Overview
- Harper said his 2019 free agency ultimately came down to the Phillies and Giants, calling the race close.
- He cited Bruce Bochy’s retirement from the Giants as the factor that “killed” the San Francisco option.
- Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia in 2019 and said the decision was not a slight to San Francisco.
- He praised Bochy as one of the game’s great managers; Bochy retired from the Giants in 2019 and later returned to manage the Rangers in 2023.
- Harper has left Phillies camp to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic after discussing the decision on The Pat McAfee Show.