TODAY: The deal is official, as per a simple tweet from the Phillies’ Twitter feed stating “We got him.”
THURSDAY, 7:23pm: Harper will receive a $10MM salary and a $20MM signing bonus for the upcoming season, tweets Heyman. He’ll then be paid $26MM annually from 2020-28 and $22MM annually from 2029-31.
1:51pm: The Phillies and star outfielder Bryce Harper have made quite the commitment to one another, according to reports. The sides have agreed in principle to a 13-year, $330MM deal that puts Harper in Philadelphia through his age-38 season.
Unlike virtually all recent mega-contracts, this one comes without caveats. Harper gets full no-trade rights and does not possess any opt-out opportunities. The contract won’t come with deferrals, though it is said to have a front-loaded structure.
The end to Harper’s drawn-out free agency seemed to come suddenly. It may be that the Phillies finally met his asking price after late-breaking interest from the Dodgers and Giants.
When the dust settled, Harper had landed the biggest contract in MLB history. He just tops the $325MM guarantee the Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton over a 13-year term, though it’s important to note that deal came in an extension scenario.
In taking the largest overall contract, Harper did make a clear sacrifice on average annual value. He’ll earn just over $25MM per season annually, well under the $30MM average commanded recently by Manny Machado in his deal with the Padres and $33.4MM promised in the seven new seasons covered by Nolan Arenado’s extension with the Rockies.
That reduced annual value won’t likely mean much in the way of sacrificed earning power, as it covers only three late-career seasons. It does help the Phillies to reduce the annual competitive balance tax hit from the signing, which could assist the organization as it looks to maintain competitiveness over a long marriage with its new star.
Beyond the market impact, this move sets the stage for a fascinating season (and beyond) in the National League East. The Phillies, Nationals, and Mets have all made win-now moves in hopes of dethroning a Braves team that is still full of young talent.
Harper’s move up the interstate from D.C. brings an end to a productive tenure with the Nats, reversing the career arc of recently retired former teammate Jayson Werth on a much grander scale. Harper’s exciting debut campaign was punctuated by a memorable run-in with the Phillies and then-ace Cole Hamels, the club that the Nationals were then seeking to eclipse as the premier outfit in the division.
The Washington organization did make a run at keeping Harper, but wasn’t able to work things out. Some might say that he’d have been better off taking the ten-year, $300MM offer that was reportedly put on the table. Reports have made clear that a roughly a third of that money would have been deferred, greatly driving down its true value.
Rather than take a deferred contract, Harper searched for and found the type of fully guaranteed, non-deferred deal he sought with the Philadelphia organization. The move punctuates an offseason that lived up to expectations for the Phillies’ faithful. The club already added the game’s best catcher in J.T. Realmuto, acquired a strong shortstop in Jean Segura, and added veterans including Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson. It’s imaginable that there’s more still to come, though perhaps the initial focus will be on making a roster-clearing move to accommodate the newest addition.
Investing in Harper gives the Phillies the game’s most recognizable player. He’s also quite a good one, even if he hasn’t shown that he can consistently produce at the otherworldly levels he did in a magical 2015 season. Harper’s ups and downs have come with a very lofty mean, of course — he’s a .279/.388/.512 career hitter with 184 home runs in nearly four thousand career plate appearances — though the aggregate remains every so slightly disappointing given his nearly unmatched talent level. Defensive questions arose last year, as Harper graded quite poorly. That was cause for concern in some quarters, though there’s also reason to believe that he can turn things around.
We at MLBTR would be remiss not to acknowledge that the out-on-a-limb estimation we put forth on Harper early in the offseason — a 14-year pact worth $420MM — ultimately proved to be a dramatic overreach. At the time of our initial top 50 rankings, we were of the belief that because Harper and Machado were non-traditional free agents (i.e. legitimate superstars who’d not yet played their age-26 seasons), traditional contractual structures wouldn’t apply to them. With so much talk in the preceding offseason about the teams who bend over backward to dip below the luxury tax in advance of this offseason’s crop of free agents, our team fully anticipated a widespread level of interest that simply never came to fruition.
Rather, with only three to four serious bidders for most of the winter, Harper and Boras had to claw to reach a point at which we expected the bidding to begin. The end result — a significantly lengthier term with the intent of tamping down the average annual value/luxury tax hit — was, as noted at the time, a highly plausible outcome, though securing a record-setting guarantee required lowering the AAV further than our forecast.
Predictions aside, Harper’s deal sets a new high-water mark on which premier players of the future will set their sights when seeking open-market contracts or, at least, extensions on the cusp of free agency. One can imagine, to varying extents, the Harper guarantee at least serving as a talking point when Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, both controlled through the 2020 season, begin to take an earnest look at their next contracts. Of course, they’d reach free agency at three and two years older than Harper was this winter, respectively, so it’s far from a direct comparison. But, as the Stanton contract did in this instance, the Harper contract will now serve as a barometer that agents and superstar players alike will aim to topple — even if by only a narrow measure.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link) first reported the deal. Jeff Passan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) and Jim Bowden of The Athletic (Twitter link) had the key terms, with Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post (Twitter link) and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter) adding details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Release!! Ahhhhh!!!
Reeeeeeeeeee he can do some buy chicken tendies now! Reeeeeeeeeeee!
r/WSB. Classic.
Boot camp flash back
When you said reeeeeee
I was like reeee cover
Thanks Dodgers and Giants for joining in just to run up the bill – nowhere near serious – they did literally get the Phillies to bid against themselves.
You can thank Boras. His job is to drive up the bidding by feigning interest from other teams.
Actually, if you look at the contract, that’s far from the truth – by going to 13 years, you greatly reduce AAV, luxury tax implications, and taxes. When you account for inflation on top of it, the Phillies make out better than a 10/300 deal
. Harper isn’t gonna give in a full effort for most of the 13 years. Honestly about half of his production is from one year Phillies will be jumping to trade that contract after 5.
As for a 10 300 deal padres aren’t gonna have that contract past year 5 someone will get it.
Somebody should check the numbers in this article. 30 + 8*26 + 4*22 = $326 miillion. Just how much is this deal worth? Was it done just to eclipse the Stanton deal?
for sure the phillies will regret this sighning…trying to trade him after 4 or 5 seasons. I predict a lot of injuries to Harper….the Phillies must have a stupid owner
Manny was smart enough to get an opt out after 5 years. Harper is a complete moron for not getting at least 3 opt outs 3 extra years for basically the same deal as Machado with 10 mil a year the last 3 years. Machado gets 30 mil a year.
@Nathead It’s 9*26 + 3*22 (+30)
Obviously it was to eclipse the Stanton deal. I didn’t think there was any doubt about that.
He will give 100% effort. He’s an ego maniac and wants to be the best ever. His talent just isn’t at that level
you miss chance to be with giants harper. you think chance like being giant come offen? now wont be protect by all our grate hitters posey longo belt panda just to name FEW. good luck with phillies harper but your dreams wood only come true with giants but the door close now so to late sorry
The bad English and bitterness made your comment semi-entertaining, I’ll give you that.
No one is going to the public defecation capital of the world. The state is in the toilet as are the Giants.
love the engrish…
Now, now Mrs.Rodster go back into hiding. The cornfield is your domain your safe there.
YOU’RE
All your base are belong to us
He was never gonna go to San fran.
agreed. it was just Larry Baer’s way of telling the Giants faithful that they are “trying”. Larry is the happiest person in the world not named Mr. and Mrs. Harper…
Oh Harper my Harper 🙁
Wanted you on the Yankees
There’s still Mike Trout in 2 years from now 😉
New CBA by then, no one knows what will happen,.
@ sam. Spankees won’t get Trout either.
Thank God the Yanks passed on this stiff. Xabial only wanted him on the team because she likes his hair.
Yankees will take Betts. He’s a better player, they love them some redsox OF, and, I can’t see DD and company opening the checkbooks enough
Signed for $330 Million, exactly as I predicted in a post last week!
You and 400 other media outlets. Congrats!
All they were saying was greater than Machado’s 300. I didn’t see any 330 predictions, wiseaxx.
