If You Want To Be Rich, Play Baseball

28 Feb, 2019

The Phillies and outfielder Bryce Harper have agreed to a historic 13-year deal, sources told MLB.com on Thursday afternoon. The deal includes a full-no trade clause and is worth $330 million — a value that would be the largest contract in MLB and North American pro sports history — and does not include any opt-outs or deferred money, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

The club has not commented.

Harper, 26, is a six-time All-Star and was one of the most prominent free agents in recent years, who was reportedly also pursued by the Dodgers and Giants. San Francisco offered Harper a 10-year deal, while the Dodgers did not offer Harper 10 years, a source told MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi. His decision ends months of speculation as to which team he would sign with after reportedly turning down an offer from the Nationals, his first and former team.

Harper skipped his final two years of high school, getting his GED to become eligible for the 2010 Draft. He attended the College of Southern Nevada, becoming the first junior college player to be drafted No. 1.

The catcher-turned-outfielder lived up to expectations immediately, earning an All-Star nod and National League Rookie of the Year honors in his first season with the Nationals. He was the youngest position player ever selected to the Midsummer Classic.

The 2013 season saw Harper earn his first starting assignment in an All-Star Game. He participated in the Home Run Derby for the first time, advancing to the finals before falling to Yoenis Cespedes. He missed more than 100 games combined in 2013-14 due to injuries, but the 2015 season saw him break out in a major way.

Harper hit .330 with an NL-high 42 home runs, also pacing the NL with a .460 on-base percentage, .649 slugging percentage, 1.109 OPS and 198 OPS+, winning the NL Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote.

Since 2015, Harper has been an All-Star starter for the NL each year, voted into the game by the fans. He hasn’t matched the stellar numbers he posted during his MVP season, averaging 29 homers, 91 RBIs and a .267/.391/.505 slash line during the past three seasons.

Despite hitting 23 home runs in the first half of 2018, Harper’s other numbers (.214/.365/.468) were down, leading some to wonder whether the pressure of playing for an enormous contract was impacting his play. A solid second half (.300/.434/.538, 11 homers in 65 games) helped alleviate those concerns and sent him into the offseason as one of the top two free agents, along with infielder Manny Machado.

Perhaps the shining moment of Harper’s season — and quite possibly his career to this point — came last summer when he won the Home Run Derby at Nationals Park during All-Star week, putting on a show for his home fans.

In 927 games over his seven-year career, Harper has a .279/.388/.512 slash line with 184 home runs and 521 RBIs.

MLB.com

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