After playing most of his MLB career as an outfielder, the Philadelphia Phillies’ star slugger Bryce Harper will enter the 2024 season as a first baseman.

During a GM Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this week, Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters that he and manager Rob Thomson believe the team is better with Harper manning the first base.

“We think he projects to be an outstanding first baseman,” Dombrowski said. “He’s willing to do whatever for the organization, and we just think for us, it makes us a better club now and as we go forward … It gives us a really good, athletic infield that can be together for years.”

Harper got a taste of first base during the 2023 MLB season when he stepped in for injured Rhys Hoskins. He started 36 games at the position and provided exceptional performances. Overall, the 31-year-old batted .293 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs for the season.

Moving Harper to first base full-time means that Hoskins, who is recovering from an ACL injury, will now have to look for a new team. The 30-year-old player is a free agent this summer, and the Phillies already informed him that they won’t be looking to extend his contract.

The post Phillies Plan to Use Star Bryce Harper as First Baseman Moving Forward appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Philadelphia Phillies will have to continue the postseason chase without their best player. Phillies star outfielder Bryce Harper is set to have surgery on his left thumb and is expected to spend significant time on the sidelines as a result.

Harper suffered a thumb fracture after being hit by Blake Snell’s pitch in a 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday. The reigning NL MVP is expected to make a full recovery, but the Phillies are not 100 percent sure whether he’ll be back by the end of the 2022 campaign. 

“It’s tough, but it’s probably the best thing for him. So whatever’s best for him is best for me,” Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters. “If he’s able to come back, which we plan on, then that’s good under the circumstances.”

Harper has already been hampered by injuries this season, even before the thumb issue. This included UCL tear in his right elbow that only limited him to designated hitter duties since mid-April. But despite this, the 29-year-old has been having an impressive season. He has been hitting .318 throughout 64 games and has 15 homers and 48 RBIs to show for in 2022.

The Phillies are currently sitting third in NL East with a 39-35 record. They went 6-4 in their last 10 games.

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The list of nominees for the Hank Aaron Award has been released, with the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr all in contention for the prestigious honor.

Established in 1999 by the Major League Baseball organization, the Hank Aaron Award is awarded to the best offensive player in each league, with the winner being traditionally announced in November. This will be the first Hank Aaron Award to be given after the former player’s death.

During a phone interview, Hank Aaron’s wife of 48 years Billye Aaron explained that her husband “was always very excited about the award itself and, of course, very excited about the World Series because, during that time, before every fourth game, he had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know and shake hands with the winners.”

In order to determine the nominees as well as the eventual winner, votes are received from a voting panel consisting of Hall of Fame players as well as a fan vote. The voting panel for this year consists of eight Hall of Famers, among them newcomers Chipper Jones, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz.

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After five years and very little team success, Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak announced that he is stepping down.

Klentak will not be leaving Philadelphia, however, and is expected to be given another role within the organization, though it is still unclear what that will be.

Klentak was not able to lead the Phillies to even one winning year as GM, much less a playoff appearance. The Phillies have now missed the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons.

Until a new general manager is named, Ned Rice will serve as the interim general manager.

Klentak was hired in October 2015 after serving as the Los Angeles Angels assistant general manager for four seasons. The Phillies have a losing record of 326-382 during Klentak’s five years as GM.

One of the biggest problems within the Phillies organization is that they have recently done a very bad job of developing talent in the minor leagues, leading them to reach on veterans that haven’t been panning out.

As an example, Klentak brought in four veteran pitchers via trade last year and the Phillies bullpen still had the worst ERA in the entire league.

Klentak did sign superstar Bryce Harper to a $300 million, 13-year deal, but has failed to build a winning team around him.

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Major League Baseball superstar Bryce Harper had some strong words last week about baseball and the Olympics during an interview with a podcast on Barstool Sports.

According to Harper, he isn’t very happy with the current Major League Baseball system that doesn’t allow for its best starts to participate in the Summer Olympic games in detriment to the regular season schedule.

