After some speculation over the last few weeks that Bryce Harper was interested in extending his deal with the Phillies, agent Scott Boras confirmed the matter when speaking with reporters (including Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer) at the Winter Meetings.
“Bryce has let me know that he wants to work out an extension so that he knows that he’s going to be there for the remainder of his career….Apart from my advice, he goes, ’I just want to go and make sure that I can recruit players to Philadelphia. I want the fans in Philadelphia to know that I’m going to be there for the duration and that I’m committed.’ I think he’s been an important voice for them to attract major free agents and other players,” Boras said.
Harper is still not even halfway through the 13-year, $330MM contract he signed with the Phillies as a free agent during the 2018-19 offseason. At the time of the signing, Harper’s contract was the most expensive in baseball history, and it still ranks seventh all-time in terms of total dollars. In terms of average annual value, however, Harper’s deal doesn’t crack the top 40 all time, as he is making a relatively (in a very broad sense) modest AAV of just under $25.4MM per season. In terms of actual dollars, Harper is still owed $196MM through the 2031 season.
The deal was a straight 13-year pact without any opt-outs or club option years, which was by design. At the time of the signing, Harper stressed that he wanted long-term security for the rest of his career, so he could focus on baseball without having to worry about any future changes of scenery or upcoming trips to free agency. This dovetailed with the Phillies’ desire to add premium talent while also keeping costs (again) relatively in check in terms of the luxury tax. With Harper’s money spread out over a longer term, that $25.4MM AAV puts less of a hit on Philadelphia’s annual luxury tax bill.
Since the Phillies have exceeded the tax threshold in each of the last two seasons, the AAV benefits of Harper’s contract are perhaps even more important to the Phillies now than it was at the time of Harper’s signing in February 2019. On paper, this gives the team little reason to consider extending a player who is already locked up through his age-38 season. Even if the Phils are open to indeed retaining Harper into his 40’s, it makes sense for the club to wait at least a few more years to monitor any signs of decline in Harper’s play.
In addition, Harper is also coming off two seasons hampered by injuries and defensive limitations, as a UCL tear and subsequent Tommy John surgery limited Harper to DH-only duty and then some time at first base over the 2022-23 seasons. Though Harper is now apparently healthy enough to resume right field duties, Philadelphia will instead use him as the everyday first baseman in at least 2024, allowing the Phillies to both address a first base need and to get more at-bats in the outfield for such players as Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas, and Cristian Pache.
Even with these injuries clouding the picture, Harper is still unquestionably a force at the plate. He has hit .284/.395/.536 over 2497 plate appearances in a Phillies uniform, as well as a whopping 1.137 OPS over 126 PA in the postseason. Harper was the NL MVP in 2021, and he helped lead the Phillies end their playoff drought with a World Series appearance in 2022, and then a trip to Game Seven of the NLCS in 2023.
If Harper was a free agent now entering his age-31 season, would he land more than eight years and $196MM? The answer certainly would appear to be yes, as Harper’s mighty bat might very well outweigh any concerns over his long-term health or defensive future. Speculatively, if security is still Harper’s focus more than pure money, the Phillies could float an extension that adds a couple of years to Harper’s contract at a lesser AAV, or perhaps a restructured deal entirely that lengthens the contract but lowers the Phils’ annual tax hit even further.
Why would they do that? Isn’t his contract long enough?
He’s going for the Kovalchuk record maybe??
Yeah I agree- his contract is long enough as is and he’s not yet halfway through it!
8 years left in the contract, why would they do that ♂️
If Harper just wants more guaranteed years and will take like 2/24M for 39/40… sure… Makes his AAV 4M less
The Phillies wouldn’t, but Harper and Bor-ass would jump at an extension in a heartbeat. You would think Dombrowski would have learned something from Miggy’s extension wh/ finally ended this season, but was a burden on the Tigers the past 5-6 years
@JayHeck2158: His name is BORAS. What has he ever done to harm you?
Baron
Boras is a very competent agent who does a good job for his clients. But he harms the baseball fan base by making public comments that are insensitive to ordinary working people. Boras should not be surprised that the public dislikes him and he probably does not care.
Nor should he. He doesn’t work for the public.
Mr. I did that extension himself. Not a DD move.
Disliked? Scott Boras would indeed be surprised to learn that. Very very.
He knows all Earthlings hang on his every word, so what are you even talking about?
He feels revered for revealing things such as how Philly fans and rival ballplayers require the immediate assurance that Bryce Harper will be guaranteed escalating top pay well into his 40’s.
Besides, doing so right now is in Philadelphia’s best interests. Duh. How can they expect Bryce to poach others if the others aren’t sold on his being a Lifetime Phillie who will always paid Ohtani money?
He knows we like him for spending lots of sporting billionaires’ money when they become all too aware of their own expiring contracts.
Thank you for all that and so much more Scott. We like you.
Boras, like most elites is completely tone deaf.
Or just a professional who does his job and doesn’t worry about what fans think. He’s in player representation, not advertising or PR.
@sergefunction: Would you rather the owners just keep more of what their players make for them?
Fans pay to watch the players play, not to watch the owners own.
Boras is about the business of his clients getting their fair share of the revenues they produce. Nothing more and certainly nothing less, and he’s very good at it.
Baron…Bor-ass thinks he’s bigger than the game and wants to control every aspect of free agency. You’re free to disagree but I am 100% entitled to my opinion!
You are, but I think you’re mistaken. He only advocates for his clients, and he does a great job.
Borasssssss.. however anyone wants to spell it…. You getting paid to defend his bad name?
Boras is smart, no doubt about it. Way too full of himself and believes he is the savior for all of MLB. Not hardly. Just another guy who thinks of himself first and foremost. Uses players to get as much money from MLB as he can make. Glad so many other agents have joined the game so he is less influential.
@BaseballGuy1: No. I just don’t believe he’s done anything wrong. And you saying he has a bad name doesn’t make it so.
Helping players get their fair share of the revenues and profits they generate is perfectly legitimate, and a lot more ethical than tricks the owners have pulled such as collusion to not sign free agents in the 1980s.
Dombrowski signs away; he doesn’t care about that either way.
Awfully prickly maybe the chipmunk is really Boras in drag
Dude was paid to be an elite outfielder and now he is damaged goods getting 300 million. I will only give him an extension if the whole contract is based on actual games played where you get 100 percent of salary for playing 140 games and lose one half of a percent for each game fewer than that played. That ought to get the extension talk shut down.
uhhh when you say damaged goods… he had TJ.. which hes now recovered from.. so hes fine
Well put Manny. I predict the next thing we hear, will be both Harper and Boras walking this stupid ‘feeler’ back – quickly!!!
Braxton
Harper is not fine or he would be playing right field. He is being coddled at 1B and DH to avoid recurrence of injury. He is an elite hitter we all know that. But he is less valuable coddled at 1B then if he was fully healthy and a good RF with an elite bat. Harper is a gamer but he is damaged goods toughing it out.
Manny
I disagree. He is healed by now from the injury and treatment. He is playing first to help the overall defense of the team improve, not to be “coddled”. The outfield defense is much better with him at first, Casty in right and some combo of Marsh, Pache, and Rojas manning center and left and Shwarbs as the DH.
