So I have a question for you. Would you take a contract for 4 years and $180 million dollars or would you go with a contract for $330 million dollars over 13 years?
MLB
This was the decision Bryce Harper had to make. As we know he took the long term 13 year $330 million dollar deal to join the Philadelphia Phillies. I don’t think Harper could’ve lost I either of these situations as both contracts have some merit to them besides the money. Let’s take a look.
I’ve heard people say that Harper took lifetime security over a shorter term deal. Honestly could you spend $180 million dollars? So I don’t think you can apply that here.
The 4 year $180 million dollar deal was offered by the Los Angeles Dodgers. So Harper would’ve been joining a series World Series contender on a short term deal. This deal would’ve also allowed Harper to go back out onto the free agent market as a 30 year old and he shouldn’t be past his prime by the end of this deal. Obviously, Harper wouldn’t have been offered 13 years on a deal as a 30 year old but it wouldn’t have been a surprise if a team offered him 6 or 7 years. The deal with the Dodgers would’ve given Harper the highest yearly salary of any player by quite a distance. Zack Greinke is currently the highest paid player this season with a salary of $34.5 million dollars. On average Harper would’ve made $45 million dollars a year.
Harper decided to sign with the Phillies for 13 years and $330 million dollars which is the largest deal in total money ever signed by any player. Most people think that the Phillies are on their way to being a contender. However, they’re in a much tougher division than the Dodgers, so it’s going to be a much more difficult road to the playoffs. Philadelphia and Harper did work his salary out so there’s room for the team to still add some players down the road. It also looks like Harper will be with the Phillies for all 13 years. He has a full no-trade clause and there are no opt outs in his deal. It will be interesting to see what kind of a player Harper is when he gets to the end of his deal.
I was always under the belief that Harper’s agent Scott Boras wanted to set the record for the largest contract ever signed by a Major League player. But I am a little surprised that Harper wasn’t willing to bet on himself and take the shorter term deal the Dodgers offered.
What would you have done?
Harper reports to the Phillies spring training camp in Clearwater Florida today and it’s been reported that he’ll wear #3 for Philadelphia. They haven’t said if Harper will work out with his new teammates today since you have to figure he’ll be tied up with multiple media obligations today. Since he is a little behind this spring, you have to figure he’ll be on the field if not today then tomorrow.
NBA
I don’t watch too many NBA games as I just don’t find the style they play very interesting anymore. I will, however, flip over to get a score of a game and watch a minute here or there to see what’s going on. Last night I did this with the Chicago Bulls/Atlanta Hawks game.
I flipped over with a little under two minutes left in regulation and since it was a close game, I figured I could watch the final two minutes even though I knew it would take close to 30 minutes to finish. Luckily the game went much quicker than I thought it would as there weren’t to many stoppages of play.
The game ended up tied after regulation and I thought, what the heck I’ll watch overtime and see who wins this game. What a mistake that was for me as the game ended up going four overtimes before the Bulls managed to win the game 168-161.
I’m not going to say that this was a must watch game, but there where some interesting stats that came out of it. The 329 combined points was the 3rd most in NBA history. In March of 1982 the Milwaukee Bucks and the San Antonio Spurs combined for 337 points which is the 2nd highest scoring game in NBA history. The highest scoring game ever played in the NBA was in December of 1983 when the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets combined to score 370 points in triple overtime.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 49 points. He also added 16 assists and 8 rebounds in 56 minutes. Young is now just one of four rookies to have 45 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in a game. Young is also the first rookie to score 120 points in a three game span since Allen Iverson did it in April of 1997.
The Bulls where led by Zach Lavine who scored 47 points, but they had three players put up double-doubles. Otto Porter Jr. had 31 points and 10 rebounds. Lauri Markkanen also scored 31 points and grabbed 17 rebounds while Robin Lopez scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Besides Young two other Hawks players had double-doubles. Alex Len put up 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Dewayne Dedmon scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Nine of the ten players who started the game scored in double figures. Three players ended up fouling out while two other picked up five fouls in the game. Even with all of the minutes logged in this game there where three payers that didn’t get into this game per coach’s decision. The teams combined to take 242 shots with 108 of those shot attempts being 3-pointers. Neither team shot very well from the free throw line as they went 52 of 73 (71.2%). Normally the home team shoots more free throws than the road team in an NBA game but in this game the Bulls actually shot 48 free throw to just 25 for the Hawks.
This was the first game of a home and home series, so these two teams will take Saturday off before they face off again Sunday afternoon in Chicago.
Do you think we’ll get another overtime game?
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