Bryce Harper completely opened up about his free agency process that captivated the baseball world a year ago and culminated with him choosing the Philadelphia Phillies.
Harper joined Barstool Sports’ “Starting 9” show for an in-depth interview that is worth your time. In a video clip posted on their website, Harper walked viewers through his free agency process.
Harper says that he met with the Nats owner at the owner’s home — Harper’s only meeting not in Las Vegas — and felt good enough that he told his agent to get a deal done with Washington.
“I thought we had a really good meeting. I walked out of there and said ‘Scott [Boras], get it done,'” Harper recalled.
But Harper says the Nats’ offer was not to his liking.
“I got back an offer and it hurt. It just hurt. So we kind of just turned the page on to the new year once they signed [Patrick] Corbin.”
Washington likely gave Harper an offer for show that they knew he wouldn’t take, probably because he was not in their plans. The outfielder says he thought the Nats would win the World Series after they signed Corbin because he always felt they were a pitcher away. He turned out to be right.
The 27-year-old outfielder also listed what he liked or disliked about each team that sent him offers.
Harper says he felt the White Sox had a lot to offer and liked that they were up-and-coming. He met with the Giants but they gave him pause because Harper thought they were going to be rebuilding. He initially was skeptical about the Phillies and didn’t see a deal with them happening. The Dodgers were also involved in the process but he did not care for their offer because he knew he would deal with constant questions about his future if he signed a short-term deal. Lastly, Harper shared that the Astros gave him a 1-year offer for “stupid” money.
So what about the Phillies appealed to him beyond the money? Harper says he liked how hard people worked in Philadelphia.
The interview is very fascinating.
Harper ended up signing a 13-year deal with the Phillies for $330 million. He did not want opt-outs because he wanted to show his next team that he was going to be there for the long haul and end questions about his future.
Harper batted .260/.372/.510 with 35 home runs and 114 RBIs last season. His strikeout total was the highest of his career. Harper’s first season in Philly did not live up to what the team was hoping for, but he has 12 more years to make up for it, and you know he will be working hard to prove he’s worth it.
