![]() Philly is home, and Los Angeles is just a what-if.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser Nine years remain on his contract, nearly another decade to thrill in red and white. He’s the player they paid for, a talent with the eye to take a darting changeup and the power to square up a fastball on the black within a minute under the brightest lights. He has a hit in every game but two - the Phillies’ postseason opener and their Game 2 loss to the Astros on Saturday. 392 with five home runs and a 1.230 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in the Phillies’ 13 playoff games. ![]() Limited to designated hitter duties because of an elbow injury, Harper is batting. The work has been evident in the postseason. He returned in late August, Long said, “grinding really hard” to rediscover his rhythm. He didn’t know his body and his swing nearly as good as he does now.”Ī broken left thumb sidelined Harper for two months this season. Now he’s an elite slugger with the Houston Astros and in the World Series. Yordan Álvarez was briefly in the Dodgers organization in 2016 before the team traded him. Sports Yordan Álvarez, traded in 2016 by Dodgers, has developed into a big deal with Astros Long was the Nationals’ hitting coach during Harper’s final season in Washington. He works his tail off and he gets rewarded for those moments like he did in the eighth inning in Game 5.” “His work ethic, I mean, the best in the game. “Being able to watch Bryce day in, day out for the last couple of months, through the ups and downs, he’s stayed the same,” Marsh said. He quickly realized Harper’s work behind the scenes was different. Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh played with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on the Angels before he was traded to Philadelphia in August. Harper continued supplying elite power production in his first three seasons and winning the NL MVP award last year. He’s been an All-Star the last two seasons. That fall, Betts helped lead them to their first championship in 32 years. Five months later, Betts and the Dodgers agreed to a 12-year, $365-million contract extension.Įffectively, in a roundabout way, the Dodgers chose Betts over Harper. But Cole agreed to a nine-year, $324-million contract with the New York Yankees, leaving the Dodgers empty-handed in the free-agent superstar aisle until they acquired Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox in February 2020. That next offseason, however, the Dodgers were willing to adjust their strategy after losing in the NL Division Series, offering starting pitcher Gerrit Cole an eight-year, $300-million deal with deferrals. Harper didn’t nudge them in a new direction. The Dodgers to that point hadn’t signed a free agent to a contract longer than four years under Friedman. Days later, Harper signed a 13-year, $330-million deal with the Phillies, who beat the San Francisco Giants’ long-term contract offer. But Harper sought a long-term contract because he sought a long-term home. The $45-million annual average value would have set the Major League Baseball record. ![]() The Dodgers offered Harper a four-year, $180-million contract, according to people with knowledge of the situation. He was, somehow, living up to the dizzying hype that followed him from high school to his major league debut as a 19-year-old wunderkind at Dodger Stadium in 2012. He had a knack for big moments, supplying two significant home runs in his postseason career and winning the home run derby at his home stadium, Nationals Park, in 2018. Harper was a one-time MVP and six-time All-Star in seven seasons with the Washington Nationals. The group included Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter, president Stan Kasten, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts. In February 2019, with Harper inexplicably still on the free-agent market after players reported for spring training, a contingent of Dodgers officials traveled to Las Vegas, Harper’s hometown, to meet with the outfielder. He’s a member of the Dodgers, nearing the end of a four-year contract before hitting free agency again this winter for another huge payday. In an alternate universe, one where this city would be still thirsting for a World Series appearance, the 30-year-old Harper isn’t Philadelphia’s favorite transplant.
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