Bryce Harper Wants New Contract to be with Phillies Into His 40s, Accepts Move to 1B

Bryce Harper has eight more years on his current contract, but he's already looking for the Philadelphia Phillies to show more commitment.

Harper told reporters he's seeking a new deal that will take him past his 40th birthday. His current contract is slated to keep him in Philadelphia through his age-38 season.

"I want to be here for a long time and understand playing into my 40s, that's the biggest thing for me," Harper said Sunday. "So I wanted to get that done."

Harper has spent the last five seasons in Philadelphia, already emerging as one of the most beloved players in franchise history. He hit .293/.401/.499 with 21 home runs and 72 runs batted in last season despite playing while still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The elbow surgery resulted in Harper moving to first base full time, which will continue moving forward.

"We had a pretty good conversation, me and Dombo, we sat down and he said this would be great for our organization, and I said, OK," Harper said of the move. "I wanted them to know that I was on board with anything that they wanted to do. I said if you want me in right field, I'll play right. If you want me at first, I'll play first base, and I think as a collective they said first base is where we want you, and I said, OK, I'm going to do anything I can to be there."

Harper had already been declining as an outfielder, so the move to first makes sense. He had not posted a positive defensive WAR since his first year with the Phillies. While there will be a clear adjustment period—Harper played just 36 games at first last season and had a defensive WAR of -0.9—few teams expect their first basemen to be stalwarts.

As long as Harper continues to produce at an elite level offensively and finds some passability at first base, he'll be fine.

The idea of extending a contract with eight years remaining is a little unheard of. Harper's injury history across his career made giving him a 13-year contract a risk to begin with. Adding to that deal less than halfway in seems like a questionable business decision.

Harper acknowledged there are more pressing contracts on the roster that need to be addressed—particularly starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.

"I understand there's other guys to take care of, right? Understanding that Wheels is a big one for us right now," Harper said. "Contract negotiations can happen throughout the season and things like that. So, we'll see what Scott and Dave can come up."

Wheeler is heading into the final year of his contract. Trea Turner is the only player on the Phillies roster whose deal lasts longer than Harper's current one.

There isn't much leverage from Harper's side of things in this scenario, so any extension offered by the Phillies would be merely an act of goodwill. Don't be surprised to see them wait it out until Harper gets a full year at first to see where they're at, though.