"Bryce Harper took less money" - MLB analyst urges Phillies factor in superstar's sacrifices before looking at Juan Soto for over $330,000,000

The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly one of the teams actively pursuing Juan Soto, the top-rated free agent in the MLB, this offseason. However, sportscaster Lee Hamilton feels they must strongly reconsider offering him more money than Bryce Harper, the leader of the Phillies clubhouse, as Harper joined the franchise despite being offered a bigger contract by other teams.

Lee 'Hacksaw' Hamilton, a veteran American sportscaster and radio host based in San Diego, California, offered his thoughts on the Phillies joining the race to sign Juan Soto, who's expected to receive a lucrative long-term contract worth over a half a billion dollars.

Hamilton believes that making the left-handed slugger the highest-paid player of the team could cause friction within the clubhouse.

"They got an issue with Soto going back to the National League again," Hamilton said. "They are going to pay Soto more than Bryce Harper, who's become a conerstone personality of the franchise? Who took less money, even though he was a (Scott) Boras client, to go to Philadelphia so the Phillies could go get that pitching staff signed?

"So they're going to pay Soto more than Harper, considering what Harper did on behalf of the organization?" he wondered. "There are so many moving parts to this whole thing."

The Philadelphia Phillies had signed Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330 million contract when he became a free agent in 2019. It was the second-highest contract ever offered in the MLB at the time.

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Former teammates Juan Soto and Bryce Harper could re-unite at Philly

Juan Soto will join up with former Nationals teammates Bryce Harper and Trea Turner if he signs for the Phillies (Photo Credit: Imagn)

Bryce Harper was selected as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. He made his major league debut a couple of years later and was named National League Rookie of the Year in 2012. He was teammates with Juan Soto during the 2018 campaign when a 19-year-old Soto made his big league debut.

Juan Soto played a key role in helping the Washington Nationals clinch the World Series in the 2019 season. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022 before joining the New York Yankees at the start of the 2024 season for his first campaign in the American League.