Phillies Owner Explains Why Fans Love Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper has a long-term contract with the Philadelphia Phillies but it's what not in the deal that fans love, says John Middleton.

Bryce Harper didn’t start his career with the Philadelphia Phillies but it sure does seem like he’ll end it there.

That’s a long way off, of course. Harper is only 31 and a two-time MVP like himself has plenty more seasons ahead of him to put up potential Hall-of-Fame numbers.

Plus, the way he played through a torn UCL last season in helping the Phillies reach the World Series and returning ahead of schedule this season to help fuel their National League Championship Series run, endeared him to the fan base.

It’s not just that he plays for the hometown baseball team. He’s also there for the city’s other teams. For instance, on Monday night while the Texas Rangers and the Philadelphia Phillies were playing in Game 3 of the World Series, Harper was taking the family to a Flyers game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Bryce Harper is in the building for a little Monday Night Hockey in South Philly 🤘 pic.twitter.com/6bKS6lKiJM

— Brooke Destra (@BrookeNBCS) October 30, 2023

But, recently, Phillies team owner John Middleton talked in-depth with USA Today about his relationship with the superstar.

He was candid, including the help that Harper has provided in luring free agents like Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to the team since he signed before the 2019 season.

In fact, it’s Harper’s contract, Middleton believes, that sent a message to the Phillies’ fan base about the star’s desire to not just succeed in Philly but stay in Philly.

What kind of message does an 13-year, $330 million deal send? It’s not the money, Middleton said, it’s the one piece of language that is usually in a contract of that magnitude but is not in Harper’s.

“Bryce endeared himself to our fan base from the get-go,’’ Middleton said. “As soon as the fans heard that there was no opt-outs, they said, ‘This guy wants to be here. He wants to stay here. He wants to raise his family here. He wants to win here.’

“If he had a five-year opt out like a lot of players do, it would be like, ‘Oh if you're playing really well, then you're just going to leave us, and if you’re not playing well, you’ll stay.’ That's a one-way street. Fans here don't like one-way streets.”

The same piece also noted that Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, urged him to reconsider not adding the opt-out. But Harper didn’t give.

He even told Boras why?

“I think with Harp he wanted to build a champion," Boras said. “I told him, 'Economically you can’t give up your opt-out.' He told me, 'I know Philly fans. I have to let them know I’m there for the long haul. I want to recruit players, too, since I’ll be here for the rest of my career.’”

That pretty much says it all when it comes to Harper and Philadelphia.