The excitement has yet to fade after The
Philadelphia Phillies officially signed one of Major League Baseball’s biggest
free agent superstars. They signed 26-year-old Bryce Harper for a record
setting $330 million over thirteen years (which is about $25 million per year
before taxes).
The Phillies also saw a significant
increase in ticket sales shortly after Harper signed his contract. The Phillies had already sold 220,000 tickets
in the first 48 hours after the signing. A day after signing his contract,
Harper set yet another record. His number 3 Phillies jersey is the top-selling
jersey of all-time for any player in any sport within 24 hours of launch, according
to Fanatics.
Harper had spent his entire career with
the Washington Nationals and their organization after they selected him number one
overall in the 2010 draft. He debuted in 2012 at 19 years old and was an
All-Star six times in his seven seasons in Washington.
Saturday served as a reality check. Bryce
Harper, is going to be number three for the Philadelphia Phillies, for more
than a decade. It will be interesting to see if and how changing teams will
impact both Harper and the Phillies.