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RE: Contract Extension, Bryce Harper Knows there are “Other Guys to Take Care of”
Published:
Bryce Harper talked about the idea of a contract extension and reiterated that he wants to play into his 40s:
“I want to be here a long time.” 👀
Bryce Harper address the recent contract extension rumors. pic.twitter.com/BEBIBOLetG
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 18, 2024
We’re probably all in agreement that Zack Wheeler is priority number one, yeah? Bryce says it himself. There are other guys to care of first. Get Wheeler locked up, let’s say four years, $150 million, and then we’re ready to roll.
On the surface, it seems ridiculous that a guy who has eight years remaining at $27.5 million per would even broach the subject of an extension. Scott Boras and his grubby mitts are all over this one. He’s the Cthulu of slimy and manipulative tentacles.
On the other hand, Harper has earned everything and more. It’s not just his play on the field, but his moxie within the organization, both on and off the field, i.e. the function of an assistant GM without the title. Bryce choosing to come here really kickstarted this wave of momentum that got the team to the World Series and NLCS in back-to-back seasons, so he’s brought to this franchise things that can’t be quantified in any sort of dollar amount.
As Russ Joy likes to say, “why should we care? it’s not our money.” It’s hard to disagree on this one. Sign Bryce up until age 40-something, then slide him into a coaching or front office role. Let’s #DoTheDeal.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com