After the San Diego Padres signed All-Star free agent Manny Machado to a mega contract worth $300 million, it only left Bryce Harper left in the MLB offseason free agency sweepstakes. And the Philadelphia Phillies landed him in a spectacular fashion.
The Phillies signed the former Washington Nationals outfielder to a 13-year, $330 million deal. The contract includes a no-trade clause and no opt-outs. The 26-year-old is here to stay in Philly for the long run.
Over the past week, Harper had meetings with some teams that were interested in signing him. The Phillies and the San Francisco Giants were the only teams who had second meetings with the All-Star outfielder.
The signing of Harper is the largest for any right-fielder in MLB history. Besides the contract, his jersey is already selling extremely well. On Fanatics.com, his jersey is the fastest selling jersey for any player in any sport over a 24-hour period. He’s raking in more than just homeruns, and it’s the offseason.
Harper deserves a big contract due to his status as one of the best players in the game, arguably number two behind Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout. Harper also had career lows at the plate and did not perform as expected from a player his caliber. The Phillies know what they’re getting and Harper should be the player we know he is entering the 2019 season.
What do you think of the Harper deal? Are the Phillies the World Series Champs this year? Leave a comment below.