I also disagree with the author of the article that he is at first to get more at-bats for Marsh, Pache, and Rojas. It is to improve a previously mediocre outfield defense at best.
The bat skills of those 3 don’t really move the needle much, although Marsh and Pache have shown some degrees of improvement.
Ogre
I appreciate your thoughtful response, but I disagree with it.
It is much easier for Phils to get a cheap power bat at 1B with Harper in the outfield. That makes the team better rather than running out a poor bat/solid defender in the OF. Harper’s injury or at least risk of injury recurrence is the reason for his move.
Again, this is no swipe at Harper, lesser players would still be in rehab collecting their checks. But his bat as an outfielder were he still up to it is worth more at market rate than his bat at 1B – that is indisputable.
I don’t believe that Harper was ever considered a good defensive outfielder.
@Manny
When you have Harper, Castellanos, and Schwarber, its not a matter of health. Its a matter of ability. The fewer of these three that play on the turf, the better your defense will be. They found that Harper was at least as good as Hoskins last year. Why put him back in the OF, removing a better defensive player?
1B, other than Freeman, has been a much more affordable position to fill than OF. The best thing about this is seeing Harper’s ego not getting in the way, because the move makes the team better. Talk to Devers and Boegarts about moving off of 3B and SS respectively, and their ego will get in the way.
@stymee watch how much Ohtani gets paid for “damaged goods” that are currently damaged.
I disagree that Harper is damaged goods. He’s been a negative value defender in the outfield for many years, he was a positive value defender at first. The Phillies also had an opening at first base. Harper is doing them a favor.
Drasco-Harper has been a consummate teammate and fan of the Phillies.
As a very fine player he is proud to be a baseball player.
He is also guaranteed $330,000,000,not exactly minimum wage.
He wanted no fanfare when he told management that he was willing to play first base.
He played fairly well and obviously worked very hard at learning it.He was clearly better than his predecessor who is defensively challenged.
But if he considered himself to be a professional then changing positions for the good of the team and in some regards himself should be expected,and as no favor.
Lemon
Personally, I think Ohtani’s injury takes him from getting 650 million to 500 million. But whatever he gets, he would have received more had he not been injured.
Drasco
It may be the better position for him on the Phillies, but salary is based on your market value to other teams. For most teams, an elite batting RF is worth more than an elite batting 1B. So the fact that protecting Harper from further injury might dovetail with the Phillies needs still means his value is reduced on the free market. Personally, I am confident that the Phiilies could find a cheap power bat for 1B and put Harper in the outfield if he is healthy. A couple years ago, everyone would agree that Harper was a decent outfielder and Nick and Schwarby were not. Nick and Schwarby should rotate between LF and DH if Harper was healthy.
Mendoza
Agree
Where are all these impact first basemen?
Outside of Freeman (27 million) and Goldie (26 million), Olson (22 million extension), who is putting up 30 home runs?
In this free agent class, Hoskins will earn less than 20 million and provides middle of the order production. On the outfield side, Soler, Hernandez, Meadows, Peterson, Gallo and Renfroe are all going to make under 20 million AAV.
Manny,
Show me the first baseman that is earning 20 million or less that’s hitting 30 home runs and driving in 100 rbis because I can show you TWO outfielders on the Phillies right now what are.
He was never an “elite outfielder.” Nor is he damaged goods now. When you can hit as well as he does, it doesn’t matter what position you’re playing. It’s been that way throughout the history of the game. I have no doubt that he could play right field competently, but the team prefers to get a better fielder such as Marsh, Pache, or Rojas out there.
To quote Bryce “that’s a clown ‘statement’, bro”
Harper is the Phillies Superstar, he could have easily told the organization no. That he wanted to stay in the outfield.
You claim it’s unprofessional if he did? Was Jeter u professional for refusing to move for the vastly defensive superior A-Rod?
Harper did the Phillies a favor waiting to have Tommy John’s, he did the Phillies a favor coming back early and DHing, and he did them a favor moving to first base and continuing to play there.
Pete Alonso, Christian Walker and Spencer Torkelson off the top of my head.
But what matters is not the past but the market. Phillies could get a `1B who would hit 20 homers not 30 for $5-10 million on a one to two yer deal. A guy somewhere in between Hoskins and CJ Cron kind of guy.
Ohtani got ten years $700 million with heavy deferrals. If not injured, he would have received much more.
Oh so you mean three guys who haven’t reached free agency yet….
Cron was awful last year and has only been good in Colorado.
As stated, Castellanos and Schwarber make 20 million each. Soler and Hernandez will be under 20 million. Today, it’s easier to find production in the corner outfield market than first base. It’s not the 90s anymore, there really are not many quality first basemen but there are a lot of quality outfielders.
You said it’s easier to find production cheaper at first base, that simply isn’t true anymore. The fact you had to use CJ Cron as an example proves the point. Outside of Hoskins, there is no one on the free agent market.
Draco- Harper was hurt.For all we know he cannot play right field anymore.He was not all that great at it before.
Are you saying that he should have taken the whole year off and collected his $25+ M for sitting on his backside?
Are you saying that that would have been a professional thing to do?
Are you saying that he would have been a respected teammate for doing so?
And the Phillies did him a favor by paying him $330,000,000.?
He saw a way to help his team.That is not a favor to the Phillies.That is being a professional.
Whois making the clown statement bro?
Their first priority was to get his bat in the lineup and he was chomping at the bit to do so.
Their 1a priority was to get Schwarber out of the outfield to DH so that his defense did not lose games.He was worse in LF than Hopkins was at first base.
If Harper was healthy they should have moved Castellanos to first base and put Harper in RF.Nick played third base coming up so at least he had infield experience.
If Harper is healthy now they should switch them in ST.
The fact is that Harper was never an all star fielding RF.He played reasonably well at 1B so now he is a first baseman.
@MannyBeibgMVP: You think Ohtani would’ve gotten more than $700 million?
If Harper was a good rightfielder,and his arm is healthy now,why don’t they move Castellanos to first base in ST?He came up as a third baseman so at least he was an infielder.
Because they are afraid of hurting his arm again and he played relatively well at first base last year.
The fact is Harper gets paid for his leadership and his hitting.First base is where they can put him without hurting fielding,
Not unlike other aging players throughout the years.
Baron
It is logical that Ohtani would get more if he could pitch in 2024 and did not have the added likelihood of recurrence.
Was there a second team at 650 million or more with less deferred money. I sure don’t know that one way or the other. But at a minimum the Dodgers have to get a couple starters for 2024 even if just Kershaw and a rental.
And I never expected Toronto in the mix
I know that you once said that you think Kershaw’s last injury will likely end his career, but I expect him back for half a season or more.
They shouldn’t, but after seeing Turner, Machado, Bogaerts, Judge, all sign till 40, he wants those extra 2 years signed now. Nobody is gonna pay $40 million per year for a 39/40 year old.
Unless your last name is Verlander of course!