He is likely to average only 120 games per season over 13 years.
What a joke.
Overpaid.
How is he overpaid? Stop it
Jason Hayward is OVERPAID
He’s getting paid for his mvp year every year for 13 years maybe he gets back to that mvp production but I’d rather see it.
Not really. He’s only averaging $25mm/per when most thought he’d be looking for over $30mm. This is not near the deal he probably shoulda have signed. Phillies got a great deal for this guy.
@a dawg, im pretty sure he didnt sign a billion dollar contract
He’s over paid because he’s Jay Bruce with .30 better average
Good point.
Agreed that Jason Heyward is grossly overpaid.
25 mill AAV is easily absorbed by the Phillies. They are still close to 50 mill under luxury. He can DH later too when NL changes.
I would say everyone thought he was waiting to pass Stanton’s money. Did you predict the 13 years to do it?
Congrats to the ego maniac that is Bryce Harper. Dumb move by the Phillies.
Xabial is somewhere crying his eyes out.
Finally
Well done to Bryce for holding out for that extra 5-10 million. Now you will be able to buy whatever it is you were saving up for.
When he goes to Trader Joe’s, he can splurge on organic bananas for 25 cents each instead of regular bananas for 19 cents.
BREAKING: Harper finalizes contract with Trader Joe’s, garunteed 330M dollars worth of organic bananas over 13 years.
well there it is
So he went through all that drama to play 3 more years for $30M combined? I get the value of deferred money, but compared to the original deal Washington offered it sure seems light. Apparent that Boras and Harper only cared about setting the record. Glad it’s over…
It’s not that simple. He got no opt out clauses, guaranteed contract with a full no trade clause. Basically got everything he could possibly want.
An opt out clause is more valuable to the player.
“Woohoo!! I gots me no opt-outs!!”
How is no opt out good for the player.If he had an opt out after 3 years and had an MVP caliber year that year he could opt out for a 30 mill per contract if he had bad years he just wouldn’t opt out The only opt out Harper ever would have gotten is one for him not for the team. Thats just not the way it works
And strangely he didn’t want one
Deferred or not, pretty sure $300 million is $300 million. Just proves this was never a team guy. Good luck Philly.
Eh, don’t be salty. He wanted what he wanted, and got it. Show me a MLB free agent that’s all about the team?
Dodgers miss the boat again
Money today is worth significantly more than money 15 years from now. Major deferrals would have a pretty big impact on the actual value of the contract
Beware the Philly keyboard gangsters!!!!!
False, the value of the dollar is far different today,than it was in 2000 and certainly different than in 1950. The Nationals “300 million dollar contract “ was actually valued at a $274 million dollar contract because of the backloaded structure.
how does that make him a “non- team” guy? because he took the most money? get real.
Its called Net Present Value. To be more thorough, one would assign a dollar value to any missed opportunities from doing the deal.,,
Mitch Moreland and Steven Pierce!!
I thought the reported 180 over 4 years was a good offer
He didn’t get what he wanted. He wanted over $400 million – remember?
Laughing
I am not a Dodger fan but if he was offered $40 million a year for 4 years and turned that down then he didn’t bet on himself. He took what he could get and I don’t blame him for that. Good luck in 5 years Phillies.
Yes, the Dodgers did indeed offer him $45 million per year over 4 years.
Yes it is cheap.
However, I’d like to see how front loaded it is, it does give it more value.
It does look as if Bryce/Boras were only holding out for enough money to break Stanton’s record.
Would be funny if the Angels extended Trout for more money next week!
Trout will easily beat 330 mil and he’s earned it. Harper is overrated and I’m glad the Cubs didnt trade Heyward happ and Schwarber to clear money for him. I’d take heywaes 12 home runs and 75-80 rbi every day of the week over Harper who will probably want out after 6 years. The Phillies will as well but no one is taking any of that deal.
Boo Ya
Dang it seemed like the chances of him signing with the Phillies were getting lower and lower each day
Exactly what I thought, especially with LA and SF making so much noise since the Sunday meeting in Vegas.
Thank Zeus he didn’t sign that ridiculous contract with the Giants!
They scared me though…
Front loading makes sense but the years? Scary because Trout and Betts are head and shoulders above Harper. He and Boras aren’t complaining but to save face they took on three extra years compared to Machado with no opt out.
The aav is 25 … Not record breaking.
No doubt. Three extra years at a substantial discount….
Boras has a ton of clients left unsigned. Will be interesting to see what happens now that this soap opera is over. The market for Dallas has been eerily quiet.
Total value exceeded Stanton’s deal.
The years lowers at AAV. That could be huge at points in the contract
Im a dodger fan im so disgusted with this team they need to sell the team to somebody that wants to spend money and get some stars to come play in la.get to 2 world series and cant win and this years team worst than last year team dodger fans should be outraged
You’re kidding right? Dodgers re-upped with Kershaw and overpaid for his past so he’ll retire a Dodger. Their total payroll will still be near the top. I’d love to see the Sox spend more but I realize they like the Yankees have big future obligations to consider. I assume the Dodgers do as well.
I’m disgusted by Dodgers fans saying stuff like you just said. The 2019 looks much better than last year’s team. First, we have a much healthier Corey Seager. 3 players that weren’t on the opening day roster last year: Walker Buehler, Max Muncy and Justin Turner. Turner was injured over a month so that’s different, but he’s healthy now.
I’m looking to Bellinger to improve, Urias and Verdugo to contribute more as well.
This team is solid and spending $330 million on any one player is ridiculous. What if he suffers a serious injury?
Seager replaces Manny. Bad!
The dodgers payroll, right now, sits at 192 million. That’s 4th highest in the league. They have 2 world series appearances in the last 2 years. They are set up for years of winning and they’re staying below the luxury tax threshold for now to make sure they have flexibility and sustainability. Your statement, as I myself am a dodgers fan, sounds wildly ungrateful and unfortunately echoed by too many.
Try being a pirates fan
They still have Dave Roberts. Also bad.
Tarheel. That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read
it what a steal in 2004. Good!
Try being a Mets fan were in New York and used money ball tactics prior to this year
Madoff, SNY and stadium obligations created that small market environment. Hopefully for Mets’ fans, such is mostly behind you.
Jamesorange12 – for some reason I read your post in the tone of an English man like from the holy grail. Ha ha. Awesome
I never thought Philly had a chance. I’ll go eat my crow pie now.
Finally! I can draft my team
he’s gonna hit 50 outta that park
Hopefully he stays on the good side of Kapler and the fans. Philly fans are the hardest on all players as everyone knows and forget Papelbon, Kapler is one guy you don’t mess with.
Harper has great media personality. Drama between him and Philly fans will draw more eyes and ears to MLB. Big win today for baseball marketing.
2019 he’ll hit 25 and 2020 he’ll hit another 25 home runs.
Phillies will win the division 2 times in 13 years. And it wont be til 2021 that they’ll win the division..Arrieta will be gone. Cutch will be in his last year. Realmuto will be gone. Jean Segura will be gone.
I won’t believe it till I see multiple articles. Go Giants!
Rebuild, bro
Go Giants!
Harper would have hamstrung the team for a decade plus, be happy they didn’t sign him
Plus, who could root for him even he was if on their favorite team?
Soooooo happy he’s not a Giant!
I’ll happily endure another losing season or two if it means no Harper
That’s because you’re a loser, but go Giants, or whatever.
And you’re basing this on…?
Cuz u totally sound like a winner
“Or whatever”
…wow, u must be a genius
That’s the spirit! Be glad one of the game’s best players didn’t join your team. Woo Hoo!
Thank you Harper! It’s finally over.
I bet they ponies to get him to sign. I’m thinking 10 years 350 million
This has to be wrong. People have written on here repeatedly that Harper hates Philadelphia, his wife hates Philadelphia, and that if he hadn’t signed by now he’d never sign with them.
Money talks and BS walks.
according the west coast fans he abhors the East with all his being and would only stay there for double the salary and would have to be the manager as well.
