Phillies welcome Bryce Harper: 2 p.m. ET
Contract official, slugger to wear No. 3
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Bryce Harper is officially the newest member of the Philadelphia Phillies. The slugger inked a 13-year deal with the team on Saturday and will wear No. 3 with the club. A press conference will be held at 2 p.m. ET today at Spectrum Field. It will air live on MLB Network and MLB.com.
Harper wore No. 34 with the Nationals, but the Phillies have been mulling the idea of retiring No. 34 because of Roy Halladay¡¯s induction in July into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Harper; his wife, Kayla; his parents; his agent Scott Boras and his associates flew in Phillies managing partner John Middleton¡¯s private jet from Las Vegas to Clearwater on Friday. Middleton; his wife, Leigh; club president Andy MacPhail; general manager Matt Klentak and assistant general manager Ned Rice greeted the group at the airport.
Harper spent his Friday evening taking his physical, with the club's official Twitter account later tweeting: "We got him."