This Is the Richest Deal in North American Sports

Bryce Harper is getting $330M from the Philadelphia Phillies
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 28, 2019 6:20 PM CST
This Is the Richest Deal in North American Sports
In this Sept. 8, 2018, file photo, Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper points to the dugout after he hit a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs.   (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

Bryce Harper has just set the bar for sports contracts in North America: $330 million. That's how much the 26-year-old outfielder will get from the Philadelphia Phillies in a 13-year deal, making it not just the biggest contract in Major League Baseball but on the continent as well, reports USA Today. The record is for the total value of $330 million, not for annual salary, which breaks down to $25.4 million. In fact, the latter figure ranks at No. 11 among baseball players, reports the Washington Post.

Harper leaves the Washington Nationals, the team that brought him to the majors in 2012 as a teenager. Harper has a .279 career average with 184 homers and 521 RBIs, per the AP. His deal surpasses the $325 million received by Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins in 2015, also over 13 years. (Harper made the unusual decision to skip his final two years of high school and get his GED instead.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X