Bryce Harper's not going to spend the next 13 years on the North or South sides.
Instead, Bryce Harper's going to spend the next 13 years in Philadelphia, getting paid a whole bunch of fully-guaranteed money.
Harper's $330 million pricetag comes as no real surprise, especially given the recent Machado/Arenado signings, but the 13 years -- without a single opt-out -- is pretty eye-opening.
According to one report, the Phillies offer was far from their only one:
It's not entirely surprising that teams are trying to dangle short-term, high-AAV contracts in front of players as they scramble to lock up new deals before the impending work stoppage that might not happen but definitely will. It's also entirely possible that this is just Scott Boras blustering, which is not exactly uncommon. Were the Cubs or White Sox one of those teams? Maybe! They were both heavily rumored to be involved -- at least early on -- in the Harper sweepstakes. The Cubs were never going to go to 13 years though, and the White Sox clearly aren't in the business of giving out contracts without deferred payments.
The Phillies were, however, and that's why Bryce Harper's going to bat 3rd for them for the next decade and a half.
MLB
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