Bryce Harper reportedly will be calling Philadelphia his home for the next 13 years, and we now know why.
The star outfielder reportedly signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies on Thursday, and his contract does not include opt-outs, but does have a no-trade clause.
Harper reportedly fielded some decent offers from the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers — the latter of which had a massive annual value. But in the end, he settled with the long-term commitment to the Phillies.
So, why exactly did Harper go with the Phillies? His agent, Scott Boras, explained the “mandate” he was given by the 26-year-old, and because of that his decision to go with Philly now makes far more sense.
Scott Boras: “Bryce’s mandate to me was, ‘I want as many years as I can get. I think it’ll help me play baseball better. I am going to recruit players to my team, and I want players to know I will be here for the remainder of my career.’ ”https://t.co/loiHerfMuB
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) February 28, 2019
There would be some considerable risk in Harper signing a shorter-term deal, especially with how fickle baseball free agency has been the past two seasons. And in signing the deal he did with the Phillies, it’s clear Harper got just what he was looking for, even if he did have to wait a while.
