We'll See About That

The headline in today’s The Athletic reads, “No team needed star power more than the Phillies.  In Bryce Harper, they finally have it.”  Or not.

 

Harper is an undeniable talent whose seven-year major league career began at the age of 19.  But is he worth the 13-year, $330 million deal the Phillies gave him last week?  Consider that Harper has yet to break the 100 RBI mark in a season.  Reach it, yes, break it, no.

 

So what?  Well, Hank Aaron managed to it twice by that age.  One of the greatest talents of all time, you say?  Well, isn’t that what Harper’s agent Scott Boras called his client?  And surely Boras would offer a slew of reasons why Harper is better than Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice, and Rice had three 100-plus RBI seasons at the age of 25.  Heck, even Will Clark had two, and last time I checked, Clark isn’t in the Hall of Fame.

 

And I can’t wait until somebody on Philadelphia sports’ talk radio points out that, starting at the age of 20, Ted Williams had four straight 100-plus RBI seasons.  Then Williams served three years in World War II, came back and had himself another four 100-plus seasons.  He would’ve had five—and six—had he not broken an elbow crashing into the outfield wall at Comiskey Park during the 1950 All-Star Game.

Phillies’ fans better hope the adage about getting what you pay for holds up.  Otherwise, they’re going to look at Bryce Harper and see Albert Pujols (the Angels’ version, not the Cardinals’) and Robinson Cano (he of the Mariners, after the Yankees).  If and when that happens, heaven help Bryce Harper.