Baseball was featured in the Summer Olympic Games from 1992 until 2008, but the IOC then voted against its inclusion in the 2012 and 2016 versions of the games.

However, it was re-included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has caused the disruption and cancellation of sports around the globe.

Harper had strong words for the league, stating, “The 2020 Olympics, in Japan. And you’re not sending big league guys? Are you kidding me? You want to grow the game as much as possible and you’re not going to let us play in the Olympics because you don’t want to [lose] out on money for a two-week period? OK, that’s dumb.”

Currently, only amateur players are allowed to take part in the competition.

Perhaps there is time for Major League Baseball to rectify its stance and allow its best players to take place in the re-inclusion of the event in next summer’s games.

The post Bryce Harper: MLB Players Should Participate in Olympics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It might have taken him a while, but outfielder Bryce Harper finally signed the record-setting contract that he set out for this offseason.

Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a 13-year, $330 million dollar contract that will pay the outfielder over $25 million per year through 2030.

This is the largest free agent contract signed in the history of American professional sports.

Harper was one of the biggest phenoms in the history of baseball when he burst onto the MLB scene with the Washington Nationals as a 19-year-old in the 2012 season.

Despite some bouts of inconsistency of injury problems, the Las Vegas native has shown why he was always considered one of the most talented prospects in the history of the game. Harper won the 2015 NL MVP Award after a massive season that saw him hit for a .330 average with 42 home runs. 2018 was a bit of an down year for the right fielder, who only hit .249 with 34 home runs.

It shouldn’t be any surprise, however, that the Phillies rewarded Harper with a contract of this size considering the player’s talent, youth, and production. Harper, since debuting in 2012, has totaled .279 and 184 home runs.

The Phillies, who got off to a strong start before sputtering in the second half and finishing in 3rd place in the NL East, will look to Harper to reignite what was once an anemic lineup at times.

Harper will also enjoy playing 81 games per season at Citizens Bank Park, one of the most hitter-friendly venues in all of baseball.

The Phillies become immediate favorites to win the NL East in 2019 with the addition of Harper, their new franchise player.

The post Bryce Harper, Phillies Agree to 13-Year, $330 Million Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The new MLS season is quickly nearing, but All-Star right fielder Bryce Harper is still without a team. Still, that could change anytime now, since Los Angeles Dodgers decided to step up and re-ignite their interest in the 26-year-old.

According to the several media outlets, Dodgers recently met with Harper in his hometown of Las Vegas and presented him with a new offer. The only problem is that they are offering a short-term deal, which is something that the player and Scott Boras are unlikely to accept.

“It was good, just trying to get to know each other,” – said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts about the meeting. “I think in the spirit of us, the Dodger, vetting a certain process makes sense and for those guys to do their due diligence as well.”

Since the beginning of the free-agency, Bryce Harper has been looking for a deal that will be around 10-years, and with more than $300 million worth. So far MLB teams weren’t willing to offer him that, but that changed after Dodgers entered the mix.   

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Philadelphia Phillies, who are considered to be the favorites for Harper’s signature, offered the player a deal worth more than $300 million. And it seems like Phillies are not the only ones willing to go that far now, since several other teams stepped up with their offers.

After winning NL MVP award in 2017, Bryce Harper’s production slipped a bit last season. He ended the year batting .249 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs.

The post Dodgers Reignite Their Interest for Bryce Harper appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like the Washington Nationals will not be able to keep their star outfielder Bryce Harper. Nationals’ owner Mark Lerner recently spoke with the media and said that he doesn’t expect Harper, who became a free agent after the 2018 season ended, to return to Washington next year.

“I really don’t expect him to come back at this point,” – Lerner told 106.7 The Fan. “I think they’ve decided to move on. There’s just too much money out there that he’d be leaving on the table. That’s just not Mr. Boras’ M.O. to leave money on the table.”

Lerner added that the team couldn’t make a better financial offer to the 26-year-old than the one they presented him in September, or they wouldn’t be able to keep a competitive team for the future.

