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Ben Simmons loves the city of Philadelphia, and they obviously love him as well, even if some are frustrated with his lack of 3-pointers. But the Philadelphia 76ers star joined in with the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies fans by welcoming star Bryce Harper to town after the news came of his decision Thursday.
Simmons echoed a tweet from Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who said Philly is “the place to be.” In response, the Sixers star tagged Harper on Twitter to welcome him to town and rave about the fanbase in the City of Brotherly Love.
Bryce Harper’s Huge Contract With Phillies
After a long drawn-out process with a whole lot of recruitment from various MLB teams, Harper made the decision to head to the Phillies. Not only that, but it seems likely he’ll be there for the remainder of his career as well. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported, the 13-year, $330 million deal includes a no-trade clause and will not have any opt-outs for Harper.
The deal came shortly after Manny Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres. As far as the breakdown and structure, Passan revealed that 2019 will feature a salary number of $10 million with a $20 million signing bonus. From there, Harper will earn $26 million in each season through 2028, and then $22 million for the final three years of the deal.
Bryce Harper’s Eventual Decision to Head to Philadelphia
It took roughly four months for the decision to be made, and Harper made plenty of stops along the way. There were a number of teams rumored to be in the mix for the former Washington Nationals outfielder, but he came back around to the Phillies when all was said and done. Even in the days leading up to his decision, Harper was linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, among a few other teams.
Harper, 26, is coming off a 2018 season in which he totaled 137 hits, 100 RBIs and 34 home runs. He also was walked a career-high 130 times, which ranked as the most in all of baseball, eight ahead of Mike Trout and 20 more than the third-highest player, Carlos Santana. Harper has tallied 521 RBIs, 184 home runs and 75 stolen bases over 927 career games.
The talented outfielder will play a big part in attempting to help the Phillies snap a seven-year postseason drought. They’re coming off a season in which they won 80 games, the highest number over the previous six years, and a mark they’ll now look to build off.
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