Bryce Harper's name just landed in the Blue Jays' offseason conversation. FanSided's Jake Elman named Toronto a fit if the Phillies decide to trade him.

The timing makes sense heading into this winter. Toronto went from Game 7 of the World Series to missing the playoffs, and the front office is openly shopping for bats.

Ross Atkins didn't sugarcoat the problem at season's end. "We never put the ball in the seats," he said, adding that the Jays weren't walking or getting on base nearly enough.

That's where Harper comes in. He hit .269 with 29 home runs and 87 RBIs this season.

The resume runs deep, too. He's a nine-time All-Star and a two-time NL MVP.

And a lineup spot is opening. George Springer won't be back, which leaves room in the outfield or at DH with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holding first base.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract hangs over any big swing

The money is the elephant in the room. Harper has five years left on his 13-year, $330 million contract.

Elman went further than most would. He suggested Toronto may already be regretting the Guerrero deal, pointing to his regression and recent work ethic concerns.

He framed the Jays' first baseman as the newest poster boy for avoiding contracts that run past six or seven years.

Still, the writer called Harper worth the risk if the goal is keeping pace with the Yankees and Rays in the AL East.

There's one catch in the pitch. Harper would have to be willing to play right field on the Rogers Centre turf.

That part is a bad idea. A proven bat with five years left is worth chasing, but parking him in right on artificial turf invites the kind of IL churn Toronto just survived.

It's like buying a vintage sports car to haul firewood. The job gets done, right up until the transmission gives out.

Would he even want Toronto? That's unclear, and the fit almost certainly means splitting time between the outfield and DH.

The Jays could use two or three bats this winter, and Harper would make that lineup far tougher to navigate. Whether Philadelphia actually picks up the phone is the one piece Toronto can't control.