An extension increasing the AAV is not realistic. Neither is adding on years. Why can’t athletes just be happy for each other? To even publicly mention is unfair to the team. Harper turned his reputation around. This is though an example of a jealous and still immature person.
Max says hello.
@VermonsterSD
The whole “story” is absolute pony and trap (easy rhyming slang) and you’ve called it. If Harper is healthy and still prolific etc. in six years time, then discuss an extension then. Otherwise ignore it.
This might be a rare example of Boras effectively admitting that he undervalued his client and trying to make up for it.
I like Harper, I think he is a decent bloke and a brilliant player. But he signed on the line, he is committed to another eight years. Talk to me in six. Especially when you have brought home the bacon in the form of a WS….
The last sentence answers your question..
“or perhaps a restructured deal entirely that lengthens the contract but lowers the Phils’ annual tax hit even further.”
That last line was in my view simply for PR purposes. There is no way he could expect the team to add enough years that meaningfully lowers the AAV.
When will these owners learn to “Just say No”!!! Pretty soon beer will be $20 a pop. The greed of these guys never stops amazing me. Owners, agents in particular – but not to exclude ‘some – not all’ players.
@Dogbone: Beer will be $20 a pop no matter what players make.
When will fans like you “just say no” to buying beer and getting sloshed at the ballpark?
Dewey – you can’t really think that BH is sitting at home trying to figure out to lower the tax number for the Phillies. He is looking to get $$’s as a very recently multi-injury rapidly aging 31 year old for his 39-40 years that he knows he won’t ever see when that contract expires. Those contracts weren’t in play when he signed and now he wants to get those 2 years that others are now getting.
Things not even at the ballpark cost more now cause of how much the players make! We must stop them!
$16 at Dodgers Stadium.
usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/05/05/mlb-beer-…
Long, my problem is no one is satisfied. Just be happy you already never have to worry about money. Not you, your kids or their eventual kids. Greed will kill the golden goose.
Reading is a skill baron. One that obviously you don’t possess. Got news for you, it’s been years since I’ve set foot in a MLB stadium. I’ve said no, awhile ago.
@Dogbone: Then why are you whining about beer prices as if you’re an alcoholic?
Staying sober is a skill. One that obviously you don’t possess.
You make a lot of ASSUMPTIONS there baron. You must have an ego that makes you a real joy to converse with. You are a real keyboard tough guy.
Baron
Complaining about beer prices does not make you an alcoholic.
You are applying a double standard today. You attack one poster for making fun of Boras’ name in an impolite way but then you are impolite to someone who whines about beer prices.
Now mind you I agree with your substantive conclusion- who cares if beers at games are $20. I agree. I pay $200 to $300 a ticket to take my son to a couple games a year and pay for front row seats behind the dugout. I pay $99 a year to get MLB out of market games on my computer. That is my baseball investment and they could charge $30 for a beer and it would not bother me. But I would not call someone who disagrees an alcoholic.
Damn Nachos went up to $12-15. It’s only chips and cheese. It’s highway robbery but it’s okay I have a nachos addiction since the high school years. I can’t stay away from them because they are so damn yummy.
Vegas
LMAO
$12 for a Soda now and they don’t carry straws there anymore…
Time to put a sippy cup under your coat and bring it in dodger 😉
The cops and security there would no doubt intercept me and mistake it for a tube of C4 and execute me on the spot. I can’t risk it..
@dewey
This explains to me why everyone in the bleachers were seven parts pissed before the games I watched at Dodger stadium. Have to admit some of it was comical, some of it wasn’t. We were defended by our Max Muncy bobbleheads. 1\4 with an infield hit. He was pissed too….
Blue Baron has an uncanny ability to have me agree with Dogbone on literally anything. Prices at games are astronomically high. That is a direct result of these contracts being signed and owners squeezing as much as they can oit of everyone that comes through their gate. I took my daughter to a game last year, her 1st. Got a drink, food, and souvenir hat for her, along with ice cream. With tickets and parking factored in, it was over 225 dollars for a day at the ballpark…for the garbage a$$ White Sox! How does that make any bit of sense?
It does not make sense unless you realize that people pay it it and the owners and players are both greedy.
The fans are the only ones who do not have a vote.
In your case it was a special occasion worth the investment,
What happens if you have three kids and a wife who all love baseball and their home team?
They shouldn’t have to re mortgage their house to see a baseball game.
It will only end when there are spending limits like the other sports or fans will stop showing up to the ballparks.
With the proliferation of billionaires in this country who no longer care about money buying baseball teams it will only get worse.
Exactly, DShires! Reading comprehension is a real issue for some. OR they didn’t bother reading beyond the header.
Cerul, do you really think that last line has any reality in it?
Dewey, yes it does. But whether it is enough for the Phillies to bite on it is the question. My personal opinion is the contract is long enough as agreed upon in 2019 but there are only two parties who have any skin in the game.
They wouldn’t, it’s just Boras doing boras things. He had his opportunity to take a 15 year contract at the time, yet he chose to only sign through his age 38 season. And also chose to leave dollars on the table in terms of AAV
Boras did not do crap, he just relayed the terms and its Harper decision to accept it or not. Fans think Boras calls all the shots when its the exact opposite. Boras works for the players not the player working for him!
There is a reason as to why he is the best at what he does. So please explain how he does it since you know so much more than everyone else
Boras still gets a piece of the contract and the more in total dollars for the player, the more for Boras.
@anthony You seriously think an agent doesn’t give his client advice. He’s literally quoted in this article. It’s not a coincidence that so many of Boras clients go to free agency instead of signing extensions. And even if the player makes the final decision, the player had a right to ask his agent to try and get more
So you think Boras doesn’t try and ‘persuade’ players? If not, you are gravely mistaken. The curious case of Stephen Drew for example.
Go look up Chipper jones recollection of his meeting with Boras
Don’t fool yourself, this move definitely has Boras written all over it. So typical.
If Harper didn’t have the NTC in his contract, I don’t believe this greedy ‘idea’, would ever have been ‘suggested’. Poor Poor Bryce Harper. How can he ever make ends meet?
1000% correct. If it was Boras choice he would of had an opt out multiple times
from my understanding a hefty amount of that money was deferred if you’re talking about what the Nationals offered
Many contracts have deferrals.
deferals bring down the value of the contract is my point
Yep – just ask Bobby Bonilla. $1 million doesn’t buy what he did 10-15 years ago!
Bonilla got an insane amount of interest on that deal. Ohtani is doing this interest free. that kind of matters
Yes and no. His 600 mil contract ballooned to 700 mil by adding approx 100 mil (per a report) on the last day. So essentially, if you pay add 100 mil, he got his interest and Dodgers got the lower AAV.
It is reported that he makes 50 mil/year outside of baseball so he doesn’t miss the money.
Yeah, there’s always a few in every crowd who try to put a shine on Boras and his machinations. He’s not doing what he does for the betterment of mankind. He’s right on par with used car salesmen and personal injury lawyers – it’s all about money.
While the money is deferred, Boras still gets to claim a record number for the contract. Was that really a goal of the player?
I was just thinking the same thing. The ego and the sac on this guy. If I’m the Phillies I would just kindly say” No thanks”
It’s Boras just trying to squeeze more money for his player and himself.
