Harper's Extension Stays In Spotlight For Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies didn't truly seem in on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes despite some links and rumors that they potentially had interest in adding the game's best player.

Much of the dwindling connections before the superstar signed his megadeal with the Los Angeles Dodgers probably had a lot to do with their current payroll that is projected to be the second-highest in the MLB heading into the 2024 season.

Next year alone the Phillies are paying seven players over $20 million and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker will receive $18 million.

The majority of those contracts are also on the books for upcoming seasons and they likely will work with Zack Wheeler to get him extended before he hits free agency.

So, while it would have been nice to have Ohtani, Philadelphia still has plenty of expensive star power on this roster.

With the high payroll they already are carrying, it's been surprising to see Bryce Harper continued to be brought up as an extension candidate throughout this offseason.

Their superstar signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies in 2019 with his deal set to expire after 2031.

In five seasons, Harper has certainly been worth every penny.

He's slashed .284/.395/.536 with 122 home runs, 368 RBI and a 149 OPS+ that says he's been 49 percentage points better than the average hitter. His 46.2 bWAR figure proves how vital he is to this franchise.

That's why Harper and his agent, Scott Boras, have extension on their mind.

"He feels that he’s been there five years, he’s showed them who he is and why he is a franchise player. I think he’s changed in the player community how players view Philadelphia," Boras said according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.

Through his agent, Harper stated, "This is something I want off my mind. I want to know this is done because I know that I want to play well beyond the contract that I have."

Owner John Middleton has called Harper's current contract "a bargain" as his $25.38 million yearly salary ranks just 24th in baseball now.

Will an extension get worked out with Harper this offseason though?

It certainly could, but Dave Dombrowski has never renegotiated a contract with multiple years remaining before it expires.

"There’s a long time until we reach that point. I don’t want to just brush it off by any means ... I never have been [and] never will be a public person with contract negotiations. I think there’s nothing to be gained from an organizational perspective to deal with contracts publicly," he told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Harper has expressed his desire to be with Philadelphia for the remainder of his career, so there's a possibility he signs something major to reflect that, whether that comes this offseason or not.