“When we met with them and we gave them the offer, we told them, ‘This is the best we can do.’ We went right to the finish line very quickly” – Lerner added. “And we said, ‘If this is of interest to you, please come back to us, and we’ll see whether we can finish it up.’ But we just couldn’t afford to put more than that in and still be able to put a team together that had a chance to win the NL East or go farther than that.”

Although the Washington Nationals owner didn’t discuss the details of the offer they presented to Bryce Harper, it was reportedly a 10-year contract worth around $300 million.

It is believed that there are 12 teams – including Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs – who are interested in Harper and will meet or have already met with the 2015’s NL MVP.

Harper had a good showing in 2018, earning his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance and putting up some impressive numbers including .249 batting average, 100 RBI and 34 home runs.

The post Nationals’ Owner Doesn’t Expect All-Star Bryce Harper to Resign With the Team appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Washington Nationals and Patrick Corbin agreed to a six-year, $140 Million Contract on Tuesday, league sources said.

Corbin, 29, was arguably the best free agent this offseason AFTER Clayton Kershaw agreed to renew his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in November. And numbers show that. Last season, the 29-year-old made 246 strikeouts. He was ranked as MLB’s fourth-best pitcher, three spots behind Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

For many in the league, Corbin was destined for New York to play for his boyhood club the Yankees. New York certainly could have needed his skills but the two-time all-star opted for the highest bidder.  Philadelphia was also an option for the left-hander but the Nationals were prepared to do what it takes to get Corbin’s signature.

The Nationals had the extra cash thanks to the expiry of Bryce Harper’s, Gio Gonzalez and Matt Wieters’ contracts—freeing more than $62 million in payrolls. Corbin also aided in completing the deal by allowing Washington to defer some of the money in his contract.

Elsewhere, the Atlanta Braves signed Josh Donaldson in a one-year $23 million contract. The New York Mets committed Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to their team.

The post Patrick Corbin Agrees to a 6-Year, $140 Million Deal With Washington Nationals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After playing most of his MLB career as an outfielder, the Philadelphia Phillies’ star slugger Bryce Harper will enter the 2024 season as a first baseman.

During a GM Meetings in Las Vegas earlier this week, Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters that he and manager Rob Thomson believe the team is better with Harper manning the first base.

“We think he projects to be an outstanding first baseman,” Dombrowski said. “He’s willing to do whatever for the organization, and we just think for us, it makes us a better club now and as we go forward … It gives us a really good, athletic infield that can be together for years.”

Harper got a taste of first base during the 2023 MLB season when he stepped in for injured Rhys Hoskins. He started 36 games at the position and provided exceptional performances. Overall, the 31-year-old batted .293 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs for the season.

Moving Harper to first base full-time means that Hoskins, who is recovering from an ACL injury, will now have to look for a new team. The 30-year-old player is a free agent this summer, and the Phillies already informed him that they won’t be looking to extend his contract.

The post Phillies Plan to Use Star Bryce Harper as First Baseman Moving Forward appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Philadelphia Phillies will have to continue the postseason chase without their best player. Phillies star outfielder Bryce Harper is set to have surgery on his left thumb and is expected to spend significant time on the sidelines as a result.

Harper suffered a thumb fracture after being hit by Blake Snell’s pitch in a 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday. The reigning NL MVP is expected to make a full recovery, but the Phillies are not 100 percent sure whether he’ll be back by the end of the 2022 campaign. 

“It’s tough, but it’s probably the best thing for him. So whatever’s best for him is best for me,” Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson told reporters. “If he’s able to come back, which we plan on, then that’s good under the circumstances.”

Harper has already been hampered by injuries this season, even before the thumb issue. This included UCL tear in his right elbow that only limited him to designated hitter duties since mid-April. But despite this, the 29-year-old has been having an impressive season. He has been hitting .318 throughout 64 games and has 15 homers and 48 RBIs to show for in 2022.

The Phillies are currently sitting third in NL East with a 39-35 record. They went 6-4 in their last 10 games.

The post Phillies’ Bryce Harper Set for Thumb Surgery, Might Not Return in 2022 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The list of nominees for the Hank Aaron Award has been released, with the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr all in contention for the prestigious honor.