Darth Vadar is an evil greedy man. I mean Scott Boras is. He knows his players injury prone and he wants to cash out before he breaks down again:
It’s interesting the Dodgers never really sign players represented by Boras.
That dudes a Richard.
There’s zero reason for the Phillies to do this unless they restructured the deal and got rid of the full NTC and inserted club option years.
They already have him locked up until well past his prime.
After that, I’d he can even still play, he will be a candidate for one year deals until he retires.
Him saying this portrays the exact opposite of being a team player, just comes off as bitter that he didn’t bet on himself and take 2 year deals instead of a 13 year deal.
Union would never allow it. I’m thinking what would be good for the sport is to make the players buy out their players’ option like owners have to do. It will never happen now but it should have been forced on the players 10 years ago (or whenever it was) when these opt outs started to appear. I never knew why an owner would put a one way option that only benefits the player in a contract. Only answer I could think of is desperation.
If you read between the lines, it signals that Harper really enjoys Philly and it’s a recruiting tactic for free agents. I don’t think Boras himself thinks Philly will renegotiate his deal at the moment.
That’s a pretty charitable take, but it might be true.
I only read what’s written mate. Between the lines is so small it’s meaningless.
The way I read it is that if he renegotiates his deal – he will reduce what he’s owed in the short term if it creates a situation for short term financial relief either to get under the cap or free funds to sign other guys.
Then they went public with it to show Phillies they are serious. Interesting tactic !
Yeah, I mean color me flabbergasted that there is even a whiff of an extension talk. He is under contract til age 38,shut up and play.
@zerbs exactly, makes zero sense for the Phillies to do that. Of course if they don’t extend him Harper might ask for a trade
This isn’t basketball or football though. The player can ask all day
And dribble!!
Headline should read, “Bryce Harper interested in extension with Phillies, Phillies not interested in extension with Bryce Harper.”
Why not just restructure his deal for more money per year. Obviously, he feels under paid
Probably injured. Strasberg and Alex Rodriguez boras clients who got long term extensions in the middle of their current deals and after 1 year or two their production fell off a cliff. Harper is no Julio Franco, yet.
Because Scott Boras is his agent. What do they expect. 2 more years for another $20M at best? Crazy
But but but but 2031 is still aways off.
Jim Gardener hasn’t really enjoyed retirement yet playing peanucle in the park
What exactly can they, the Phillies, extend at this point
Nah
MLBTR should have an impromptu chat since nothing else is happening.
Grandiosity is a helluva drug.
I don’t know if the story mentions it, but Bryce does have a full no trade cause. If Bryce didn’t have the no trade cost, I could maybe somewhat understand wanting a little extra cheese on the taco. But the odds of him playing his entire career in Philadelphia are Definitely not 100% if he decides to ask out.
It seems like the Phillies hold the cards then if he wants out.
Only reason Phillies would do this is to lower aav but no way Bryce is willing to tack on 3 extra years for like $6 million total.
If he keeps whimpering about this the Phillies should tell him they’ll make that offer public “so we can go add other players.”
That might shut him up.
I don’t see any upside to Philly giving him more money now for his 39/40 age seasons. Sounds like a guy that wants his ego stroked by getting back to a higher place on the contract ladder.
That right there
lol wut
Nice little ploy to get fan support in his quest for more money, and not living up to his end of the contract. Get a real job and play that game! You’d get the laugh you deserve.
‘Get a real job’
you sound bitter
If you had the opportunity that Harper has, you’d quit that “real job” in a heartbeat. Don’t be jelly.
@ChasingTime Just FYI, real jobs come with powerful union protections, with pensions, guaranteed retirement, numerous sick days, a living wage that lets you own a home…
You know, dignity.
I have a “real job” but have never been a member of a union. In fact, management is not legally allowed to unionize. The word pension is antiquated, replaced by 401K. Govt. and assembly line workers may still see a pension but even there its disappearing. Many jobs will do everything in their power to replace a worker out for extended sick time. And many very real jobs don’t pay a living wage (though not every job should have to). Dignity is something you either have, or don’t have. A job isn’t going to give it to you.
If you have a “real job” it’s because hundreds of millions of men and women risked their lives and livelihoods with thousands killed and tens of thousands jailed so you and I don’t have to work 12 hours day 6 days a week (Sundays off for church) for a pittance, the norm before the labor movement in the 19th century. Among thousands of examples the U.S. president had striking workers at Blair Mountain bombed from one of the first airplanes, to break that strike.
But hey, way to enjoy and benefit from what they did for you then xxxx on them. Impressive, in its way–in the sheer ignorance and entitlement of it. .
Learn some history, THEN comment.
Tell ’em mate.
Jack, are you aware MLB players get all of those… or are you being sarcastic?
@mosltytoasty Of course, my friend, though the MLB players union wasn’t the topic.
Sad, in any case, to see wealthy players with a union, but 94% of private sector workers in the U.S. without one. Funny how the decline of the latter coincided with stagnant wages for more the 40 years.
“Dignity” LMAO
That gave me a good chuckle Strawb. Well put.
Yeah let’s extend the guy that is under control until he’s 38! Lol, there is zero chance the Phillies consider this. Bold move Bryce.
An extension on a 13-year deal is futile. The only point of it would be to show loyalty on ownerships part. This sounds like something Preller would do
Preller living rent free in your head 24/7
Why wouldn’t he? Preller is the most entertaining GM in BB.
Not really, just pointing out that he’s one of the few GMs that would make a desperate move like extending someone whose already signed through the next decade
Never done that. He extended Machado because Machado was surely going to opt out. If anything, AJ should not have given him an opt out.
The Phillies should be working on an extension of its proverbial middle finger at this proposal.
I guess Boras doesn’t have that many clients getting 200 plus million contracts this off season, he needs to try and collect his commission somehow
Bryce is drunk.
Of course he is. But why would the Phillies be so foolish to entertain this at all unless they were to have the ability to completely restructure his contract and extend out the cost so that his AAV is much lower. As much as it pains me to say it, Harper’s contract looks like a joke at the moment and Phillies might be getting a heck of a deal. No reason to eff with that
@bravesfan The contract’s not a joke, in any sense—it was intended to effectively defer a lot money for a few years for a player who was already missing 30 games a year over the 5 years before the Phillies signed him, and who no one was expecting to be healthy or productive past the age of 35. Harper’s previous four non-MVP years since 2014 had totaled just 9.1 bWAR, and without his MVP year, one season out of seven, he’d put up 18 WAR in six seasons.
He’s put up 18.7 WAR in his five seasons in Philadelphia, even with the lucky 2nd MVP award. That’s not even All-Star caliber performance, on average. Basically it was a 9/$330 or 10/$330m deal padded out to 13 years to defer the last 75m or 100m, depending on how you want to look at this or that.
Harper will have to put up another 5 seasons at his 2019-2023 level of performance for the Phillies to break even. Is anyone expecting that?
I think this has less to do with playing and more to do with wanting a lifetime role within the organization, something he’ll surely get, but isn’t really the priority now.
