LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers took heat for not aggressively pursuing free agent Bryce Harper after the 2018 season. They were flush with money from their TV deal and had yet to splurge on the likes of Mookie Betts, Trevor Bauer and Freddie Freeman.
They made Harper an 11th-hour offer of about $160 million over four years, but the outfielder opted to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies for $330 million over 13 years.
Not that the Dodgers regret failing to reel in Harper, not after winning a World Series in 2020 and having stacks of cash to spend on the likes of Betts and Freeman (let’s leave Bauer, ahem, out of the equation).