Him and Kapler are a match made in heaven. Hope there’s cameras to catch the inevitable.
um most of that narrative was coming from chicago and philly fans
I don’t know about the rest of the west…..but i’m going to crack a beer, smoke a bowl, and enjoy the sunshine… Bryce who?
Nice work Philly!
We agree again
Although its not exactly sunny in the Bay right now…and I’m at work…but I’m with u in spirit
rather have Machado than Harper. Padres did well.
Hey swinging Friars – can get a hit off of that bowl man? I’m loving this drama.
absolutely, all are welcome
slow start but that stove got juicy hot towards the end!
All it took was a record breaking contract to prove it was where he wanted to be all along
It’s all relative to perspective. Yes, he got the biggest monetary TOTAL contract in MLB history. He didn’t get an Arenado AAV contract 32m/ per yr nor a Machado contract of 30m/ per yr. His contract is a little over 25 million per year. Thinking in the big picture, this could be a reasonable contract (considering we’re talking MLB/monopoly money).
But he was reported to have been offered 40 million a year for 4 years by the Dodgers. Go win some World Series and go back into free agency at age 30. Max out your money boy!!
He must’ve realized he wasn’t getting anymore money that he could in Philadelphia
Maybe his side chick likes it there…
Uh oh….now what else is there to check MLBTR for?
The comments of course! Since they’re often so insightful and full of healthy discourse. /s
Dallas will sign with the Phils..Boras is his agent..on good terms with Klentak and Middleton…No Kimbrel please
If that happens, we’ll have 2 players in Philly named Dallas. I’m torn.
Next, you can dig up Dallas Green
Nats sign Keuchel to troll Bryce and have Keuchel and Corbin (both lefties) to face Bryce for years to come.
Keuchel, Kimbrel and a cast of a hundred extras are still FAs.
Closer to 40 left.
And of those 40, only about 10 worth having around.
This nonsense about a slow free agent market is just that. As of a month ago 40+ of the top 50 on most lists had already signed. The rest were waiting on two guys to try to get best dollar. The media bashing owners, but this was not a bad off-season. It was not 1980’s and 90’s ‘sign everyone before Christmas’ type stuff, but things have changed.
Now, I heard the Phils are still in on Keuchel. If they sign him, maybe the Braves will be able to get Kimbrel for a smaller deal as he will have few suitors left.
Miracles do happen!
NOOOOOO
Only 3 months late
At least Doyers didn’t get him
You’re team is so sad your happiness is based off a superior franchise’s misfortunes, if that’s what you’d call this…get a life
Oh jesus, sally, get off your high horse.
You can go get a life too
Got one, and on my lunch break it involves reading MLBTR, quit screwing that up with your stupid, childish banter.
Guess I’m also in need of a life ya crusty ‘ol sea troll!
Superior Franchise? 2 World Series titles in 135 years. More losses than any other MLB team. Tell me more about how superior they are.
Swing and a miss. He was referring to the Dodgers and Padres if you follow along.
Following along isn’t as fun as just throwing out a blind rebuttal lol
Such a sandy vagina. Good grief.
The winter of our discontent is over?
Philly fan is going to love it when a ball drops three feet away from him. They are kind, compassionate fans I’ve heard.
We’re gonna love it even more when him & Trout are high fiving each other,in a few short years.
Nice rg
You’ll be happy to trade him to us after Trout signs his extension? I honestly don’t want him.
lol
Well this came out of nowhere. I wish we had the time to discuss where he could have went before this signing. It seems we just missed out.
It’s been tough to talk about Harper with all the Adam Jones rumors taking up so much room
Lol
I love sarcasm..
Fr this offseason just FLEW by
Wonder how much.
Phillies have a strong roster this year
Ok. But, where will Kimbrel sign?
Back in the ATL..
Great news. What’s next?
Well, time for Atlanta to trade Julio Teheran. Can’t have him giving up more dingers to Harper.
Teheran for Vladdy…..Sr
I would make that trade haha!
It was time to trade Teheran a while ago….
And now we can finally focus on opening day
It’s about time… I was hoping that Harper would have a blank jersey on the MLB the show cover though…
Finally. Sucks for Kimbrel.
The NY Post reported 20 minutes ago that the Dodgers were in the lead…
The NY Post has its hands full with bigger issues…..
mike156, the big question is how do they wash it off
Once again people, money is all that matters. City is basically a tiebreaker. Corbin didn’t end up in NY, Machado didn’t end up on the East Coast and Harper didn’t end up on the West Coast.
Yeah, Harper signed for an average of a little more than $25 million per yr for 13 yrs. That’s like signing a Buy 11 years get 2 free when compared to the Manny/ SD contract.
About time. I was so tired of this entire saga.
10yr 350M is my guess
Dang just missed it
330 it seems.
330 for 13 years
$160 million for his talent and another 170 million for ego fuel.
Was not aware Phillies were on him
But the narrative…he hates Philadelphia…
Don’t believe every rumors kids.
Maybe….but he LOVES their money. I’m not a fan but I’ll be watching when the Philly fans boo his butt when he goes into one of his extended slumps. It will happen and he will mouth off to them.
Nats fans dealt with his slumps…Philly fans will bring pitchforks. Good luck, Bryce.
Mazel Tov!
Just before signing on the dotted line, he’ll have 2nd thoughts
Giants win.
Did not let their owner make a dumb long term deal…
and do not have to face him as a Dodger short term.
Bingo
Agree. Would’ve been a nice addition for sure but that’s a lotta cash and a lotta years. Him going to LA would’ve hurt.
Be careful….a Padre fan said they were glad he didn’t go to the Dodgers and got railed against.
I guess you can’t be happy here if a guy doesn’t go to your rival.
congratulations to phillies and harper. also they will have to be satisfied because trout isn’t coming to you!
You may be right. That’s why the Phillies needed to get Harper. They still have plenty of money to try and land the big fish (no pun intended), but there’s no guarantee he leaves the Angels.
agree Von..I would think they will do everything possible to entice him to extend…should he reach FA, then the Phillies will be in play
Love your logo. I live 10 minutes from their stadium. One of the best sports experiences out there.
If the Angels end up continuing to be the dumpster of the AL West he won’t be resigning with the Angels
sorry, mate. but it is re-sign not resign.
Gotta produce now Bryce to justify this ridiculous contract standoff. If he fails, Philly fans will destroy him!
Really good point. God bless philly and their phans, but they’re out of control hahah. I can’t imagine trying to come out of a slump in that city. Good luck to both, baseball is back!!
12 YEARS 415
Hope they have him the three year opt-out. 3 years would be the dream in my mind.
Why would you want to lose him after 3 years when you have him signed for well below market value?
Worst mistake he could have ever made for two reasons. First he’s not going to win in Philadelphia because now they will not have the money to get the pitching they need. Second this offer has been on the table for over three weeks he was looking for a reason not to sign sale to the Philadelphia fans he is not signing because he desperately wanted to be a Philadelphia Phillies he signed it because it was the highest offer.
misfit
Why does that make one bit of difference? 99% of players take the money. I would and I expect that you would too, even if you wouldn’t admit it.
Phillies still aren’t going to win the world series. Haha spend that stupid money. Dodgers wait for trout hahaha.
Keep dreaming. Trout isn’t going to the Dodgers.
He won’t go to Philly neither
He lives in suburban Philly. His wife teaches school there. It’s the only place he ever wanted to play.
Will see angel aren’t going to let him go.
correct…if Trout does reach FA, then the Phillies will be in play..
Did we learn nothing from all this??
I love how you can act as if you know anything about who will win.
Neither are the dodgers
Jon Heyman with the report……
Where did the Phillies come from? Wow, did not see them as players at all.
Finalllyyyyyyyyyyyy…
/TheRock
Damn. Well at least he isn’t going to the Giants.
i’m only here to remind everyone MLBINSIDER needs to delete his twitter now. if you have a twitter account remind that buffoon for me plz k thnx
13 years? 25AAV? Interesting.
