It’s Over: Bryce Harper is Heading to Philly
The Harper free agency saga is finally over.
This afternoon, star outfielder Bryce Harper agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bryce Harper’s deal with the Phillies will be for 13 years and $330M, league sources tell ESPN. It will not include any opt-outs.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 28, 2019
The details of this deal are nothing short of insanity. Not only did Harper top Zack Greinke’s mega-deal, in terms of total value, but the pact is for thirteen years. This contract is one of only three in the history of Major League Baseball to cover more than ten years.
Harper is under contract with the Phillies until his age 39 season and should be with the Phillies for life considering the deal contains no opt-outs and a full no trade clause.
Boras: “The goal was to get the longest contract possible. Bryce wanted 1 city for the rest of his career. That is what I was instructed to do. It is very difficult in this time to get length of contract that takes a player to age 37, 38, 39.” #Phillies
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 28, 2019
It seemed like the Dodgers were in on Harper at the late stages of the derby, but it always seemed like Philadelphia was the front-runner.
The Dodgers did not offer Bryce Harper a 10-year contract, source confirms. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 28, 2019
However, they weren’t. The Dodgers appear to have never made a formal offer to Harper.
On Bryce Harper Andrew Friedman said “we never say never to anything.” Wouldn’t handicap #Dodgers chances of signing the slugger.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) February 28, 2019
Andrew Friedman was cryptic regarding this process, as expected.
Effect on Baseball
Obviously, deals like this affect the markets of future stars and free agency as a whole. Just as Harper successfully toppled Greinke’s ‘unprecedented’ deal, someone will successfully topple Harper’s.
Initially, free agency seemed to be broken considering four of the biggest free agents had yet to sign deals well into mid-February. However, now that Harper has signed, in addition to Manny Machado, we now know that free agency is not ‘broken’ at all. Harper and Machado both took home mega-deals which they deserved.
They got paid.
What do you think of this deal? Should LA have pulled the trigger or were they right in staying put?
Let us know in the comments!
I don’t really know but my guess is most here would say that deal Harper got was nothing short of insanity and are glad Dodgers didn’t go that route. However, Dodgers still lack any real top tier star player on this team currently and if some still think this 2019 team is PS material, I believe they may be somewhat disappointed because in my view they are not.
Well they made it to the WS two years in a row without a star player (maybe Kershaw) but only time will tell this season. But I agree, it’s a good thing we didn’t pay that much or an excessive amount for Harper. He’s a good player but would he have had the same impact as say JD did with Boston if he joined LA. I’m looking forward to this season with Buehler and Urias even if we don’t make PS.
Harper was probably not the panacea and therefore probably not worth the years especially. But now that Arenado is off the market and that Trout will likely go home to Philly (there’s a reason why the Phillies wanted to save $10M a year on the Harper contract) that leaves the Dodgers short of marquee additions. Yes we have a lot of depth and a bunch of pretty good players. But we don’t seem to have that one player (pitcher or hitter) who can carry the team on his back in a seven game series. So, while we will almost certainly make the playoffs, we are not likely to be the last team standing yet again.
Dodgers are no lock to win enough to be in the PS. Games still must be played on the field and to me Dodgers are not as good as the teams of 2017 and 2918. too many ‘marginal’ players on current roster.
Glad that Dodgers did not get sucked into this kind of deal. Ticket prices are already too high and there is no reason fans in LA should pay this kind of excessive price for so many years.
No opt-out, no trade??? Harper’s agent should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame right now.
” But we don’t seem to have that one player (pitcher or hitter) who can carry the team on his back in a seven game series. So, while we will almost certainly make the playoffs, we are not likely to be the last team standing yet again.”…rainbirdmuse.
Perhaps looking at Harper’s post season resume the 4 times the Nats were in the post season, you’ll see he didn’t carry the team in a seven games series since he couldn’t carry them to get to it.
We’ll find someone in July who’d have a bigger impact for us than Harper would have by far. Proof will be in what little he does for Philly in the post season if they make it there.
Dodgers made the right choice especially given the deal Philly gave him.
As a lifelong Dodger fan ( since 1940) to say I am delighted he is NOT a Dodger is an understatement. How does a .249 hitter get $330 million? Methinks he is the most over rated ballplayer in recent times. As Montgomery said the Phillies will get a little stupid this year and time will prove him correct. I now live in the Philly area ( but will never convert!). This is the town who booed Mike Schmidt and who once pelted Santa with snowballs. A total of 7 years with the Nats andhe is still looking for his first World Series. Of course the happiest is that sleeze Boras who makes millions off of others and who is doing his best to ruin baseball for self aggrandizement. Harper’s first “ofer” day ( and that will come early) will get the boo birds out in force. Incidentally, lately there has been a lot of Dodger blue at the Philly stadium on Dodger days here. I am one of them
They should go get a quality starter if they want to waltz into the Series. Too many arm “ifs” in the current crew and the roster could probably handle two temp or longer term loses but not more
My thoughts
Jim I agree an insane contract. Boras is an ego driven detriment to baseball. WSS if the Phillies do not regret this contract later….
Well, let’s hope we don’t see a repeat of the 2008 and 2009 NLCS…..
Phillies Orioles 2023
Yup. No Pressure BH. No Pressure. Good Luck. You are going to need it.
I am an original Dodger fan from Bklyn now living in Florida. These contracts are killing Baseball and am glad they didn’t sign him. Hope Pollack stays healthy and Seager is able to contribute like before. We need to rely more on situational b ball than waiting for the HR. Friese could be the diamond in the rough. He showed his skills in the playoffs. Another right handed bat. I will miss Puig as a motivator on the bench. He gave the team life!
Puig gave them distractions and vast underperformance (by his own admission). He did not motivate them. Good riddance to him.
why is it that every other team happens to get a blue chipper and can’t keep them because the other teams swarm the player and offer him the moon…..but it is forgotten that that player became a star on a substandard team and the new team he will be going to will impose expectations that they can’t obtain……one player cannot lift a team solely on their ability….it takes eight other players to be effective……the losing team is the one who doesn’t have the money to buy a team or keep a productive player….the Dodgers can’t keep a “good” player because the more money they make, the more california taxes them…..better off in philadelphia
Exactly which “good” players have left the Dodgers due to taxes?
Exactly….First when you have that much money you make yourself into an LLC, start a charity employ your friends and relatives with it and pay very low taxes especially now due to tax breaks… Second the media attention and endorsements can be very lucrative in LA as you have an area in SoCal with 20 Plus Million people. Not to mention Vegas and everything in between.
People are still saying the Dodgers offered a deal he would not take. The Phillie Management said they were gearing up to pay stupid money and they DID…
I missed it I guess but did Harper power the Nationals into the NL Championship and WS every year? No?? Then what is the moaning all about. It is a Team sport one guy does not cause you to win your division.
The playoffs are about momentum and injuries also it is a game of inches….sometimes centimeters.
They should move to Salt Lake City the fans will be better too instead of those stupid east siders and fake Hollywood types