It’s important to note first that Bryce Harper and Tom Brady play completely different sports. So don’t let the title of this blog post mislead you there.
Upon his arrival to spring training in Clearwater over the weekend, the Phillies former MVP, now ensconced as the team’s full-time first baseman, once again reiterated his desire not only to retire a Philadelphia Phillie, but also to potentially outlast all of us and play Major League Baseball in Philly past the point any of us can conceive time existing. Speaking to reporters, Harper once again talked about a contract extension that would allow him to play into his mid-40s.
“I haven’t really thought too much about that,” Harper said. “I want to be here for a long time — playing into my 40s. I mean, that’s the biggest thing for me. So I want to get that done.”
On the latest edition of Hittin’ Season, we discussed at length Harper’s desire to tack on a few additional years to the end of what was initially a 13-year contract that all involved thought would be the only one he signed with the team. In that original $330 million deal, Harper included no opt-outs, meaning he and the Phils would be committed to one another through his 38th birthday in 2031.
As Liz Roscher noted on the podcast, it sounds like Harper wants to recreate the kind of career Brady had for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Bucs, one in which Brady was a Super Bowl winning franchise QB at 44 years old and retired as one of the 10 best at his position at age 45.
I’d love to believe Harper could continue to play at an MVP-like level into his late 30s/early 40s like Brady and win a bunch of titles over the next decade.
Certainly, there should be no urgency on team president Dave Dombrowski or John Middleton to rush to the negotiating table yet. Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, must know this. For Harper, it makes sense to push for a deal now while he’s still in the prime of his career and an MVP candidate, although one should realize no player has ever, in the history of baseball, sought a contract extension with EIGHT FULL YEARS left to go on the original deal.
In Harper’s defense, an extension now could increase the average annual value (AAV) of his contract, currently at a little more than $25 million a season. In terms of AAV, he is only the 47th-highest paid player in the sport.
Harper seemed to understand Dombrowski and the front office had bigger fish to fry at the moment – Zack Wheeler’s extension talks the primary focus – but Boras did say he hoped the opt-outs Harper eschewed during their initial agreement wouldn’t be used against them in future negotiations with the team.
There is a danger for Dombrowski and/or Middleton letting this fester too long. No one wants an unhappy Bryce Harper, and thankfully right now, the marriage between player, team and city is too strong to see that happening anytime soon. Still, at some point, a decision will have to be made, and it may be sooner than anyone could have imagined.