Spot on
No sense of urgency on the club’s part. People don’t even start to talk about stadium lease renewal until you get at least 5 years out. Eight years is an eternity in baseball. How will Harper react when the FO says, “Sorry, not interested.”
If that was the case, you talk about a post-career fit. You don’t talk about the absurd need to be there when you’re 39 in order to bring other plays on board.
LOL Your saying Bryce wants a marriage contract?
It’s an odd approach for sure. So I assume he wants 13 years/$330M to become 15 years/$383M or even 17 years/$442M or something?
Seems very early to do that and if I’m the Phillies I’d be looking at the Tigers doing that for Miggy or the Yankees doing that for Jeter and considering the results-which were really bad.
Of course he’s interested in an extension. Why wouldn’t Bryce be?
The problem with making the request, the problem with going public, is that he looks greedy and foolish.
Was he interested in looking greedy and foolish? Hard to imagine. Badly misjudged, in any case.
Phillies should be happy to extend the current contract. No additional money, but as many years as you like.
Next Harper pulls a Ben Simmons or James Harden. Hope it doesn’t happen.
Extend me into my 50s!
What a døuche
It’s just business and it doesn’t affect you. No need for name calling.
Baron – are YOU the pot – – calling the kettle black?? Hypocrite!!
Dog-That is typical Blue Baron.He criticizes other people for something that he disagrees with,then calls them names.He wanders among different threads thinking that he is a genius because he interviewed Tony LaRussa 20 years ago.
He is worse than a troll.
What did you expect, all he does is troll… Even has a picture of a troll on his profile… Just mute him. It makes life easier
This is business and last time I checked emo boy signed a contract. Honor your contract.
This has nothing to do with years. He thinks he’s now underpaid and wants a higher aav. The Phillies should say no. Honor your contract.
He is honoring his contract.
No, he isn’t. Honoring his contract would include discussing something like this privately.
@kodion: It’s highly unlikely that how and when to discuss an extension is specified in the contract.
Unless he is in violation of a specific clause or item in the contract, then he’s honoring said contract.
K, are your stipulations in his contract? No. He is honoring his contract.
He doesn’t have the choice not to honor his contract, unless he wants to initiate Operation Shutdown.
Not the spirit of the contract. And doing this publicly instead of privately, when it obviously is not in the Phillies best interest, will not help his position.
@stymeedone: Crap. You sound like people who talk about so-called unwritten rules.
If it ain’t written, it ain’t a rule, and if it’s not stipulated in writing, it’s not part of a contract.
@Astros2017&22Champs Agreed. Thing is, he’s not being remotely underpaid. He was lucky to win the MVP when he was about the tenth best player in the NL, and despite that shiny prize he’s been a 4-win player, on average.
He’s still missing 30 games a year, on average, since 2019. (40 a year in 2021-2023). The usual stat is $$$/WAR, as in how much would it take to replace his contribution in FA, and to date since he signed with Philadelphia he’s at $152m/18.7 bWAR, or $8.13m per bWAR.
That’s almost exactly what the replacement rate was in the 2018-2019 offseason, and since there’s no chance Harper repeats his average performance over the next 8 years, the cost to the Phillies will only go up.
He might want to offer to tack on another year for $1, instead, since he’s going to underperform the contract in the end.
Where do I sign up for one of those extensions?
Don’t do it, no, no, no. Reminds me of the Arod extension.
No reason to pay for diminished production, spend the money on a younger player.
I’m just glad to see news that isn’t about he who shall not be named
His name was robert paulson…..
This is a Scott Boras money grab!
Greed trumps a signed contract!
Harper should be glad he got paid
while sitting on the bench with injuries!
He will be 39 years old at the end of his
current contract! With his injury history,
I don’t even see him playing every day at
that age! Why would the Phillies want to
add more years & money to Harper other
than to make him happy? He should be happy now!
They also stated about bringing other free agent players to the team?¿? In most cases free agents are not going to a specific team, they are going for a specific contract (MONEY)! In some cases the team matters, but they will still use other teams as leverage! (Aaron Nola)! Bottom line, this is a Scott Boras money grab! They should not have signed a 13 year deal while knowing (especially Boras) that salaries will only increase year to year!
That’s the world of Boras and why he is so reviled by many – too much is never enough with this guy. I’m sure he dreams of future contracts where the player is guaranteed to remain in the top 5% of salary measurements for the life of the contract.
He’d never be doing this without Harper’s approval.
Philly fans are going to hate this. It’s not going to go well. Harper should distance himself from this completely if it isn’t immediately forgotten.
I am also interested in signing a long term deal with the Phillies.
I’m only giving him an extra year or two if it lowers the AAV for luxury tax purposes. It’s not a lot now but the Phillies have no incentive to extend him now.
I think Bryce may be looking at that $25M AAV and saying “what was I thinking?”. The extension would essentially be deferred comp.
The only leverage Harper has is not being a PITA. That’s a bold strategy Cotton.
Of course Dombrowski will be far removed from the team at the back end so it’s in his best interest to push for this since it won’t affect his legacy.
He would of had more money if he would have taken the Dodgers deal first then sign long term with whomever he wanted for that long term security he so desperately desires
Easy enough. Renegotiate the remaining 8/196 to a 15/196.
See if he takes 20/200
Harper and Machado were free agents at the same time.
Machado’s agent has gotten him $140m more than Harper.
Boras sucks
Publicly announcing your desire to extract more $$ from an existing contract isnt exactly a great way of demonstrating your devotion to the team and city. Time to call BS when its BS.
This makes me ill. Just honor the contract that already made you beyond wealthy.
Poorly timed public relations.
This is the most ridiculous story I’ve ever read.
Bryce has grown on me over the last few years, but if he said this publicly, it lowers my esteem for him a bit. This should have been handled behind closed doors.
Same here. Harper has become real likeable recently, but saying you want to be extended into your 40s, so you can recruit players, is embarrassing.
This is nothing. Media blowing it up.
I still think Harper/Boras shouldn’t have said anything publicly. Boras knew (or should have known) it would get blown up, and possibly twisted.
He should’ve waited at least 5 years before asking for an extension. Asking for an extension when you have 8 years left is looking for trouble.
Pure greed. If your not happy with the contract you got, you shouldn’t have signed it. Boras is bad for the game. If bryce is committed to Philly, would love to know what happens when they say no.
What a load of crap. Shut up and honor your contract. Why should the Phillies renegotiate?
Absolutely right. Has over 11 years service time already and has another eight years of contract remaining. There is zero reason for extending this. If I was the Phillies ownership I’d tell Boras to go away in silence or he would be down to 29 teams in the future to deal with.
Blackmail.
Hey Scott & Bryce, don’t call us will call you..
There’s probably a few things under consideration here for Harper, and of course money is one of them.
I wonder if the Hall of Fame (as a guy who retired a Phllie) is also part of what he’s angling for, and he’s looking for the extra years to give him the time to reach those milestones.
He’s at 306 home runs, With the current 8 years he’s has left he would need to average 24-25 homeruns per year. With his power, that shouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, COVID and injuries have limited him to 13, 18, and 21 homeruns in 3 out of his 5 seasons in Philadelphia. If he wants 3,000 hits as a Phillie, under his current 8 years remaining, he would need to average 185-186 hits per season. That’s virtually impossible for the type of hitter he is.
