Why Bryce Harper Chose Philadelphia As His New Home

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Cynical whispers about the City of Brotherly Love have plagued the coattails of Bryce Harper rumors for as long as the rumors have existed.

Before the superstar outfielder agreed to a historic 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies Thursday, some were convinced Harper had eyes only for the New York Yankees or Chicago Cubs, two teams that never wanted him. Others said he was committed to the West Coast, that his family was pulling him to stay close to his Las Vegas base. And still others suggested consistently, from December through February, that Harper wanted to avoid Philadelphia, and that if he came here, it would only be for the money.

In turns out that money was not even the biggest factor, nevermind the chief one. And Harper went above and beyond to ensure Philadelphia was his home for the rest of his career.

>>Bryce Harper's Historic, 13-Year, $330M Contract: The Details

Speaking to New York Post baseball writer Joel Sherman, Harper's notorious agent Scott Boras said that length, not dollars, played a more significant factor.

"The goal was to get the longest contract possible," Boras reportedly said. "Bryce wanted one city for the rest of his career. That is what I was instructed to do. It is very difficult in this time to get length of contract that takes a player to age 37, 38, 39."

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This could easily be dismissed as an agent and a player trying to curry favor with their new city after such a long, drawn out process, that has left many fans feeling exhausted. But the facts of the deal back Boras' statement up. There is a no-trade clause in the deal, meaning that Harper doesn't even want the Phillies to decide to send him away. And there are no opt-outs in the deal, meaning that Harper doesn't have the option of leaving the contract halfway through. That's something that virtually every long-term deal offers.

Boras said Harper didn't want it. Not only did Harper want to come to Philly, he wanted to stay here forever.

As ESPN's Jeff Passan notes, this should endear Harper to his new fanbase for reasons beyond his pledged loyalty. Harper fully intends to "recruit" other stars to join him here, and they could be swayed by the clear committment he's made to stay for the long haul.

Beyond that, the structuring of Harper's contract, limiting the annual committment to about $25 million per year (a full $5 million less annually than Manny Machado received from the San Diego Padres this winer), means the Phillies will have more room on the books each year to sign more players. Like Mike Trout.

It's easy to overlook these aspects of the deal — and many fans will — because they're tired of hearing Harper rumors, and because they'll be preoccupied with the record dollar amount that Harper is receiving. Some version of "no player is worth that amount" has been trickling across sports radio airwaves for months, no doubt in part to hedge against the perceived insult if Harper ultimately chose a different team.

In fact, the notion that Harper didn't want to come to Philadelphia, or that he preferred the West Coast, was, in all likelihood, nothing more than a plant by Boras to drive up offers, as former Miami Marlins president and current analyst David Samson noted.

"Boras goes public...he leaks the Dodgers, the West Coast preference...he gets the Giants involved, West Coast, we can pretend that you (Harper) care."

Of course, media outlets gleefully ran with such single-source rumors, even when they were quickly shot down by reliable sportswriters. They were unwittingly playing right into Boras' hand. Harper did receive two other offers, aside from the Phillies offer. They came from the San Francisco Giants at 12 years and $310 million, and from the Dodgers at 3 years, $135 million. Ultimately, the Phillies — specifically, owner John Middleton — did not want to chance that the rumors were real, and they offered what Harper really wanted: 13 years in one city, and a huge, but more importantly mutual committment.

If all Harper cared about was the money and/or the West Coast, he clearly would've taken the Dodgers offer and become a free agent again before his age 30 season. He likely would have guaranteed himself significantly more career money with a second contract.

Instead, he chose Philadelphia.

There were other factors. The obvious: the Phillies demonstrated committment to spending and winning, now and in the future, as evidenced by their expensive moves this winter and bevy of young talent. And even more obvious: Citizens Bank Park is a hitters park, and Harper, a left-handed hitter who likes to pull the ball, will hit plenty of home runs in Philly's short right field porch.

If it was about familiarity, Harper would've stayed with the division rival Washington Nationals, where he spent the first several years of his career. If it was about staying close to where he grew up, on the West Coast, he would've chosen the Dodgers or Giants. If it was about making the largest amount of money, he would've picked the Dodgers. The Phillies are paying him $30 million in 2019. The Dodgers would've given him $45 million.

But it was about more than all of that. It was about coming to one team, one city, where he could help win multiple World Series championships over the course of his career. New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago did not offer that, and they are not home to him. Philly is.

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