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Yesterday was a very important day in Phillies history, the Phils going out and getting perhaps the most sought after free agent on the market, Bryce Harper. It’s a departure of the management style of the Phillies, who for years had been controlled by a group of limited partners. One of these partners has now taken the wheel of the Phillies ship, John Middleton. Middleton’s moves have been fairly bold since he appears as the part owner who is calling the shots. Yes, we’ve had free agents of high stature before, but none signed for as long as Harper’s reported 13-year deal for $330M dollars.
Bryce Harper will be an exciting Phillies player, that is no doubt. His commitment to baseball and the way he approaches the game is exactly the kind of player that the Phillies need. A player who grinds it out and has a deep desire to win. Harper had come close with the Nationals to being on a team that was a winner, but there were things missing. Is his addition to the Phillies the thing that the Phillies have been missing the past few seasons?
Yesterday morning I sent out a tweet from my FightinPhillies twitter feed on the Phillies odds of winning the World Series from the betting halls. The odds at 7 am yesterday were 14-1 for the Phils, I am thinking those odds just took a hit. The Phils have moved closer to assembling a mega team with the additions they have made in the off-season.
Hear all about the signing of Bryce Harper on NBC Sports Philadelphia, this was yesterday’s lineup of talk about it, and more info will be forthcoming on the press conference of the official announcement: