary and, frankly, reckless.

So let's please just stop with all this macho posturing and the "right way" crap when it comes to throwing at players. Even when a pitcher wants to put one in the middle of a back, it could get away from him. It's hard enough to avoid getting hit by a pitch when the pitcher wants to throw a strike. We don't need to add onto that with so-called purpose pitches.

It's just too dumb to continue.

Now, let's lighten things up a bit.

3. Kids crying on YouTube

I'm not going to post it here because I refuse to give extra attention to the parents. It's what they want. But let's just point out that when a player (let's say Brett Lawrie, just to name a, cough, random example) is traded and a parent goes to his or her child to film them with the intent of getting the kid to cry and put it on YouTube, that's unbelievably dumb. It's not cute. Not at all.

In fact, let's just follow the thought process.

1. I want to make my child cry.

Why?

2. So I can post it on YouTube.

Really? REALLY?

4. Shopping cart laziness

This is a year-long complaint, but now with it getting ridiculously cold for many of us it'll get worse. Among the law-abiding, able-bodied citizens, people who leave their shopping cart in the middle of a parking lot when one of those cart corrals is nearby are the worst. The worst, Jerry.

Take 15 seconds to run the cart to the corral. It isn't just about you and saving time for the workers at (insert supermarket). Wind could pick up and cause the carts to crash into parked vehicles. Let's work together in our society, what do you say?

Now, time to even out the dumb with some fun.

Random, awesome highlight of the week

Remember when Eric Gagne was unhittable and the NL had the 2003 All-Star Game wrapped up? Yeah, Hank Blalock says no.

OMG DUSTY'S FAULT!

Baseball card of the week

Just a few years removed from playing for Lute Olson at Arizona.

Happy trails

Ryan Dempster officially signed with the Cubs on a one-day contract Friday in order to retire as a Cub. This concludes a 16-year career in which the right-hander went 132-133 with a 4.35 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP and 87 saves. He was a two-time All-Star and finished sixth in Cy Young voting in 2008, when he was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the NL Central-winning Cubs. He won a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2013. Dempster will now join the Cubs front office in a special advisor role. Kudos on a quality career, Mr. Dempster.

That'll do it. Until next week, stay away from the dumb and embrace the positive.

Suggestions (dumb stuff or GIFs, random videos, baseball cards, etc.) or hate mail? Feel free to hit me up: matt.snyder@cbs.com or you could always go to Twitter. We're gonna take a week off due to the winter meetings on 12/12, so we'll be back the Friday before Christmas.