Established in 1999 by the Major League Baseball organization, the Hank Aaron Award is awarded to the best offensive player in each league, with the winner being traditionally announced in November. This will be the first Hank Aaron Award to be given after the former player’s death.

During a phone interview, Hank Aaron’s wife of 48 years Billye Aaron explained that her husband “was always very excited about the award itself and, of course, very excited about the World Series because, during that time, before every fourth game, he had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know and shake hands with the winners.”

In order to determine the nominees as well as the eventual winner, votes are received from a voting panel consisting of Hall of Fame players as well as a fan vote. The voting panel for this year consists of eight Hall of Famers, among them newcomers Chipper Jones, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz.

The post Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper Included As Nominees For Hank Aaron Award appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After five years and very little team success, Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak announced that he is stepping down.

Klentak will not be leaving Philadelphia, however, and is expected to be given another role within the organization, though it is still unclear what that will be.

Klentak was not able to lead the Phillies to even one winning year as GM, much less a playoff appearance. The Phillies have now missed the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons.

Until a new general manager is named, Ned Rice will serve as the interim general manager.

Klentak was hired in October 2015 after serving as the Los Angeles Angels assistant general manager for four seasons. The Phillies have a losing record of 326-382 during Klentak’s five years as GM.

One of the biggest problems within the Phillies organization is that they have recently done a very bad job of developing talent in the minor leagues, leading them to reach on veterans that haven’t been panning out.

As an example, Klentak brought in four veteran pitchers via trade last year and the Phillies bullpen still had the worst ERA in the entire league.

Klentak did sign superstar Bryce Harper to a $300 million, 13-year deal, but has failed to build a winning team around him.

The post Matt Klentak Steps Down as Philadelphia Phillies GM appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Major League Baseball superstar Bryce Harper had some strong words last week about baseball and the Olympics during an interview with a podcast on Barstool Sports.

According to Harper, he isn’t very happy with the current Major League Baseball system that doesn’t allow for its best starts to participate in the Summer Olympic games in detriment to the regular season schedule.

Baseball was featured in the Summer Olympic Games from 1992 until 2008, but the IOC then voted against its inclusion in the 2012 and 2016 versions of the games.

However, it was re-included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has caused the disruption and cancellation of sports around the globe.

Harper had strong words for the league, stating, “The 2020 Olympics, in Japan. And you’re not sending big league guys? Are you kidding me? You want to grow the game as much as possible and you’re not going to let us play in the Olympics because you don’t want to [lose] out on money for a two-week period? OK, that’s dumb.”

Currently, only amateur players are allowed to take part in the competition.

Perhaps there is time for Major League Baseball to rectify its stance and allow its best players to take place in the re-inclusion of the event in next summer’s games.

The post Bryce Harper: MLB Players Should Participate in Olympics appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It might have taken him a while, but outfielder Bryce Harper finally signed the record-setting contract that he set out for this offseason.

Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a 13-year, $330 million dollar contract that will pay the outfielder over $25 million per year through 2030.

This is the largest free agent contract signed in the history of American professional sports.

Harper was one of the biggest phenoms in the history of baseball when he burst onto the MLB scene with the Washington Nationals as a 19-year-old in the 2012 season.

Despite some bouts of inconsistency of injury problems, the Las Vegas native has shown why he was always considered one of the most talented prospects in the history of the game. Harper won the 2015 NL MVP Award after a massive season that saw him hit for a .330 average with 42 home runs. 2018 was a bit of an down year for the right fielder, who only hit .249 with 34 home runs.

It shouldn’t be any surprise, however, that the Phillies rewarded Harper with a contract of this size considering the player’s talent, youth, and production. Harper, since debuting in 2012, has totaled .279 and 184 home runs.

The Phillies, who got off to a strong start before sputtering in the second half and finishing in 3rd place in the NL East, will look to Harper to reignite what was once an anemic lineup at times.

Harper will also enjoy playing 81 games per season at Citizens Bank Park, one of the most hitter-friendly venues in all of baseball.

