© James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Just when we thought we were done hearing about Bryce Harper and the Giants. So far this season, Harper’s off having the time of his life with someone else, while you slowly work through your jealousy as you sit on your couch and watch Connor Joe and the Giants struggle to score runs.
The Harper madness is long gone, a thing of the past. That is until a recent article written by Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, which detailed the entire free agency experience for Harper, and new information that contradicts much of the speculation from this offseason.
In the article, it is mentioned that Harper (who signed with the Phillies), very much preferred the East Coast to the West Coast. Throughout the offseason, rumors swirled about Harper preferring the West Coast, due to its proximity to his hometown of Las Vegas.
It turns out, that before signing with Phillidephia, Harper envisioned himself returning to Washington. Around Christmas, Harper was meeting with the Nationals and was eager to get a deal done after their meeting early on in the offseason.
“I walked away from that meeting like, ‘I want to go back, so let’s get the friggin’ deal done.’” Harper said. “I told Scott: ‘If we can get the thing done with them, like, now, let’s go. Because I want to get it done, be back in D.C., and be done with it.’”
At the very beginning of the offseason, the Nationals offered Harper a 10-year, $300 million contract right off the bat. Quickly turning it down, there was not much news surrounding a potential return to D.C., with speculation that Harper was as good as gone.
The Nationals offer was unique, given that $100 million of it was deferred and would pay Harper until 2052. Not pleased by the offer, Harper wanted to continue negotiating with the Nationals despite turning down their initial offer.
“We were like: ‘Thank you for the offer. We appreciate it. We’ll consider it. But let’s keep working towards one,’ ” Harper said. “So I didn’t talk to them for probably the first two months of the offseason.”
When the Giants entered the mix in January, there was a real chance that Harper could have landed in San Francisco. Everybody was talking about Harper preferring the West Coast, and that gave the Giants a fighting chance against the Phillies, or so we thought.
“I really didn’t want to play out west,” Harper said. “It’s a little close to Vegas, you know what I’m saying? I love my family. But I love the East Coast as well. I love the vibe there, the intensity, the way ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ is actually at night. Stuff like that mattered.”
This comes as a surprise to most because it was supposed to be common knowledge that Harper wanted to play close to home. Teams like the Dodgers were expected to be the perfect fit for Harper because of their talent, money, and their prime location.
The Dodgers offered Harper a shorter-term, higher AAV contract that would have paid him the most per-year, in the history of the sport. The Giants initial offer was for eight years before eventually offering twelve years for $310 million.
The San Diego Padres were in the mix for Harper as well, and they intrigued him. The three California teams were compelling options for Harper. He did prefer the East Coast but kept an open mind and continued to listen to offers from the Dodgers and Giants.
In addition to playing on the East Coast, Harper wanted a long term deal with no opt-outs. He wanted to stay put and build something in whichever city he ended up choosing. The Dodgers offer had opt-outs after each season, and that’s not what Harper wanted.
“But then I would have been right back like it was in D.C., with everyone saying, ‘What’s he going to do next?’ I didn’t want that.”
Ultimately, Harper chose the Phillies. The deal shocked the baseball world, as Bryce Harper was (at the moment) the highest-paid player in the history of the game.
The Giants were in on Harper and made a massive offer. They worked hard to convince him to come to San Francisco, and they should be applauded for that. The fact that Harper actually preferred the East Coast to the West is indeed surprising. Maybe it eases your mind, or maybe you’re just so tired of hearing about Harper that you just don’t care anymore. Either way, the Giants fanbase can finally have closure.