Harper signs for 2 years, $7.5 mm, resolving grievance issue

In case anyone didn't follow the discussion of this about 100 pages in to the "Blue Jays are pursuing Dan Duquette" thread:

Bryce Harper was signed to a five-year, $9.9 mm major league deal when he was drafted, that included a $1.5 mm salary for 2015. According to his agent, Scott Boras, there was an oral agreement that if Harper was arbitration-eligible for 2015, he could void the $1.5 mm salary and opt for arbitration instead. The Nats did not agree that the written contract was subject to an oral agreement, and the matter was headed for a grievance hearing this week. Because of the dispute, Harper opted not to attend Nats' FanFest last weekend, drawing some criticism from Nats' GM Mike Rizzo.

In any event, the matter is now resolved, with Harper agreeing to a two-year, $7.5 mm contract covering 2015-16. He will still be under team control in 2017-18, and subject to the usual arbitration process. Seems like a pretty reasonable solution for both sides, neither of whom need to admit they were wrong about what the deal was for 2015.

Interesting. Thanks for the summary, Frobby. So Harper is actually taking a paycut for next year? That seems kind of odd.

Bb-ref has his salaries for '13 and '14 as $2M and $2.15M. I'd say this is a big win for the Nats.

Supposedly this new contact has him making $2.5M in 2015 and $5.0M in 2016.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/12/15/bryce-harper-nationals-avoid-grievance-hearing-after-settling-on-2015-salary/

Supposedly this new contact has him making $2.5M in 2015 and $5.0M in 2016.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/12/15/bryce-harper-nationals-avoid-grievance-hearing-after-settling-on-2015-salary/

OK, that makes sense. I still think this favors the team more than it does Harper.

Interesting. Thanks for the summary, Frobby. So Harper is actually taking a paycut for next year? That seems kind of odd.

Bb-ref has his salaries for '13 and '14 as $2M and $2.15M. I'd say this is a big win for the Nats.

Supposedly this new contact has him making $2.5M in 2015 and $5.0M in 2016.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/12/15/bryce-harper-nationals-avoid-grievance-hearing-after-settling-on-2015-salary/

What I had read was that under his original deal, his 2015 salary was $1.5 mm, but if he won his grievance and was eligible for arbitration this year, his salary would be more likely to be in the $2.5 mm range. So, by entering into the 2-year deal Harper gets his $2.5 mm now, without the team having to cave on the grievance. I think if Harper had won, and had a decent year in 2015, $5 mm is a pretty low figure for 2016. Of course, there's no way to know how he'll do in 2015, but it won't surprise me if he has a very good year.

I didn't see in the Post story whether Boras and the Nationals reached agreement with respect to whether Harper is arb-eligible as a Super Two for 2015. I think the comparables upon which his eventual 2017/2018 salaries will be based change depending on whether those are arb2/arb3 seasons, or arb3/arb4 seasons.

I didn't see in the Post story whether Boras and the Nationals reached agreement with respect to whether Harper is arb-eligible as a Super Two for 2015. I think the comparables upon which his eventual 2017/2018 salaries will be based change depending on whether those are arb2/arb3 seasons, or arb3/arb4 seasons.

I don't think it will matter very much at that point. The arbitrators are supposed to consider service time as one element of the arb award, but for a 2017 arbitration I don't think it matters whether Harper was eligible through the arbitration process in 2015 or he wasn't. His service time is what it is.

Shame they were able to settle this.

I was hoping it would fester.

Supposedly this new contact has him making $2.5M in 2015 and $5.0M in 2016.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2014/12/15/bryce-harper-nationals-avoid-grievance-hearing-after-settling-on-2015-salary/

So he got all the money he was after originally. Good for him.