CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper wants to finish his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, playing into his 40s and perhaps gloving a throw at first base for the final out of a World Series.
Harper arrived at spring training on Sunday, and the two-time NL MVP said he accepts his move to first from the outfield, a makeshift decision last year that got him back on the field following Tommy John surgery.
He has seven years and $196 million left on his $330 million, 13-year contract, a relative bargain with a $25.4 million average salary that ranks 19th among current players.
“I want to be here for a long time and understand playing into my 40s, that’s the biggest thing for me,” the 31-year-old said Sunday in the Phillies’ spring training clubhouse. “So I wanted to get that done.”
After 11 seasons as an outfielder, Harper moved to first last year when he returned from Tommy John surgery, which he had in November. Back as a designated hitter on May 2, Harper started playing first on July 21 and had 36 starts there, plus 13 in the playoffs.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski met Harper during the offseason and discussed a long-term shift to the infield.
“We had a pretty good conversation, me and Dombo, we sat down and he said this would be great for our organization, and I said, OK,” Harper said. “I wanted them to know that I was on board with anything that they wanted to do. I said if you want me in right field, I’ll play right. If you want me at first, I’ll play first base, and I think as a collective they said first base is where we want you, and I said, OK, I’m going to do anything I can to be there.”
Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, has advocated opt-outs in contracts to ensure stars don’t fall behind top-of-the-market prices.
“He was fully aware with the magnitude of the opt-out in regard to his rights structure and the benefit of it,” Boras said. “I advised him of it multiple times. On each occasion. Bryce said: ‘I’m going to Philadelphia. I want the fans to know that I’m going to be there for the remainder of my career. I’ve got to recruit teammates, and I want them to know I’m going to be there.’”
“He feels as though the fact that he did not include an opt-out in his contract would not be something that would be used against him,” Boras said.
Philadelphia had a void at first created when Rhys Hoskins tore his left ACL while fielding a grounder in a spring training game last March. Hoskins became a free agent after the season and signed a $34 million, two-year contract with Milwaukee.
