We were bound to learn about the other offers new Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper entertained before he put pen to paper. Sure enough, word has since surfaced about the offers made to him by both the San Francisco Giants and now the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Whereas the Giants made a long-term play, offering Harper 12 years and more than $300 million, the Dodgers went a different route: putting forth a short-term pact with a massive AAV. Per MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi, the Dodgers were willing to pay Harper $45 million per season across four years:
In Bryce Harper talks, I am told #Dodgers were willing to offer a four-year deal worth approximately $45 million per season. That would have allowed Harper to shatter the all-time AAV record and become a free agent at age 30. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 28, 2019
It's unclear how seriously Harper weighed the Dodgers' offer, but you can see the logic there, even if the offer itself wasn't deemed compelling. The Dodgers were hoping Harper wanted to maximize his career earnings -- a route that would've made their $180 million offer enticing. In theory, Harper may have been able to sign another long-term deal after hitting free agency that could've netted him more than the $150 million difference.
But Harper, as was his right to do, instead opted to take the long-term deal that guaranteed him $330 million and a no-trade clause. It's hard to blame him for that, too.
It's worth noting the Dodgers did sign a different free-agent outfielder this winter: they inked A.J. Pollock to a four-year deal worth $55 million.