13 at 330 and no opt outs…no way that is right…
Yeah I feel like it’s could be bad for Phillies and Harper both, usually someone wins. 13yrs will be bad for Philly after 5-6 years but no opt outs?? Harper is stuck and can’t leave! Weird
Jesus crist 13 years ? !!!!!!! Lmaooooooo. That’s insane !!!!!!!!! Especially for a guy that while he is an elite talent e hasn’t been a consistent elite player in his career. Giant fans you should be happy he took this deal
Now what happens to Dallas and Kimbrel ? Do the Phills spend on one of them too ?
I’m sure It’s more about spreading out the term of the contract…. I don’t understand why they don’t have 20 year contracts? Account for a 5% interest rate. Kinda like winning the lottery take this 200m now or 300m over 20 years?
lol name one person who wouldn’t take the 200m now. there’s no guarantee you’ll live another 20 years to collect the 300m
Ohh I thought you were talking about Giancarlo Stanton there for a minute.
The saga, it’s finally come to an end!
What if Harper failed his physical? We could get a whole NEW saga!
FINALLY!!!
YES!! Trout will stay an Angel!!
They better start winning
Trout will not stay…remember i told you…
Dads<—a very happy camper
Dads, I’m thrilled with this…the no opt out on Harper’s part is big to me…makes a strong statement to Philadelphia that he wants to be here and all the gossip was wrong….what a lineup top to bottom…now one more starter…
works for me…
They didn’t go over 330 which makes me happy, but 13 years. Hope it works out!
13 years $330mil, no opt outs. Ridiculous….
It says they arw working on a opt out clause
Just saw that. Passan feom ESPN originally reported no opt outs. Just crazy…
Smarter than 330 over 10 years. Brings down the luxury tax hit. And if it’s front loaded, like it states, he shouldn’t be making much by the time he’s in his mid to late 30’s. Nelson Cruz is 38 and has averaged 40 homeruns over the last 5 seasons. I bet Bryce is at least a 40 win player over the course of this contract.
We’re going to find out how thick Bryce’s skin is. Philly is tougher than most on their players when they strike out with runners on base in the 9th.
So 10 at like 310 with opt out wouldn’t have got the job done?
13 years yeeesh.
So no one going to say anything about the 13 years? 0_0
As a Braves’ fan I love and hate this! I hate it for obvious reasons, he’s still in the NL East, but I love it because it will be fun watching Phillyphan booing him when he doesn’t run out a grounder or misplays a routine fly out.
2019: the year the Braves never watered the garden and watched it all go to waste.
Eh I’m okay with it, as long as we can keep Teheran off the mound against him lol
…
i don’t get the hate. almost like you guys are going hoping it becomes a disaster
As many here said, the SFG and LAD meetings were just to get more from PHI.
he was going to get 330 regardless. had nothing to do with the other teams involved.
Fine by me. Zero chance he ends up being worth that.
Phillies will be looking to move this contract a third of the way through mark my words
Who will trade for him at 30 with 9 years still on his contract when you’ve probably already missed out on his best years.Trading him will be like Yankees trading Elsburyor Cubs trading Heyward an impossibility
or pujols, this really feels like a Pujols signing
This is almost nothing like the Pujols signing. There’s just no comparison to a 26 year old signing an enormous contract versus a player over 30. Even more, the length helps the AAV, the front loading helps the income statement on the tail end.
If they do want to move him in the second half of the deal, the contract is much more attractive with the lower AAV than a straight 10/330 that everyone was expecting
He has a no trade clause so I don’t get what you’re saying
Harper is gonna eat up Citzen’s Bank Park. Time to draft him on every fantasy team.
13 YEARS!!! LOLOLOLOL
It took 13 years and no opt outs for him to sign. I truly think he was trying to avoid the Phillies but they threw everything AND the kitchen sink at him lol
Opt outs are good for the player man
That’s exactly it. He wanted Cubs or Dodgers but Cubs weren’t in on him and Dodgers refused to go long term. The Phils negotiated against themselves in the end and Harper better enjoy those WC game appearances because they aren’t a WS team even with him.
no, boras caved on everything….
SUCKERS
Thank GOD its finally over!!!! Geez man.
If the Phillies ever want out of this contract good luck with that too
A waste of money. Yes lotsa homers, also lotsa headaches and no hustle. Lousy teammate just ask Papelbon.
While I loved watching Pap, I don’t think you want to base any decision on what comes from his mouth. #chokeslam
Lmao just ask Papelbon. Ya let’s ask one of the games biggest dbags for his opinion on a superstar signing
Pap was the one who was a horrible team mate
All due respect to Jon Heyman, he tweeted about 1 gazillion times, and didn’t break any details. Does he deserve to lose some cred here?
LOL, Von , did he have any to begin with? (*_^)
You ever think that maybe Ken Rosenthal just sells some breaking news to him every once in a while. Jon gets a career due to “some” credibility that he purchases. And Ken gets some extra cash for info he’ll announce for free anyways. Could any of us really say this isn’t true? Hehehehehe
Steve? You’re using Paps as a point of reference? Really?
So he wasn’t signing anywhere unless he beat Stanton, of course, an effin head case more than ever.
Phillies, gave him 13 years, no opt outs.
Phillies have a nice team. I wish them luck.
Now the Halos can beat it with a Trout extension.
And after Nightengale moved to saying it was a long shot and he’s wrong again as always. As a Mets fan I gotta say this really sucks.
Wow a contract through age 39! He’ll make 25mil a season for almost every year in his 30’s! A little surprised he didn’t opt for a shorter term higher AV but hey he should be very happy about this deal, no doubt.
please Sherman, hope you are right.
330 over 13 years??? All that waiting to sign for just over 25M per year is not exactly that impressive. Manny got 30 plus an opt out
They were so desperate to get a lower AAV that they gave him that many years
no, they gave the extra years to get Boras over Stanton’s 325 like he promised Bryce.
Thats exactly it. This deal is as impressive as it seems. No opt outs, only 25 mil aav. Phils made out here. Crazy good for them
Well, the question will be, I guess, whether Manny will be able to get $10m/year when he’s aged 37-39.
Don’t know how it’s structured. This contract could be front loaded to start at $35, working it’s way down by $1.6M per year to a final salary of $15.8M or something like that.
If it’s flat, yeah, I wouldn’t want to have a 36-38 year old Harper under contract at $25M / year, and I’m also not too impressed with the current AAV either.
Or maybe it’s 10/300 with the final 3 years being 10M? Who knows yet?
From a finance standpoint paying Bryce Harper more in his age 36-38 years means you’re paying him less money. $25 million in 2019 and $25 million in 2029 is worth less than $35 million in 2019 and $15 million in 2029.
Did they include the Liberty Bell, too?
I would say, the 13 years is just purely to bring down the AAV of the contract, for tax purposes. It’s all about the guaranteed money here.
dont think he really won here. he passes the total value bar, but you’d have to think he wanted more AVV than Machado, which he failed to get.
I guess it depends what floats his ego more. The 3 extra years are really just token years – it’s unlikely he will be a productive player at that stage.
It’s more beneficial for the Phillies to pay him X over 13, than X over 10, as it brings down the AAV for the tax line, and he can simply be released at the back end.
13 years? Lol Philly goof’d hard.
Congratulations Bryce Harper and Scott Boras
congratulations Phillies, this seems like a loss for Boras, although it may be what Harper wanted.
Dear cashman. As this off season has gone on you have looked smarter and smarter by the day
Yours truly yankeepatriot
Thank you Yankeepatriot .I couldn’t agree with you more
Solid offseason by the bombers for sure
Thank God the Dodgers didn’t bite!
Giants and dodger fans should be happy lol
Stupid Money!
On the one hand, I’m glad my team isn’t paying for that contract.
On the other hand, Harper is still in my division, and will continue to smack our pitching around through the rest of his prime.
So basically it’s an average day for me. A little bit of good, quite a bit more bad.
front loaded, no opt outs, 13 years, and 25 a year average? hard to believe really. ill believe it when its official.
our long city nightmare is finally over!
and it was the JD martinez negotiation all over again….all sorts of subterfuge from Boras and company but no substance behind it.
