Bryce Harper is currently in year seven of a monster deal he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies that will span 13 seasons. He signed this deal prior to the 2019 season, but at the time there was a lot of speculation that Harper could come to the North Side.
Rumors of Harper to Chicago dated back to him and Kris Bryant being close friends as well as Harper having a dog named Wrigley. In a recent interview with The Athletic, Harper confirmed that Wrigley Field is one of his favorite away places to play, but he also said nine other words that will echo in Cubs fans’ minds forever.
The Chicago Cubs were the No.1 destination for Bryce Harper during the 2018/2019 off-season
According to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Chicago was Bryce Harper’s top landing spot during the 2018–2019 offseason. “Going into that offseason, they were the No. 1 team on my list,” Harper told Mooney.
Unfortunately, the Cubs never engaged with Harper and he went on to sign a $330 million deal with the Phillies that included no deferrals, a full no-trade clause, award bonuses for All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, MVP, and playoff MVP.
Imagining what could have been
At the time Harper was in free agency, the Cubs were coming off four consecutive playoff appearances that included winning the World Series in 2016. Chicago ended up missing the playoffs in 2019, made the postseason during the shortened 2020 season, but have not returned since.
Had Harper joined the core of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Willson Contreras, things might have turned out drastically different for the Cubs. Instead, that off-season their big moves consisted of handing out a four year, $55.5 million extension to Kyle Hendricks, and picking up one year options on Cole Hamels ($20.0 million), Jose Quintana ($10.5 million), and Pedro Strop ($6.5 million).
In hindsight, the Cubs’ decision to pass on Bryce Harper marked a pivotal moment in the franchise’s trajectory. While they opted for short-term stability with familiar faces, the opportunity to add a generational talent to an already championship-caliber core slipped away.
As Harper thrives elsewhere, the Cubs are now tasked with facing a similar dilemma as star Kyle Tucker will be eligible for free agency this offseason. How they approach this opportunity will be fascinating to watch