When Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper moved to first base last season, it didn’t seem to be a long-term switch.
Harper, who was coming back from a torn UCL and Tommy John Surgery made the switch to both save some stress on his still-recovering arm and also help the team fill the void of losing Rhys Hoskins, who tore his ACL in spring training.
Harper wound up making 36 starts at first base and 13 more in the postseason as the Phillies rolled to their second straight NLCS.
Hoskins signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in January, and the plan is now for Harper to play first base full-time, after spending the majority of his 11-year career in the outfield.
Arriving at spring training Sunday, the two-time NL MVP had a chance to address the position change and his future with the team as he enters year six of a 13-year deal with the Phillies.
“I want to be here for a long time and understand playing into my 40s, that’s the biggest thing for me,” Harper said to ESPN. “So I wanted to get that done.”
He then added some additional comments, saying, “I wanted [the Phillies] to know that I was on board with anything that they wanted to do. I said if you want me in right field, I’ll play right. If you want me at first, I’ll play first base, and I think as a collective they said first base is where we want you, and I said, OK, I’m going to do anything I can to be there.”
If it wasn’t already clear by this point, Harper loves being with the Phillies and is willing to do whatever he needs to do to help the team continue to be successful.
[ESPN]