Agree, I don’t understand why so many people couldn’t see through the BS when this happened last year. All of the “he doesn’t want to come to Philly” people please remember this the next few offseasons.
PP, they won’t..it spoils the narrative
It’s easy for me to believe a player might not want to go to Philly. I’ve been there twice and wouldn’t want to go back for even a quick visit. What a dirty, unpleasant city. And the fans…I’ve never been to a place where the fans booed their own players so frequently and so intensely. What’s to like about that?
You’ve never been to Philly. Troll post.
If believing that makes you feel better, go with it.
When I still had my season tickets, Pit & Phi fans were the most fun. Had outfield seats, there were always new people in the row behind us. They talked their chit but always had smiles on their faces. Way more fun than the average out-of=towner
Best of luck to Harper and Phillies! I wish it works out for both sides.
He’s going to be so much fun to watch in that park. As a Mets fan I’m sad but as a baseball fan I’m excited!
I hope so, unless he is playing against my team.
That IS stupid money. Oy vey!
More like stupid negotiating. What a horrible contract and the rest of the details aren’t even out yet. No opt outs ? !!!
Seriously? Lesser AAV. Gives them the flexibility to possibly resign Realmuto, extend Hoskins and to go after free agents in the coming years with more sustained success
Stupid negotiating? Hardly
Stupid money spend wisely
Anyone in SD wanna trade?
Well thank god. Good to see that he was able to top the $325 mil barrier, as I’m sure that just would have CRUSHED his and Boras’ massive egos if they didn’t set the record…even though he had to add 3 years to do it. Good for you guys, we’re all real impressed.
If he accepted 13 years at $330 then there’s no way anyone else offered him anywhere near 10 yrs at $300. Boras was bluffing about multiple $300m offers the whole time.
phillies outbid themselves.
This
Just was notified that the deal is 13 years…that’s hard to believe with the $330m number
Hahahhahah. 13 years ?
If I’m a Phillies fan I guess I’m excited, but this is a frightening contract. This kind of thing for a team like that always ends up with the player getting hit by a bus his first year
im sure there is insurance in that sense, and it may not count towards the cap. Not an expert, but that makes sense in my mind. either way, $25 million a year is is much less then the potential $30-$35 million or more.
Jacoby Elsbury was 7 years 153 mill about 21 mill a year how did that work out and that contract surely didn’t last till Elsbury was 39. It’s usually the length of the contract more then the yearly pay that makes a longer contract untenable.When Harper reaches 33-34 Philly fans will start crying
Wow, only 25 per year
Seems like Philly blinked.
Ok so THIS guy only knocked in 100 RBI’s AND only hit <35 HR’s ONCE … he may be marketable BUT the pay for that production is RIDICULOUS !!!
He also had 150K’s I guess nowadays players also get paid for K’s or at least it seems
Throw enough stupid money and anything can happen. Hope he works out for you Phillies fans, he’s yours till he turns 39.
That’s a lonnnnggg contract to have no opt outs for, especially when it’s for a team you’ve expressed a desire not to play for.
When did Harper say he did not want to play for Phillies?
“For what it’s worth, my source who is close to Bryce Harper tells me #Dodgers and #Cubs were 1st choices all along and he prefers not to sign with #Phillies. I’ve been hearing all winter that Harper does not want to play for Gabe Kapler due to analytics and quirky personality”
Is that definitive proof straight from his mouth:? No, but it’s been widely reported by many sources.
His contract is for 13 years. He’ll be with the Phillies long after Kapler is fired.
He never has said he doesn’t want to play for the Philies…It’s hilarious the things sheep say over and over again… Baaah….Baaah
This will make the Howard deal look like pure genius in a few years. (And at least Ryan was a good guy who WANTED to be in Philly.)
Almost 6 decades of consistent fan loyalty shot to hell with this embarrassment. So long Phils; enjoy your shiny new toy.
Howard tore his Achilles and was never the same again
Who ever said Harper doesn’t want to be in Philly and how do you know he’s a “bad guy”? Stop it
So now we can fire up the Trout to Philly rumors!
Sure for 15years and $400M. The way the Phils are throwing money with Jake and now Harper who knows.
LOL this is like buying $330 million dollars in cigarettes! Enjoy your cancer Philadelphia!
This makes the Nats the winner in all of this.
and full no-trade…which doesn’t hurt at all if Harper really does prefer the West.
Harper isnt even good below average defensive metrics and only 2 seasons where het over 300 and only 2 seasons he hit pver 30 homers the guy is over hyped
I think Harper will be the Carmelo Anthony of MLB. The Phillies are still not a WS contender with his pick up. These albatross contracts are getting insane. I love KB but now he will want more than Harper after 2021. Teams are going to start realizing they need to trade these guys when they can sell high so they don’t end up like the Nats with nothing to show for it. They were out of it early and still held on to him.
Ooh, that’s a great comp.
Have fun with that contract Philly.
Looks pretty clear his only goal was to beat the Stanton number and the Phillies were the only serious suitor. 13 years…woof. This guy is going to pack it in halfway through that albatross. The mutual hate will be palpable in years 11, 12 & 13. LOL.
Safe to say the Phillies will be dealing some OFs as Altherr, Quinn, Cozens and Williams are now all on the outside looking in. Maybe they package two of them to go get a solid veteran pitcher.
Full no trade clause…No opt out for Harper…says he didn’t want one..hows that for those that said he didn’t want to play there..
Williams out of the lineup today even though they have a split squad and two outfielders are hurt.
Coast, he is the outfield lefty…now, not needed…also, Aaron Altherr is a solid glove
Nice observation. I wonder if they already have something lined up.
Cousins, Quinn, Goofy, Williams, Altherr, McCutchen, and Harper
could be 3 of those guys are going to unhappy..maybe more
Yeah all you’ll have to do is find a team willing to trade a solid veteran pitcher for two mediocre outfielders That should be easy enough
It’s a good thing they atleast frontloaded this deal.
Philly just screwed up big time. Should’ve offered Trout 400 million when he’s a FA. He’s likely to actually be worth big money. Harper will decline once he’s 30.
They will offer Trout $400 million.
No one should ASSume that Trout will reach FA..But, if he does, the Phillies have the loose change to get him
That is the great part of this deal, with only a 25.4 M average against the luxury tax, they can still afford to sign Trout. It won’t happen, but it doesn’t take them out.
So 25.4 mill doesn’t take Philly out of Trout deal but 30 mill would’ve. That’s laughable
Happy for the phils but even more happier for the angels… they get a chance at extending Trout now that the phils pushed to sign Harper.
I think he was close to being a dodger and the Phillies bent over. Either that or they fell for boras’s tricks
Really? How do you explain he didn’t want an opt out?
Prediction of the Dodgers going “all in” on Trout when he’s a free agent.
former, the Dodgers and everyone else should go all in..
Wow we have just witnessed one of the biggest regrets in baseball history. I’m so glad he did not sign with the Dodgers or Giants.
If it is true that Harper turned down an opt-out himself because he didn’t want one, he just gained a little respect right there.
Boom
Another day, another chance to be wrong
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finaly
Okay Giants, It’s time to sign Adam Jones on a 4mil 1 year contract with another 6mil available in incentives.
Savings…. 324 million.
And the winner is…….Boras. Man I’m sick of saying that.
Don’t even care anymore.
I think this is a big loss for Boras, or at minimum a compromise.
What an idiot. Boras and Harper didn’t read the market correctly and this is what they get. A terrible deal. Waste his career away in Philly. Hope he sucks
Wait, what? Seems like Harper came out on the win of this one. If the reports are true he didn’t want opt outs.
Why would Boras give a damn about how happy he is in Philly, or if he’s wasting his career there? Boras is getting his inflated payday. And Harper will be raking in the money regardless of how he performs. They clearly won this negotiation
Dude hits .249 now. What’s he going to hit during ages 33 through 39. Lol. So shortsighted by Philadelphia management. Idiots.
Obviously at some point it’s going to hurt to some degree, but it won’t be nearly as bad a most people are making it out to be. First, they kept the AAV relatively low with the 13 year deal. Second, I fully expect the players union to negotiate a much more relaxed luxury tax at the next CBA.