The Phillies become immediate favorites to win the NL East in 2019 with the addition of Harper, their new franchise player.

The post Bryce Harper, Phillies Agree to 13-Year, $330 Million Contract appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The new MLS season is quickly nearing, but All-Star right fielder Bryce Harper is still without a team. Still, that could change anytime now, since Los Angeles Dodgers decided to step up and re-ignite their interest in the 26-year-old.

According to the several media outlets, Dodgers recently met with Harper in his hometown of Las Vegas and presented him with a new offer. The only problem is that they are offering a short-term deal, which is something that the player and Scott Boras are unlikely to accept.

“It was good, just trying to get to know each other,” – said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts about the meeting. “I think in the spirit of us, the Dodger, vetting a certain process makes sense and for those guys to do their due diligence as well.”

Since the beginning of the free-agency, Bryce Harper has been looking for a deal that will be around 10-years, and with more than $300 million worth. So far MLB teams weren’t willing to offer him that, but that changed after Dodgers entered the mix.   

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Philadelphia Phillies, who are considered to be the favorites for Harper’s signature, offered the player a deal worth more than $300 million. And it seems like Phillies are not the only ones willing to go that far now, since several other teams stepped up with their offers.

After winning NL MVP award in 2017, Bryce Harper’s production slipped a bit last season. He ended the year batting .249 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs.

The post Dodgers Reignite Their Interest for Bryce Harper appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like the Washington Nationals will not be able to keep their star outfielder Bryce Harper. Nationals’ owner Mark Lerner recently spoke with the media and said that he doesn’t expect Harper, who became a free agent after the 2018 season ended, to return to Washington next year.

“I really don’t expect him to come back at this point,” – Lerner told 106.7 The Fan. “I think they’ve decided to move on. There’s just too much money out there that he’d be leaving on the table. That’s just not Mr. Boras’ M.O. to leave money on the table.”

Lerner added that the team couldn’t make a better financial offer to the 26-year-old than the one they presented him in September, or they wouldn’t be able to keep a competitive team for the future.

“When we met with them and we gave them the offer, we told them, ‘This is the best we can do.’ We went right to the finish line very quickly” – Lerner added. “And we said, ‘If this is of interest to you, please come back to us, and we’ll see whether we can finish it up.’ But we just couldn’t afford to put more than that in and still be able to put a team together that had a chance to win the NL East or go farther than that.”

Although the Washington Nationals owner didn’t discuss the details of the offer they presented to Bryce Harper, it was reportedly a 10-year contract worth around $300 million.

It is believed that there are 12 teams – including Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs – who are interested in Harper and will meet or have already met with the 2015’s NL MVP.

Harper had a good showing in 2018, earning his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance and putting up some impressive numbers including .249 batting average, 100 RBI and 34 home runs.

The post Nationals’ Owner Doesn’t Expect All-Star Bryce Harper to Resign With the Team appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Washington Nationals and Patrick Corbin agreed to a six-year, $140 Million Contract on Tuesday, league sources said.

Corbin, 29, was arguably the best free agent this offseason AFTER Clayton Kershaw agreed to renew his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in November. And numbers show that. Last season, the 29-year-old made 246 strikeouts. He was ranked as MLB’s fourth-best pitcher, three spots behind Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

For many in the league, Corbin was destined for New York to play for his boyhood club the Yankees. New York certainly could have needed his skills but the two-time all-star opted for the highest bidder.  Philadelphia was also an option for the left-hander but the Nationals were prepared to do what it takes to get Corbin’s signature.

The Nationals had the extra cash thanks to the expiry of Bryce Harper’s, Gio Gonzalez and Matt Wieters’ contracts—freeing more than $62 million in payrolls. Corbin also aided in completing the deal by allowing Washington to defer some of the money in his contract.

Elsewhere, the Atlanta Braves signed Josh Donaldson in a one-year $23 million contract. The New York Mets committed Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to their team.

The post Patrick Corbin Agrees to a 6-Year, $140 Million Deal With Washington Nationals appeared first on SportzBonanza.