Bryce Harper content to be full-time first baseman: I have a chance to ‘be really good over there’

CLEARWATER, Fla. — As Bryce Harper tells it, he didn’t ask to stay at first base after last season so much as he cosigned the Phillies’ decision to keep him there.

So, is he a first baseman forever now?

“I don’t think I’ll move back out to right [field]. I don’t,” Harper said upon arriving in camp on a rain-soaked Sunday to take his physical one day before the Phillies’ first full-squad workout. “But never say never.”

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A year ago, Harper was recovering from an offseason elbow ligament reconstruction and didn’t come to spring training until early March. He volunteered to learn first base in April, even before doctors cleared him to throw, because the Phillies lost Rhys Hoskins to a season-ending knee injury and Darick Hall to thumb surgery.

Compared to all that, Harper enjoyed a business-as-usual offseason, at least after a Nov. 3 meeting at Citizens Bank Park during which he said president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told him that the team preferred to keep him at first base.

“We sat down and he said this would be great for our organization, and I said OK,” Harper said. “I wanted them to know that I was on board with anything they wanted to do, if that was right field, if that was first base. And I told them that. I think collectively, they said, ‘First base is where we want you.’ ”

In electing to permanently shift Harper to first base, the Phillies made a commitment to improving their overall team defense, with Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh angling to be the primary center fielder and left fielder, respectively.

But they also slammed the door on re-signing Hoskins, who landed a two-year, $34 million deal with the Brewers in free agency.

“Any time you get a player like that — a franchise player — that goes somewhere else, one of the guys that is loved in this clubhouse, loved in the community, he’s done so much for the city of Philadelphia — him and [wife] Jayme are just two great individuals — seeing him go is definitely tough,” Harper said. “I wish him the best. We want to see him do great things in Milwaukee. He deserves what he got, and we’re excited for him.”

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It’s atypical for a player, especially a former MVP, to switch positions midway through a career. Only four — Alex Rodriguez (shortstop, third base) and Hall of Famers Robin Yount (shortstop, outfield), Stan Musial (outfield, first base), and Hank Greenberg (first base, outfield) — won MVP awards at multiple positions.

Harper made his first-base debut July 21 in Cleveland and played in 51 games there, including each of the Phillies’ 13 postseason games en route to Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. With a full spring training, infield coach Bobby Dickerson believes Harper can win a Gold Glove.

“I have a great opportunity to possibly be really good over there,” Harper said. “I look forward to working with Bobby and trying to be the best first baseman I can. Nothing’s going to change in that aspect, right? I want to be great at everything I do.”

Indeed, Harper said he views it as another challenge, one that usually doesn’t happen for star players until closer to the end of their careers.

Speaking of which, there’s another topic on Harper’s mind. Although he has eight seasons left on a 13-year, $330 million contract that will expire when he’s 38, he’s interested in redoing the deal to enable him to play into his 40s — and stay with the Phillies.

Harper said both he and agent Scott Boras have expressed that desire to Dombrowski. But Harper didn’t want an opt-out provision in his contract, and without it, he lacks leverage over the Phillies to renegotiate.

“I haven’t really thought too much about that,” Harper said. “I want to be here for a long time — playing into my 40s. That’s the biggest thing for me, so I want to get that done.”

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