![]() ![]() Others, like our dual focus here, have come on the open market. Some of them have come as part of extensions, while others have come immediately following a trade. Recent years have seen an influx of decade-plus-long contracts. At the same time, the game’s biggest stars have largely received their justified payday once they hit, or get close to, the open market.Īs many issues exist with Major League Baseball’s current pay structure, there have been some player-friendly avenues. Already lacking in the excitement and “frenzy” that their professional counterparts experience, MLB free agency itself has been wrought with accusations of collusion and its association with service time manipulation. Either way, I don’t think the Dodgers can snag Harper without paying at least $350 million.Free agency in Major League Baseball has been something of a mixed bag in recent years. Of course, there would be certain milestone incentives as well as MVP incentives and perhaps even World Series incentives. If Harper does not opt out (which I think is unlikely for his age at this time) he would be guaranteed the final three years of his contract worth $123 million starting at $40 million and increasing $1 million each season. Instead of the remaining three years, Harper could net himself a seven-year deal into his 40s.Īnd heck, like with Greinke, this could actually benefit both sides, depending on where the Dodgers are at. If he is still in his prime, this is a prime time for him to opt out, as Zack Greinke did to the Dodgers. Then, Harper will have an option going into his age 33 season. The next three seasons would amount to $111 million, starting at $36 million and growing $1 million every season. If he stays then he will be locked in for another three years before his next option. At this point in his career, he will be entering his 30s and could be ready to turn the six years remaining on his deal into 10 years. Then, after four years, Harper would own a player option. Over that time, Harper would make a total of $126 million, starting at $30 million a year in 2019 and growing by $1 million each season. The first stage of the contract is the first four years, in which the Dodgers get total team control of Harper. I estimate that a Harper contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers would be in the ballpark of ten years, $360 million, split up into three different stages of the contract. ![]() However, I think it is going to be slightly bigger than that, although the ten-year window is a perfect amount of time for both sides. Spotrac values Harper at ten years, $310 million, obviously giving him an average annual salary of $31 million. He will probably have some options as well, as a player of Harper’s stature has that kind of pull in discussions. Any good agent is going to get that contract to gradually increase as time goes on. So, what exactly should a contract for Harper look like? He probably will break the record for the largest contract in American sports history and is in the exact same shoes that Alex Rodriguez was in 18 years ago. However, for the fans, it proves as another reason why the team should sign Harper to the massive deal that he wants. That monetary reset is a relief for the front office, who will toe the luxury tax threshold once more. While the Dodgers have had one of the largest payrolls in baseball the last several years, this front office has been trying to rid of that and is set for a pretty big monetary reset next offseason. ![]() The biggest question to answer after that is whether or not the Los Angeles Dodgers front office is going to be willing to pay a massive contract. While that is not a computer’s drive, it is a short hour flight from Vegas to LA, making it very easy for his family to come out and for Harper to go home on off-days. ![]() That leaves LA with the benefit of the massive market, the winning culture, the endless amount of promotional things outside of baseball and the chance to play somewhat close to home in Las Vegas. However, the Yankees simply have no room left in the outfield to bring Harper in. There is really only one team that can mirror that and that is the New York Yankees.
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