It was just five years ago that Bryce Harper reset the free agent market with a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. At the time this was seen as a massive contract that many fans across the league felt was an overpay given the state of deals at the time. Fast forward to 2024 and it is clear that this is not the case compared to today's standards.
With Juan Soto signing a mammoth 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets, it puts into perspective just how much the market has changed in recent years. Prior to the Harper deal in the 2019 offseason, Giancarlo Stanton had the richest contract extension in MLB history at 13 years, $325 million. As far as free agent deals go, Robinson Cano and Albert Pujols were tied for the highest contract value at 10 years, $240 million.
The Phillies received a lot of criticism from fans at the time, and Harper went from being one of the most coveted free agents in league history to being labeled as overrated and overpaid by fans all across baseball.
The Phillies got a steal of a deal with Bryce Harper's contract after Juan Soto's enormous deal
When looking back at this historic contract, you can make the case that Harper is underpaid.
This sentiment has been echoed by Phillies managing partner John Middleton as well as Harper’s agent Scott Boras, who has already lobbied for an extension for the two-time MVP. During Harper’s five year run with the Phillies, he has compiled 152 home runs to go along with 455 RBI and a .285 average.
His metrics have matched or exceeded many of his numbers in Washington. He has a higher average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage as a member of the Phillies. He has also been named to two All-Star teams, won MVP in 2021, and helped lead the club to a World Series appearance in 2022. It is also worth noting that Harper refused an opt-out in his contract, which showed his commitment to the franchise from day one. With all that said it is clear that the Phillies have made out well so far with this commitment.
Of course, Soto’s contract value was to be expected due to his age and his impressive performance over the course of his career so far. At just 26, Soto is a World Series champion, a five-time Silver Slugger, four-time All-Star and has finished in the top five of MVP voting three times. It was also expected due to some of the recent deals that we have seen over the last several years, including Shohei Ohtani (10 years, $700 million), Mike Trout (12 years, $426.5 million) and Aaron Judge (9 years, $360 million).
There is a lot of risk involved in these long-term commitments in terms of the possibility of injuries and a decline in performance. At the same time, they usually end up paying for themselves in terms of ticket and merchandise sales if the team is successful.
In hindsight, Harper’s record-setting deal with the Phillies stands as a milestone moment that helped pave the way for the contracts we now see today. A contract that was once seen as outrageous and out of this world has now turned out to be arguably one of the most team-friendly deals in baseball history.