Bryce Harper suggests there is no "elephant in the room", this could be his last season with the Washington Nationals.

According to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, when asked about playing elsewhere, Harper responded, “That’s always a possibility.” This is the second time Harper has said as much after suggesting he wouldn't talk about his potential free agency at the end of the season. Perhaps Harper's change of tune is because he believes the world already knows this could be it for the soon-to-be highest-paid player in baseball.

At home in Washington for the MLB All-Star game, the comments do come as a bit of a surprise. Earlier in the day, while giving a speech at a new youth baseball field in Northern Virginia that was being named after him, Harper reportedly told the crowd that he wanted to remain with the Nationals for the next 10 years.

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Harper, 25, has often refused to discuss his contract situation with the Nationals' media. He's threated to walk right out the door if brought up by reporters. But, he also understands, his looming free agency is a huge story.

For nearly seven seasons, Harper has consistently been one of the best hitters in baseball. He's a superstar in almost every sense of the word. But, this season, he's struggled. Striking out 102 times in 94 games, his .214/.365/.468 slash-line is below his career norms. As such, when the former National League’s Rookie of the Year and 2015 MVP is faltering in a contract year, questions are expected.

Despite this season's numbers, everyone knows what Harper can bring. Proving he's still one of the league's best hitters, he pulled off an amazing display in the final round of the 2018 MLB Home Run Derby to win the title at this year's All-Star festivities. Clearly, the fans don't want to see him leave.

There will be no shortage of teams lining up to give Harper what he wants and while he might not know what his future holds, perhaps his recent comments are just his way of setting the table for an eventual departure.

NEXT: 8 MLB TEAMS WHO COULD TRADE FOR BRYCE HARPER AT THE DEADLINE AND 7 WITH NO CHANCE