Bryce harper contract details how to#

After being low-balled by the Nationals - and being forced to move on despite wanting to return - he was adamant about finding a permanent home. Strasburg managed all of that with Boras at the helm. GM Mike Rizzo excited by two prospects the Nationals acquired in Jeimer Candelario trade Strasburg turned that into his current seven-year, $245 million deal after taking the first opt-out available to him following the 2019 World Series win. He leveraged the threat of free agency into a seven-year, $175 million, opt-out-laden extension in 2016.

Bryce harper contract details how to#

Strasburg may be the premier example of how to massage MLB’s pay scale. Baseball remains a laggard when it comes to such jarring player movement.ĭownload and subscribe to the Nationals Talk Podcast This is the ultimate era of athlete movement, whether for a year or two, to form super groups in the NBA or instant offense in the NFL. However, he at least was able to consider it. He is still owed $218 million over the next seven years and the current free agency market is bad. Stanton can opt-out this offseason - six years into his deal - should he choose to (he won’t). Harper didn’t leave himself any of the flexibility Stephen Strasburg’s 2016 contract extension allowed for or even the limited mechanisms in Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million deal. It’s counter to logic and, likely, to what his agent, Scott Boras, would prefer. Much of Harper’s initial point when signing the deal was to avoid a second go-around with free agency despite his age. But, he also can’t leave of his own volition because he made a point of not including opt-outs in a decade-plus contract. And Harper can’t be traded because of the length of his deal - a term crucial to him when entering free agency in 2019. Philadelphia is suddenly an undulating organization without direction. Mathematically, it’s just the start, which is both troubling and hopeful. Year three of a 13-year contract is coming in 2021. Bryce Harper built the box he is currently trapped in.