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Phillies finally getting the Bryce Harper they paid for

Anytime a player signs a large contract, no matter the sport, expectations are raised exponentially. At every step, someone will be asking if they are worth the money. So when the Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a then-record-setting 13-year, $330 million deal, the magnifying glass quickly honed in on Harper.

Harper opened the season with a bang with three home runs in his first four games. However, his bat quickly fell silent (by his standards) with a meager .233/.345/.411 line with 89 strikeouts in 70 games from April 3 to June 20. The team’s winning record primarily masked his struggles, but as the wheels fell off on June, Harper received plenty of criticism.