But, if he adds 2 years to his current deal, he only needs 19-20 homeruns per season and 149 hits per season. These are far more attainable averages, especially if he’s relatively healthy for the next 3-4 seasons and puts up the big numbers we’ve come to expect.
Injuries have definitely screwed him over the last 3 seasons, especially being that we’re talking about his prime time, pretty sure a health Bryce in the last 2 years would’ve gotten at least 30 more homers.
But I completely agree that he know he’s in a good track to the HOF and of course reaching the milestones of 500+ homers and 3000 hits is something he’s got on his mind.
Have to say tho that Bryce is now a smarter hitter, he walks more and he’s power is back, he should try to push himself and try to have 2 MVP caliber seasons allà Matt Olson in terms of homers to put him quickly around 400 so he gets a more relaxed approach to the rest of his career also the fact that he’d be now a 1B might help him to preserve himself better
Injuries haven’t screwed him, though. He missed 30 games a year with the Nats. He’s missing 30 games a year in Philadelphia.
Anyway, only Paul Molitor gets healthier in his 30s.
If he wants to reach milestones, it’ll be as a 39 year old DH looking for the Phillies to do him a favor. He can sign as their designated whatnot for the league minimum.
Since 2015 when he got his first MVP with the exception of the last two years that he torn his UCL, broke a his thumb and had surgery for it and Tommy John, the only season when Bryce didn’t reach at least 140 games was 2017. Of course I’m not including shortened 2020 when he played in 58 out of the 60 games. So he’s been pretty durable.
Now he’s also wiser and playing 1B could help him stay healthy and put better numbers a healthy Bryce could definitely hit 35+ homers a year I think he’s very likely to reach 500 or maybe 600, if there is a player that is capable of so is Bryce Harper.
Although I think Harper is a great asset to their team and has been a great recruiter so far, with 8 years left, most anyone worth a damn that he could recruit now, their contract likely wont even go as long as the term Harper has left. Maybe in 3 or 4 years if the team wants, and Bryce wants, they can extend 2 or 3 years at market value to get back to that ‘long term’ selling point
Dude should have had opt outs built in to leverage more money if he is worried about being paid less than he thinks he deserves. Honestly, Harper is a great player when not injured (see his Braves series dominance), but if he was worried about the future implications of average annual salary, he should have took the opt outs. I think he really loves the city and team, but he would have better chance at getting more aav if he hadn’t signed the leverage away.
The best extensions are the ones never given. Brian Dozier and Tim Anderson immediately come to mind. Not equating either with Harper, but with 8 years remaining, I can’t see any upside to this if I’m the Phillies.
Phillies kinda in a jam if they don’t do it he might start sulking and being a clubhouse cancer screw anything over 4 yrs for a contract
If he wants to sulk because he now wants out of a contract he agreed to, not a lot you can do. Phillies would be incredibly stupid to give him any more money, the risk of 13 years is 100% on the team so you get a lower AAV for the security. It’s the way it’s always worked and the way it should work, there’s zero reason the Phillies should be taking on even more risk now. Boras is a cancer to the game.
Some players get unofficially banned from the game. Puig, Bauer come to mind. Kapernick in NFL. Owners should stop negotiating with Boras.
10 more years!!!!!!
And in other news, Ohtani remains undecided on who he wants to take $600 million from!
It had t been reported in like 7 hours so didn’t want you to forget.
It’s their mistake, Harper’s and Boras’s, for not negotiating an opt out in the contract. This also should have remained private.
The Phillies have all the leverage.
You’re 100% right, but Scott can’t create any leverage if stayed private.
He left a ton of money on the table taking his deal to go to Philly which was admirable. But now he has his agent in his ear reminding him he thought it was a bad idea back then and while giving him an avenue to increase his dollars. Don’t do it Bryce, your a class act and a awesome for not being greedy
That’s not what I remember. I remember Harper signed for less AAV and many more years because his ego needed the largest contract in history.
He didn’t leave any money on the table. With his track record he won’t be a decent regular by 36. Think he’s going to give back $75 million?
Bryce sit the hell down and quit being greedy. Play out your contract and shut up with this nonsense.
2 player options at 10 million a piece. That way he can concentrate on baseball.
Hi! I’m Bryce Harper! I’m the most overrated player of the past decade, but extend me until I’m 45, even though I’ll be a shell of a player by 37! Gfy, Bryce
I wouldn’t say he’s overrated. I think his ratings are pretty accurate.
Exactly. He is over rated and now plays first base / DH. UMM both are a dime a dozen there Bryce and you ain’t done nothing yet
I remember Chipper renegotiating his contract to lower the AAV so the Braves could sign Edgar Renteria, And Andruw turning his back on Boras and negotiating his own deal so he could stay in Atlanta. Team players.
No problem Bryce. However any extension will require you to agree to a team opt-out clause in 2028 & 2030.
Laughable
Ok, fine. If that’s what you want. I’d be willing to add 2 years on for $5m per just to make you happy. Oh? You want $30m for ages 39 and 40? Why would I do that? As a Scott Boras client, you should probably go to free agency so you can earn as much as possible.
We are happy to inform Bryce Harper that he is signed with us through 2031.! We are excited that he is interested in an extension, so have have scheduled a sit down with on Jan 1 of 2031, thank you and congrats!
-The Phillies
I’m just not sure how he could, in good conscience, recruit players to play in Philly when he is only going to be there 8 more years.. Haha.
There is nothing wrong with Harper seeking an extension or wanting to play the remainder of his career in Philly. What a lame line though.
If he can get healthy again, he will take Mike Schmidt’s crown of greatest Phillie ever
No way. Schmidt over 100 WAR exclusively with the Phillies. Harper isn’t even at 50 total and his best season was in Washington.
The Phillies reflect their fanbase perfectly…ill informed emotional decisions. They still have a team to put together…
Do they though? They have their roster set. Adding pieces would be a nice luxury, but they don’t have any specific needs at the moment. Would I like some upgrades? Absolutely, but right now they’re rolling with a 90 win roster.
Give him an extra 2 years and 50 mil and make him happy. With the Philly ballpark, could see him ending his career with 500 HR and 3000 hits and an eventual permanent transition to DH. Think David Ortiz
And it’s not like his AAV is crazy. He’s making mid 20 mil when a guy like Ohtani (possibly DH only later in his career) will be making 60 million annually.
Real easy to spend other people’s money, huh?
Tell him he can go fk himself and if he wants you can begin trade talks immediately if the remaining 8/$202m isn’t enough.
“Oh, wait, no one’s taking our calls if we don’t eat salary, but you want an extension?”
The best odds would be on several years of miserableness if the Phillies don’t phold.
Tell Bryce to a) waive his no-trade clause, then b) shop himself as trade bait. If he can get where he wants to go financially and satisfy management’s needs personnel-wise, see ya!!!