It also came with 34 home runs and 100 runs batted in playing in a less hitter friendly environment.
Idiots you say?
Hmmm. Low AAV which gives them flexibility to resign Realmuto, extend Hoskins and go after future free agents
If that’s idiotic to you, I suggest you seek help
idiots
“Stupid” money
What the hell? I was thinking he’d get something like 350/10. 330/13 is a pretty bad underpay. This is basically the same deal Giancarlo got extended on but without opt outs. In the open market.
My guess is some of this is loaded for the first 10 years with a friendly back end. Have seen nothing to back that up but the AAV
oh just saw the update! It’s front loaded a bit.
How in the heck did he agree to this. Phils just made out like none other. Only 25 million AAV? NO opt outs? Worst of the worst case scenario for the Nats. Lose Harper to rival and on a deal without an outrageous AAV. Crazy how no other team could be that.
No opt outs and full no trade protection over 13 years? Wow. I mean I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it works out. If the last few years aren’t too expensive then it could be a really good deal for the Phil’s.
Also, it is frontloaded, unlike most mega deals, although there are others that are.
So MLBTR wasn’t so far off their prediction on Harper after all. Never would have thought the deal would be that long
Yeah, but further than I was in that comment I posted on here recently, because I got the team right and I was only off by 3 years and $5 million.
I wish all teams would spend stupid money.
they all spend stupid money now. none of these players are worth what any of them are being paid!
Hope it all works out fine. Otherwise, Harper’s new nick name will be “the Albatross”.
I’m glad the kid got his money, but it’s not a smart deal from Philly, given a full no trade for BH, and no opt outs. Sometimes the team should want an opt out as much as the player. They better start giving him playing time at 1st base right now…or go ahead and name him their DH right now, when MLB goes all in on that … because the longer he stays in the OF, the more risk of serious injury. 13 yrs is NOT SMART…that’s insane. But Harper deserves a tip of the cap for holding out. It only HELPS guys like Trout, Rendon, and whoever else, etc, next off-season.
The team should never want an opt-out. Opt-outs are terrible for teams. Player will only ever use the opt-out if the team doesn’t want him to.
When your talking about 10 year deals I beg to differ on a team never wanting an Opt out.
No because the player will opt out if and only if the team doesn’t want him to. Cases like A.J. Burnett where the player leaves some money on the table in order to go to a different organization are few and far between.
If the Phillies wish to shed Harper’s contract after 6 or 7 years, they can do so by trading him. They don’t need the opt out to do that. If Harper is not producing at a level where another team would be interested in trading for him and his contract, then he was never going to opt out in the first place.
How do you trade a guy making 22-26 million dollars who isn’t producing.Only way is by doing what Seattle did and give up a great closer with him.And Cano is actually producing some
Again, if he is not producing at a level where you would be able to trade him, he’s not going to opt out in the first place.
It’s over…it’s finally over
Structure will be 10/300+3/30, lets Boras say he got Manchado’s deal plus 30 mil for seasons over 35. Also lets the Phils save on the taxes
I still find it interesting that no AL teams were in on this, looks like a DH in 2nd half of the contract and the NL isn’t a done deal for it coming in yet. Maybe they know something….
13 years!!!!???
And people were calling him greedy lol. Just over $25 million AAV and has job security until he’s 38.
Philly is gonna kick themselves. Bet he never touches 4 WAR. Prolly only gets 3 twice. Dude maybe only 26 but hes already past his prime.
good for harper and great for the phillies. 25 million for a superstar franchise player with a short fence. my next predictions dallas and kimbrel to the phillies and the braves will finish 4th in the division
This is the pure definition of a baseball franchise bending over. They knew he wanted nothing to do with that toilet bowl of a city so they made him a mob offer. No deferred money, no opt out causes and for no trade he basically had his way with them. But, five years from now when they realize what they have done we will be on here talking about the latest report that the Phillies are now shopping Bryce harper. Here is where it gets hysterical this is the definition of a on movable contract unless the Phillies are willing to pay most of it. If they don’t trade him when he’s 35 and has four more seasons and can’t play the outfield anymore what does Philadelphia do? They are screwed.
you clearly didnt think this out.
they already talking about DH in the NL!! this will setup perfect for him!! 25million AAV is dirt cheap for harper and doesnt handcuff the phillies
Harper was drafted as a catcher. I’m sure he can pick up 1B.
@ misfit…..double up on those meds kid…
DH is coming to the NL next year. Pay attention man.
can someone get me some luxury threshold estimate for the year 2030?
Sure. Less restrictive than it is now.
13 years lol poor Phillies
I dont consider this a record deal, 5 lm less then Machado. 30m for 3 more years… lol record deal….
Record deal in total dollars, not AAV.
Don’t be surprised if this isn’t accurate.
and don’t be surprised if he winds up in NY or LA during the deal either……
A good deal for all involved. Every team can afford this kind of contract, but the Phillies could really use the value of a few wins that Harper should provide. Harper, even in a down year, was fifth in total bases in baseball last season (ahead of both the MVPs, btw). He’s young, of course – a few months younger than Machado – and has a skill set (power and walks) that tends to age fairly well. If the NL does, indeed, implement the DH in 2020 his value only increases., He also creates a baseline for a Trout contract, which I think will be something like 10/400.
Actually, players whose worth is based upon Harper’s skill set tend to not age well at all… his #1 comparable for age/stats is Andruw Jones.
Andruw Jones never came close to 130 walks in a season. He didn’t strike out a ton, but his skill set was quite different than Harper’s. Jones was an athletic guy whose highest OBP was 366 in a single season. (Harper’s highest was 460, and he’s only had one full season lower than 366).
Athletic/ speed guys who don’t walk a ton tend to age poorly. Exhibit number one might be Jones, although Carl Crawford is a more extreme example. Guys who walk a lot and hit lots of homers and hit for lots of power tend to age much better.
There is also the unfortunate suspicion that Jones was a PED user – I don’t believe that, but maybe it’s true. Harper is probably not doing anything like that. And Harper, in2018, a season in which he batted 249, posted a higher OBP than Jones ever did, and also scored and drove in over 100 runs. And he was only 26.
LOL So much for him not liking Philly!
from Ken Rosenthal:
Though one source says Harper did not want opt-out, others around game say #Phillies likely refused him one if they were going to award him record guarantee. Relatively low AAV will help Phils with future luxury-tax thresholds. No deferrals, as others have reported.
My thoughts BEFORE the signing. I’m holding out hope my Cards can somehow surprisingly sign him.
My thought immediately following the signing— I’m glad the Cardinals didn’t break the bank on this inconsistent player.
Congrats Phillies fans!!!
If you looked into the stats, Harper is consistently a good player and sometimes elite.
So in your mind a 249 ave 34 hrs and a-3.2 dWAR and a 1.3 WAR is a good player That was last year .How about 2014 when he played 100 games 13 hrs 32 rbis a 273 ba a -0.5 dWAR and a 1.1 WAR or 2016 243 ba 24 hrs -0.9 dWAR 1.5 WAR. How consistently exactly is he a good player
Alright. Now my fantasy league can draft. Congrats Bryce, you are a very rich man.
The Reverse Werth!
Harper may not have signed for Machado Money but remember he will be avoiding California’s insane tax rates. I’m sure he’ll be taking home more cash than Padre Manny.
Nope Machado still makes more –
After just state taxes:
Machado $26,100,000
Harper $24,250,000
And that assumes they pay entire salary at home state rate – which they don’t – Every players gets taxed by each state they play in -so returns are long and complicated. So Machado gets a little relief on his visits to Arizona and Colorado and Harper gets hit in DC and New York
I am surprised by lack of opt outs.
Giants come in and blow the offer out of the water and he flips to SF.
Everyone who was sure the Dodgers were seriously interested in Harper will now step forward and admit they were wrong.
Or, not. More like not.
