By Ronald N. Guy Jr.
This began as a speculative piece on final destination
of Bryce Harper, baseball’s best and, after months of rumors and now weeks into
spring training, oddly homeless free agent.
It was being written, literally, as news broke of him inking an
unthinkably long 13-year, $330M contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. So scratch the speculation. Now we know.
All the better.
“Harper 2018”, which turned into “Harper 2018-19”, was
supposed to be the greatest free agent courting in the history of North
American sports. Maybe global
sports. Or intergalactic sports. That might not be an exaggeration from Harper
and super-agent Scott Boras’s perspective.
Harper peddling his wares across an adoring MLB
landscape has been an unfolding story for years. From the time he was drafted by the Nationals
in 2010, the question was whether the phenom from Las Vegas, who grew up
rooting for blueblood teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Duke basketball, and
who idolized Yankees great Mickey Mantle, would outgrow the still regenerating
baseball town of Washington, D.C.
Harper just always seemed destined for the brighter
baseball lights in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. But the Yankees seemed an awkward fit with
Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, two slugging corner outfielders, already in
place. The Chicago Cubs, employers of
Harper’s BFF Kris Bryant, were considered a likely landing spot, but the
Cubbies’ bloated payroll prevented serious pursuit. So Los Angeles then? The Dodgers were in the mix, having shipped Yasiel
Puig and Matt Kemp – two pricey outfielders – to Cincinnati. Washington was always a player too and
allegedly offered a 10-year, $300M contract last fall; but neither party ever felt
committed to a forever deal.
In the end, Philly won. I guess they won – these mega-deals rarely
work out well (see: Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and the
aforementioned Stanton). Money aside…thirteen
years? Where were you in 2006? The County Times was two long years from “A
View From The Bleachers” appearing in its pages for the first time and changing
the course of the paper’s future forever.
For good? For ill? Alas, the final determination is still
pending…
Harper landing in Philly was quite an adventure. The length of his free agency was
unexpectedly long. Undoubtedly to
Harper’s chagrin, the suiters were too few and dominated by B-listers. Harper did ultimately get the desired long-term
deal and broke the MLB record for biggest contract ever (the previous record
was Stanton’s $325M deal), but his average annual salary was below
expectations.
All things considered, the process was confusing. If reports of Washington’s offer last fall
are true, Harper could have remained a Nat for more annually ($30M) and only
$30M less overall. And if Harper really
wanted to play for the Phillies, the one team seriously in play throughout,
couldn’t he have signed there months ago?
Or were the terms not sweet enough?
Did Harper need to feel like he bled every last dime and every last
committed season from all bidders before finally settling for Philly?
These are things we’ll never know. Regardless, it must have worn on Harper. A glimpse of the burden may have leaked
through when he mistakenly said in his first press conference with the Phillies
that he wanted to “bring a title back to D.C.” Cringe…
I don’t begrudge Harper, the Nationals or any other
team that pursued him. Harper putting
pen to paper was a massive pivot point for him and multiple franchises. Put the silly money and pomp and circumstance
aside and you have a relatable human moment - a massive career decision layered
with location, opportunity, salary, benefits and family considerations. Harper opted to leave behind what he built in
Washington and to start over in Philadelphia.
It was decision almost certainly reached after great consternation. In the end, I hope he’s at peace and wish him
well as he continues a shared endeavor: the pursuit happiness.
Harper’s ultimate signing prompted many emotions –
frustration, disappointment, excitement, anticipation – but ultimately, the one
likely felt most acutely by all vested in this process – Harper, the fans and
the teams – is relief. Now it’s time to just
play ball. Finally.
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