I bet he is
I feel bad for Bryce, he can’t even feed his family. 330 million dollars in this economy (thanks Joe) is not going to cut it. His dad was also a former MLB player. Bryce has had a tough life. Those kids in the projects live like kings in comparison to Bryce’s upbringing. Hopefully the Phillies tack on an extra 10 years at 100 million per year during his age 40 seasons. Only then will Harper just barely be able to get by
He is really saying that because inflation his deal is not paying a fair amount now. Poor baby. He should not have demanded a 13 year deal so he had riches deal ever at the time it was signed but less than half way though it really is a huge underpayment.
It was an underpayment even at the time, by about $5M a year. I think at the time they were projecting like 10 years/$300M and then he got that extra $30M but spread across 3 extra years.
The length pushing down the AAV was always surprising, controversial and made him underpaid by at least $5M a year compared to the market. Granted now it’s like he’s being underpaid by about $10M a year compared to the market. If he was hitting free agency this year from his Nats days, he’d be looking at a contract for like 17 years/$675M if not 17 years/$714M
Why are you assuming that the last 3 years of his contract that were tacked on would have been valued the same as the rest on the open market? If they’re projecting him for 10/300, that doesn’t mean the same projection would just give 13/390.
I think at the time they were projecting like 10 years/$300M and then he got that extra $30M but spread across 3 extra years.
======================
He screwed himself. He wanted the largest contract ever, so he gave away three years cheaply.
Lol. This is Boras trying to make up for the fact that Harper’s contract doesn’t have an opt out and now Harper is on track to earn $130 Million less than Machado over their free agent years.
I’d support this if Bryce replaces his body with robotics so it lasts forever and can have parts replaced.
Just like a real life version of the NES classic Base Wars game. That is legitimately one of best baseball games of all time.
Alex Rodriguez 2.0 if they do.
Clearly he already makes enough to not live in reality. Does he want further separation from it?
Silly. They wanted to “max out the guarantee” when he signed & tacked on more years to make it happen.. Mission accomplished. He’s likely to be a DH in his late 30s toward end of current deal where fans will appreciate his past more than on-field value.
There should be a flip side article listing by team the dead money contracts each club wishes they could restructure or get out of. Way more of those.
That’s one reason why I’m so impressed by what the Braves have done. By locking their guys in early, they’ve bought out the prime years and none of those long contracts extend past the player’s age 35 seasons.
He’s just trying to milk as much money as possible. He’ll be 38 or 39 when his current contract expires. No need to extend him.
Gonna pop some corn and watch how Bryce/Boras will later try to back-track this. Philly sports fans are NOT in the mood for this sort of BS
Horrible take with even WORSE timing. That was a bad NLCS beat Bryce/Philly took against AZ after being up 3-2 needing only a single win at home to go back to the WS not to mention the Eagles just getting EMBARRASSED last Sunday.
Maybe Boras is attention hungry because everyone is on the Ohtani story?
Someone’s mad they didn’t include an opt out in the contract. I’m sorry, this is pure greed and hubris.
Id tack on 3/45 to lower the AAV now
lol extension??!! Really???? Play out the first one already! He could get hurt more often as he gets older. His game could deteriorate as most do as we get to the end of the contract! Not a Phillies fan but I hope they are smarter than that!
@Deez Cardinals “He could get hurt more often as he gets older. His game could deteriorate”
No offense meant, but, He WILL get hurt more often as he gets older.
His game WILL deteriorate.
The man is just seeking security. $330m doesn’t go as far as it used to
let’s play a little game. what star players started having injury problems in their early 30s? I’ll go first: 1.Ken Griffey Jr
2. mike trout
3. Kershaw (probably age 28 rather than his early 30s)
3a. NOT Willie Mays, bless him.
Just look at the starting lineup for the Cubs in 2016. Headed by Bryant. Cubs dodged some potentially bad contractual obligations from that team.
Bold strategy cotton…
Lolololol all so he can “recruit” players. JC that’s about as lame of an excuse as you can get. Be a man and just say you want more money bc you are greedy and want every possible cent. You sit on a throne of lies Harper.
Unlike the rest of us that would like to not be paid as much as possible for the jobs that we do. I would like to only make every half cent possible, and the other half should be given to hungry children in developing nations.
I’m all for giving him another five or ten years.
This is a lame effort I hope Harper drops.
You don’t want a 39 year old Harper committed to your team for actual money. Get the guy a tin cup, he keeps doing this.
Sincerely, I have gained real respect for Harper the last two years. The productivity and the commitment have all been there at a very high level. While you would expect that from a man who is being compensated at his current level, no team knows for sure that a star player will demonstrate the commitment we have seen from Bryce.
That said, this suggestion or proposal, or request being made by his agent is simply delusional. Despite the high-level of performance we’ve seen from this guy since he signed his contract, it is still highly unlikely that he will be worth what the Phillies will be paying him in the last 2–3 years of the contract.
I would imagine that the Phillies are feeling pressured. Puts them in a very awkward position. When they say no to this request, is that going to change Harpers level of commitment? Let’s hope not.
Harper and Boras are jealous of what Manny pulled off with the opt-out. They both realized how much they messed up. Manny basically turned his 300 million deal into 550
Remember the circumstances behind the Harper contract. He was so blindly driven to sign the richest contract ever that he signed for less AAV. His only requirement was that it be the biggest contract ever. Nothing wrong with that but don’t start trying to negotiate with 8 years left on your contract.
@amk1920 It was a unique situation. A dying owner desperate to keep Machado around past the end of 2023.
No one believes other than that the Padres made a huge blunder with the extension.
A dying owner desperate to keep Machado around past the end of 2023.
=================
And Preller. When JDM was threatening to leave, DD didn’t even take his phone calls.
That’s what I was thinking
Prediction: Phillies never win a title with Harper and he becomes a pariah in Philly
Boras mad at himself cause cause he didn’t get Harper an opt out clause like machado lol too bad champ get over it
8 more years. Yeah, Extend me now. Unless they add a service clause and a few extra years as a bonus type deal.
How greedy can a person get.
Why would the Phillies be interested in this?! His current contract goes until he’s 40 and they most likely won’t want him anymore after that pending any injuries as well
Hopefully this is not being driven by Harper.
If so,in essence he is requesting to be extended and given money for his “marketing” value.
If so,this is what happens when owners cater to players both before and after signing them.
Opt outs should only be given if they are mutual.This would guarantee that there is no sleeping on the job.
The Phillies can use this ploy for their purposes by thanking him for his marketing skills and saying that they may gladly entertain this in the future.
Like five years from now.
And ,yes,Harper is damaged goods inasmuch as he basically cannot play RF even as well as he could before his injury.
Harper has been of real value to the Phillies and has earned every cent that he has made.But this is clearly something that he should have left well enough alone,and shows little or no class.
How much money does he really need?
His agent may want it. I just have to laugh at such a ridiculous non-news article.
Imagine negotiating & signing a 13 year contract for $330,000,000…. and honoring that contract? No one held a gun to your head, Mr. Harper. You signed on the advice of your agent. How about he work harder to get you millions more in endorsements?
Yes, I am an old fossil who gets sick of the “pay me” players in all sports.