Are you high? They offered $40 million a year. If that is not serious I don’t know what it is. Here is the problem you failed to recognize the Dodgers are exactly like the Yankees they value players through analytics at a certain number over a certain number of years and they do not budge from that number. That is why the Yankees did not get Machado did not even make an offer for Machado or why they did not even make it offer for Corbin and this is why the Dodgers did not get Harper. Not serious? Get drug tested
Oh, nice. We don’t know what the Dodgers offered exactly but everybody and their grandmother knew that Harper was looking for at least ten years and the Dodgers were not going there. So that’s a working definition of not serious. But I guess I should thank you for proving my point. Nobody who was completely wrong about this is ever going to admit it. The only response they can muster is to insult the people who had it figured right.
Hi BlueSky…….There is this (often debunked) guy on Twitter. I wonder if he honors his word and deletes his account. Read some of his guarantees…it’s where so much of the LA hype came from.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MLBINSIDER_
Somebody else who we don’t need to follow on Twitter!
Rays were in it until the end……
“In taking the largest overall contract, Harper did make a clear sacrifice on average annual value. He’ll earn just over $25MM per season annually””
What a martyr
That’s kind.
Padres are dumb not getting him he went for less than 30 a year..
Boras made the Phillies bid against themselves.
Huh? So all the people from the Dodgers and Giants who met with Harper were just hanging out with him in Vegas to get his opinions on the best casino buffets?
Exactly, so you was there with us?
And what better place to hang out when you have millions to throw around!
Friedman tried to use is Jedi powers on Harper. “The Phillies are are not the team you want to sign with…” A master, he is not.
Turns out money speaks louder than mind control. Who knew?
I like this signing for the Phills. I think it puts them atop the N.L. East slightly ahead of both the Braves and Nationals.
I wish, but the Nats have the better rotation..the Phils have an outstanding pen though
at this rate phils are a standout and the nats/mets will battle for wild card. braves will all be hurt by the allstar break.
lol Braves fans are such drama queens. Quit being so dramatic, you’re embarrassing the rest of us.
Naw
the Nats pitching keeps them on top
They are definitely improved, but if they had starters that they can consistently rely on other than Nola, that would be great.
Can we re-sign Cole to throw balls at him during BP? No matter how many added wins, regular or post season, this is absolutely repugnant. Hope the deal at least included an ample supply of Vasoline for Middleton while he was signing.
13 years….wow i’m glad the yankees were never in on this mess. lolz.
Vomit.
harper signs with philly for less AAV, bc he was promised they will bet the farm on getting trout 2020. that would be a sick lineup
If hicks continues to out produce Harper in war like he did last season he looks like a even bigger steal
You’re comparing a CF and a RF. Big brain bud.
Harper played 63 games as a centerfielder last year so not completely ridiculous and he was terrible at center and terrible at right
Hicks career WAR 10.6
Harper 27.4
Who were they bidding against? Seems like the Phillies had all the leverage and caved on everything. Boras doesn’t get his due credit for magic like that.
be funny as all get out if the Nats win the WS this year.
true, if they win a playoff series finally, they can say bryce was the problem.
Nats eliminate Philadelphia in the NLDS lol
This is an insanely long commitment — one that will feature multiple seasons with injuries later in his career. I bet his best games will be in DC, where they will boo the living s out of him. I thought he was SF bound. Guess not.
just spreading the years out. he could be making as little as 10 million those last 3 years depending on structure, so they could just cut him. by 2030 10 million could be backup catcher money.
Actually I am betting his first AB he will get a standing O…
Boos will come later
I’m just glad Phillies are out of the mike trout business.
no they aren’t
plenty of room for Trout if he makes it to free agency.
I bet the nats make it passed the first round without him. Soto is the truth
Plus they don’t have choke artist Storen anymore.
I loved how analysts blamed not having Strasberg on the roster as the reason the nats didn’t win that series and yet it was storen who in game 5 in 2012 that blew a 3 run lead with one out and nobody on in game 5 lmao
On a side note…When Harper collects his last paycheck from this contract, Bobby Bonilla with still have 4 years to go from the Mets.
That’s nothing compared to the stupidity of Atlanta, still paying Bruce Sutter since 1989.
“Sutter was only paid about $750,000 per year while under the Braves’ control,” Lewis wrote. “For the thirty years after he retired — 30!!! — the Braves agreed to pay him no less than $1.12 million per year, and potentially more if interest rates spiked above a negotiated floor of 12.3 percent. [They haven’t.] That ends in 2021, and it’s only 2018, so Bruce Sutter, at some point this year, received or will receive a check for $1.12 million.”
Welp as a Mets fan that sucks for us. The nl east is a monster division and some team will win 86 games and finish in 4th place. I’m sure people on social media will claim it’s an overpayment but it really isn’t at 25 mil per year. Goes without saying Harper will be a huge upgrade over Nick Williams.
If anyone claims this is an overpayment they are not paying attention. Lots of hyperbole coming for this deal but it isnt what it seems. 25 million is light and in 10 years 25 mil will be a drop in the bucket. If im a phan im over the moon. Unfortunately they are my least favorite team.
Face it, Boras used the Giants to squeeze Philly
This is music to my hears. I wanted Harper to play for the Phillies. Good job. It’s a reasonable contract because it is for 13 years. Nice, I have always like the Phillies.
Harper’s production at age 25 does not compare with Mike Trout, A-Rod, Pujols, Cabrerra, Vladimir Guerrero or Griffey Jr. Even Orlando Cepeda accomplished more by age 25. Harper has not yet shown that he is a super star. The Phillies are taking a big risk with their fans’ money. .
well, its mostly Comcast money, but should we be outraged that they spent it on talent instead of it sitting in the bank doing nothing?
Their fan’s money? How is it their fans’ money?
I agree with most of what you said but I’m not sure about that last sentence.
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!! Worst signing in history.
You can never judge a contract at the time of the signing.
Might not be all that bad a deal if the NL ends up with the DH toward the end of the contract.
I’m also wondering if santon will use his opt out. If he does than the yanks will be a even bigger player for trout if he hits the market
Stanton will not opt out.
Stanton isn’t opting out
Conan O’Brien makes $12 million a year
and Jimmy Kimmel makes $10 million a year
and neither of those guys can hit at all.
Harper would be a horrible tv host.
Yea but Harper can do his own hair care and beard grooming commercials .
He has a face for radio
Trade ya Machado for Harper. You wanna?
Cat…Funny
Lot of dough for a .280 26 homer 75 RBI average player with rising strikeouts and declining defense. Also settling for far less than Machado and Arrenado on a year basis. The ole Scott Boras “ magic” has disappeared thou $330,000,000 is nothing to sneeze about still about $15,000,000 a year shy of what they said last winter as the minimum they would take.
Phillies clearly looking to win the NL East division right now. They want it the most out of any team in that division. Whether they win it is another story.
They are also banking on the NL adopting the DH. Giving Harper 13 years is evidence of that. Way too many years.
But….they’re prepared to win now. Why not. They’ll be prepared to win a few years from now too.
He got the years but not the average salary people predicted. People were saying $30-40MM a year for 10+. People are wrong sometimes. That said, 330/13 isnt anything to scoff at.
I knew the Giants were all smoke though. They really arent in a position where Harper makes sense. Theyre currently having down years all while being bogged down by expensive contracts. Not a good combination. They need to tear it all down if anything and getting Harper would just slow their rebuild. Phillies seemed like the only real bidder for a while now. They were the only ones willing to pay big money, commit to the years, reaching/at their window for success, and had an open spot in the OF. The Dodgers check off all the boxes but they werent willing to commit the years. The Yankees check all the boxes except their OF is already very crowded. White Sox didnt want to cough up the money. I mean, im not even sure if the CWS wanted Harper as much as they wanted Machado. Padres were a bidder until they got Machado. I think that left the Phillies and Nats, and the Phillies were more willing to shed more money than the Nats, especially after all the signings the Nats did.
Definately no smoke by Giants. Just reported here on radio that Giants offered 12 years $310M butthey wouldnt match the phils offer. They would have had to be at $340 – 350M because of taxes.
