Bryce Harper Trade Could Come With Stunning Contract Demand
Rosenthal wrote that for Harper to land with one of those clubs, “he likely would require a contract extension.”
The comments come from Rosenthal’s column after the Phillies’ Wild Card exit and were repeated this week, and Harper hasn’t said anything publicly about his future.
Why An Extension Comes Into It
Harper has a full no-trade clause, so he’d have to approve any deal, and he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract in February 2019 that runs through 2031.
He turned 34 on October 16 and is owed $26 million in each of 2027 and 2028 and $22 million a year from 2029 through 2031, which comes to $118 million in remaining salary.
The contract carries a $25.4 million average annual value and expires after his age-38 season, so an extension would push the commitment well into his 40s.
The only way Bryce Harper would waive his no-trade clause is if the team who trades for him extends him past his current remaining contract of 5-years, per @Ken_Rosenthal Harper is in the final 5-year stretch of a 13-year $330 million contract that ends in 2031. He’ll be 39 by then (h/t @MarineLayerPod)
— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) October 22, 2026
Rosenthal said interested teams could view him as either a first baseman or right fielder, and he played 109 games at first base and 43 in right this season.
The Athletics were the long shot in Rosenthal’s column, since they play one more season in West Sacramento before moving to Las Vegas in 2028, which is Harper’s hometown.
What Philadelphia Is Weighing
The Phillies went 88-74, and lost the Wild Card series to Atlanta, and Rosenthal wrote that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and owner John Middleton should consider trading Harper or Kyle Schwarber.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said on 97.5 The Fanatic that Harper was the more likely player to move than Trea Turner, because Turner doesn’t have the value and the Phillies would have to eat a lot of his contract.
Harper hit .269/.380/.485 with 29 home runs, 87 RBI, and 107 walks in 162 games this season.