I doubt Boras recommended the Phillies contract. He took a lot less on AAV to get the highest contract of all time. That was not business driven; It was ego driven.
kinda reads like Harpers UCL is more of a concern than Ohtani’s
Extension. Ok there.
Absurd. Stuff like this is why I am losing more and more interest in the game.
It’s December.
What a load of ….
You know what recruits players. Giving them the most $.
Another words, Boras wants them to either restructure his contract or just give Harper more money.
There’s 8 years left going into 2024. He’s gonna be 39 when it ends
This is not news
Well… it’s not GOOD news.
“Bryce has let me know that he wants to work out an extension so that he knows that he’s going to be there for the remainder of his career.”
Bruh. You’re already signed until you’re 39.
He’s not even going to make it to the end of the deal he’s on now.
He should restructure, first basemen aren’t worth the price of a right fielder.
I don’t see one benefit for the Phillies to do an extension now am I missing something? Harper is talking about him bringing players in but giving him an extension would only hurt the teams future spending on other players…
Harper needs the extension before he has to go to the food bank for dinner.
“I want the fans in Philadelphia to know that I’m going to be there for the duration and that I’m committed” The last 5 years of the deal you already have will be too many for the fans. A broken down player isn’t recruiting good talent to Philly, he would be deterring it with his albatross contract. Just ask Miguel Cabrera.
Harper is a terrific talent and those who trash him for is on the field effort and performance…and not living in reality. Harper signed a contract that was what he wanted at the time…and I see no reason at all that the Phillies should willingly alter the economic terms of it. These two ideas are not incompatible.
And meanwhile us working stiffs aren’t guaranteed anything not even our jobs from day to day.
That is so insulting, I don’t know how anyone could like him after hearing that, even if you’re the biggest Phillies fan. He may as well have said he needs more money because he can’t afford to feed his family.
He is already signed through his age 38 season. How much longer does he want to play? Or is this about money since he signed a very team friendly deal originally?
It’s sort of wild to expect Phillies to negotiate against themselves just because inflation went up and maybe also that you wear lots of Phanatic gear.
After ohtani deal Bryce felt he left money on the table haha
Boras dropped the ball on that, should’ve had an opt out to leverage.
narcissistic drama queen request
Philly deserves him
Just figure out 1st base and we’ll circle back…
Poor Bryce can only afford generic brands when he shops at Wal Mart…I really feel for him. Must be tough to be in such an inconceivable financial bind…
I like Bryce Harper, great player, no doubt he and the Phillies have a legitimate shot at winning a World Series within the 3-4 years but he got his bag and it’s for a long time. This isn’t like he has an opt out after this year, he’s got 8 years left and will be 38, with absolutely no guarantee he finishes off that contract putting up good numbers. He should have negotiated opt outs like Manny did…
Must of heard what Ohtani got………..Madre Dios
This is the funniest story all year. He can’t recruit people because he only has 7 years left on his contract? It sounds like he’s been reading Art of the Deal, or hired a January 6 legal defense team with that argument. He’d be lucky to be playing when this contract is up. Great job to the Phillies. Enjoy the better end of that deal!
Boros got away with this kind of deal with Mike Illich and the Tigers regarding Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera was already in performance decline and starting to look more like an NFL lineman than a MLB star player. Cabrera had years left on his old contract when his agent Boros suckered now deceased Tigers Owner Mke Illitch into a huge, much longer contract extension.
To the surprise of front offices in teams around MLB, Mike Illitch fell for Boros’s ploy and agreed to pay another long term extension on top of the long term extension Cabrera had signed a few years prior.
The Tigers should have looked at the 1-3 year contracts the David Ortiz was signing with the Red Sox for direction..
Long story short, Cabrera was out of shape, over weight and never recaptured his MVP hitting skills from prior years.
The Tigers became anchored down by that outrageous contract.
Cabrera became a glorified singles hitter, who couldn’t run or field anymore. and was eating his way out of the lineup and into retirement.
Older players putting on a lot of weight become injury prone just like Cabrera.
Cabrera, at one time, was on track to challenge Albert Pujols in their race to 600 home runs and beyond,
Instead, with well over 300M in lifetime salaries, most of his offensive production tanked.
Cabrera squeaked by and barely made 500 home runs
And the Tigers got stuck paying another huge, overpaid, underperforming deal.
So, NO The Phillies should not fall for this obvious ploy by Boros and Harper.
Harper may be the best clutch hitter in baseball, but his request for an extension bespeaks a lot of uncertainty on his part. The sad-but-true reality of the situation is the Phillies may never win a world series during Harper’s tenure. Without the addition of a dependable starter, closer, and bat, and without a significant amount of improved team management, the 2024 Phils may not do any better than the 2023 Phils did. If the Phils don’t change their karma with some new blood, 2024 could signal the beginning of the end for this current Phillies team, and force the organization into changing faces sooner than later. Harper probably realizes this. As far as Harper having signed a 13-year contract at bargain prices, it should be remembered that he signed the most lucrative contract in MLB history at that time. His contract has since been bettered by the likes of Trout and Ohtani, but that is insufficient reason to call Harper’s contract a bargain. He agreed to the financial terms of the contract. No one forced him to accept the terms or money. Dombrowski has a long history of not extending players in perpetuity, and it’s doubtful he’ll extend Harper unless the Phils start winning a few world series titles. There are a lot of years still remaining on Harper’s current contract. If Harper delivers as promised, the Phils will allow him to become a Phillie for life – maybe not as a player, but certainly in some other capacity as a prominent face of the organization.
Not getting a player option included in his contract was a mistake by him and his agent.
Now he’s seeing the way these AAV’s are trending and he can’t do anything about it unless Phillies are feeling generous.
He’s not looking for an extension, he wants to renegotiate. I’m sure the Philly fans would want the assurance that he will still be there at age 42, even though he will very likely be several years into a long decline when existing contract ends at age 39. LMAO
bob, Sometimes, it’s better to quit while your ahead. There’s a long list of major league stars who wished they had ended their careers one year sooner than they did. Extending or renegotiating his contract at the present time benefits no one but Harper. I’m not sure the Phils are going to bite at this one. They’ve already gone out of their way to give Harper everything he’s asked for and, so far, Harper hasn’t delivered a world championship to Philly. Some are starting to wonder if he ever will.
If they win this year he will be extended in some fashion. Living in Philadelphia and watching sports here since the early 80s, Harper is one of the most dynamic and electric players the city has seen. His ability to hit in the clutch is up there with what Iverson brought to the court every night, what Lindros could single handedly do on the ice each night and how Reggie White could change a football game by his presence alone. I see Harper as a guy who not only wants to win but wants to recruit players to continue a winning culture while he’s here and beyond. As far as Boras goes, he’s the best at what he does like him or not and because of that, the best are his clients.
Harper is just a cry baby. He forced team to give 13 year contract to get record value. Anyone with half a brain could see the $25 million salary that was top dollar when awarded would be out dated in just a few years. By year 13 the $25 million will get you a replacement level player not a star.
When Bryce Harper asked the Phillies if they would extend him, the only acceptable answer should have been “That’s a clown question, bro.”