If thats true I really disagree with the Giants philosophy. I think that wouldve done more harm than good for a team that doesnt seem close to competing for a while. Too many large contracts paired weak farm for how many years now? Just doesnt seem like the Giants are primed to win with or without Harper. Although I guess the argument to be had is that a lot can change in 12 years
Stupid money,indeed…and somewhere in Arizona and Florida, Mike Trout and Mookie Betts are grinning from ear to ear.
And both of their agents are saying daily prayers that their clients do not get injured this coming season.
Philly will make back the money they spent in 3-5 years. This will make more Philly players better esp HOSKINS and other bombers on the team. Go back to the 75-76 CINNCINATTI REDS who did u want to pitch too ROSE,MORGAN,BENCH,PEREZ,FOSTER. PICK YOUR POISON
You’re a very educated baseball fan. I’m guessing an all around great person too.
You compare the Big Red Machine to Harper Realmuto Segura Hoskins Harper. You are a very sick individual
Keuchel, Kimbrel Stupid Money Complete
And the big winner is Boras. He may not have won as big as he had originally planned, but he won a lot bigger than many commenters on MLBTradeRumors were recently predicting. He is adjusting to the present as much as anyone. I think he did pretty well for his client. And boy did he craft up some last minute magic to get the result he wanted.
I see Boras as a big loser in this. The offer before the offseason was reported as 10/ $300. By riding out all winter and into the spring he got 3 extra years for $30M more. The final contract didnt move much towards what Boras thought he might get.
3 extra years for 30 million towards the end of a playing career isn’t too bad. And it is a record contract. Is it as much as Boras was hoping for? No. It is still impressive he pulled off this last minute bidding war to that final bump in money.
I’d bet the Nationals have more wins without Harper this year than they did last year (80).
I would agree but I think that says less about Harper and more about having an even better rotation and a more consistent bullpen and the gift of playing the AL Central in interleague games this year.
that’s an easy prediction..The Nats underachieved..really good rotation…pitching wins…after pitching, there is pitching and then pitching
82
Trout will easily break 400 million at this rate
WEW!
People can question this deal all they want. It won’t change how happy we are getting him.
Betting that the Phillies will be one of the teams pushing for the DH in the NL sooner than later.
The Yankees “let” Machado sign with the Padres because they knew they could spend their money on Arenado next season. The problem is that Arenado extended with the Rockies, Machado went to the Padres and that coupled with the Rockies extending Arenado made the Giants and Dodgers re-think their pursuits of Harper and the way the NL West was shaping up. There is no guarantee that Trout, or Betts for that matter, will get to free agency. Of the “Big 5” possible free agent hitters in this 3 year span, it’s possible that Harper would be the last one the Phillies would have had a shot at signing and they took it.
Maybe the Yankees “let” Machado sign elsewhere because they already have a good offense and how they have already good players manning both positions that Machado plays.
Im surprised people even bought into the whole Yankees-Arenado rumor. It was presented by the same people who forwarded all the other false rumors.
We’re going to the World Series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chicken counting,…..not hatched…… shouldn’t do that…. 🙂
I agree.
eh, let em have their day
Don’t try to rain on my parade gozurman!!!!
Yeah once you build a team that will take you there. This is not the team. I say Harper will be sitting on the bench due to injury. He is injury prone. But I wish Philadelphia good luck.
Insanity. Nobody is worth that much money.
Nobody.
And thats when youre wrong
And now’s when you’re wrong.
No.
Im not saying Harper himself is worth that price, but if you can generate enough jersey sales and ticket sales on top of your what your baseball abilities provide to the success of the team, then youre worth that type of money. There are also lots of other professions that demand skills of high value. If someone was able to provide a cure for HIV/AIDS (or any other major disease) they would be worth much more than what Harper got. The fact that you think nobody can possibly be worth that much is embarrassing.
Supply and demand really isnt that hard of a concept.
Ah man, I apologize. I didn’t mean to make you feel embarrassed.
Now the big question is can Kapler actually write a smart lineup with all of the new talent they have?
That is a big question. His job should be on the line if the team stumbles out of the gate, right?
if he continuously changes the lineup, then the answer is no!
Dads………Paraphrasing what he said today…”If the reports are true Bryce will probably fit in the 3 or 4 hole……but he could hit anywhere at the top of the lineup”. More of the same Gabe mentality.
The chance to mess this up might be too much for The Gabe..
Making out that lineup should be fun..
1- Cesar Hernandez
2- Jean Segura
3- McCutchcen
4- Rhys Hoskins
5- Bryce Harper
6- J T Realmuto
7- Maikel Franco
8- Goofy Herrera
9- Pitcher of the day
or, who knows…still fun
Why is Bryce Harper the OBP machine not batting higher? You want to give him more plate appearances than practically everyone on that team.
Not a bad off-season Dads. I was looking at MLB’s top 100 players and the Phillies have 6 of them
jays fan, I didn’t put a lot of thought into it..might want to switch Bryce and Rhys
Now, if they can only stay healthy
Yadier Molina is the best catcher in the game. NOT J.T. Realmuto. He’s good but not the best
I’m in such a good mood, I’m not even going to argue this. Although Fangraphs might disagree.
Yadira maybe 10 years ago
As a Marlins fan, I’m cool with this. Phillies take away more payroll flexibility going forward, for a guy that has been in the NL East for several years, while not making a difference, and only being the best player in the division when my team traded the best NL East player to the Yankees, and in the one season that Harper had a better year a couple years ago. Now the pressure is on.
Now for what it means this year, It’ll be entertaining for me as a Marlins fan. Either one or two of the top four NL East teams will have disappointing years. Also, at least two of three managers for the Nats, Mets, and Phillies will be fired sometime this year.
Oh, and here’s a bold thought. If all of the top four teams in the NL East play up to capabilities, they will beat each other up, thus lowering their win totals. If…and it’s a big if…If that happens, and some crazy stuff happens with my team in Miami, there will be some embarrassing results in this division. When you have this many teams in one division beating each other up, some strange things can happen.
I would take Freddie Freeman of the Braves over Harper any day.
Freddie has certainly been the more consistent player. Harper is far more talented, but Freddie has been more of a lead guy to his team.
Why is Harper more talented.Harper has 5 less hrs in one fewer year but pretty similar.Freeman has a higher ba by 14 points. Freeman is a bad fielder Harper is a worse fielder. Why is Harper a more talented.Did he win the decathalon or is he a better singer?
And Jetes will ship out any Marlins player making more than five bucks to whichever of those other four NL East teams begs him the most.
The crazy stuff in Miami would be if the Marlins outdraw the Rays. I suggest you accept reality.
Awww…Did E!SPN tell you all that?
Who ever beats up the marlins the most probably wins that division
Yes, but they’ll all do a good job at that, even the team that ends up in 4th place lol
It’s going to be a rough year as a Giants fan. Their outfield is horrendous.
Maybe the cubs would trade Kris Bryant to the Giants if they agreed to take Heyward? Probably not I know.
The Giants need to draft and develop their next superstar and not expect that one with sign in SF.
They had a great run though. Only problem for them was preparing for the future past that mini dynasty they had
You’re right. Might as well tear it down. Bet Madison Bumgarner will be traded this summer. I could see Atlanta.
He will have no trade value by then. 2 month rentals rarely get a huge haul. A team would have to be desperate like the 2016 cubs
You might be surprised with Bumgarner this year.
You might be wrong my friend. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. No way he resigns with SF.
Oh I agree he will end up walking but they took too long to flip him
I wouldn’t take Heyward even if I was offered Trout with him. Motivational speakers aren’t worth that contract.
It’s makes sense that your a Marlins fan. Only care about saving some money not the players and winning.
So Trout now goes to the Yankees?
Praying that way anyways. Don’t see how Hal could possibly avoid the best player of our generation
This doesn’t take the Phillies out of the Trout race when he tests FA.
Trout goes to the Giants. That 10 years the Giants were offering you better believe they are going to be front runners for trout like Philadelphia was for Harper
you balked on this one
NL East is going to be a killer division. Nationals might be the frontrunner but Phillies are definitely the most improved team of all. Vegas odds are already showing Philadelphia the love from World Series chances to win totals