It’s done. It’s over. It’s happening. Not the good kind of IT’S HAPPENING, but at least we can all shut up about it.
Breaking: Bryce to the Phillies
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 28, 2019
More details momentarily.
UPDATE: The particulars will now start to trickle out, and it figures to be a very sizable contract:
Harper's agent, Scott Boras, is still finalizing details of the deal with the Phillies, per source. Will be interesting to see what the final terms are.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 28, 2019
Harper deal is greater than Stanton $325m
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) February 28, 2019
UPDATE 2: The number to beat was Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million deal, and Harper has done it by a nose:
Bryce Harper’s deal with the Philadelphia Phillies will be for $330 million, a new record for overall dollars, topping the $325 million of Giancarlo Stanton, league sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 28, 2019
Wait. As I type, there’s this:
Bryce Harper’s deal with the Phillies will be for 13 years and $330M, league sources tell ESPN. It will not include any opt-outs.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 28, 2019
HOLY CRAP. 13 years with NO opt-outs. That’s only about a $25.4M AAV, so he’s way short of some of the other stars, but my God. In 13 years, when Harper is still only 39, it’s going to be 2031. IS THAT EVEN A REAL YEAR?!?
UPDATE 3: Should the Cubs have matched this deal? Look, I think they should take advantage of this opportunity more than most, but it’s really, really, really hard for me to come down hard on any organization that didn’t want to lock $25M per year on their books for WELL over a decade.
13/$330M, no opt outs for Harper from the Phillies.
That is like a PEAK 2014 contract. I really thought those were long dead. So … this is … good for the game?
Just random: Harper, btw, is the same age Jason Heyward was when he signed with the Cubs for EIGHT years.
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 28, 2019
This last update is both the least and most important update in this entire post, because Jake Arrieta is freakin’ legend:
Jake Arrieta Stripped Down to His … Well, He Welcomed Bryce Harper in His Own Way https://t.co/Fgawu91c7b pic.twitter.com/vI3LjQI9ZL
— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) February 28, 2019