![]() He told the Phillies contingent that he did not want an opt-out in his contract. Then, Harper began talking about the future. They would offer the money, the years and the commitment to winning. ![]() This is a theme the Phillies leaned on during the weeks and weeks of talks. Harper left the meeting impressed by the presentation about the entire organization he later made a specific mention about the minor-league operation. But, yes, his mandate was to win now and win later. He asked Klentak if he was the type of general manager who would be aggressive to make this team competitive. First, for Middleton: Are you the type of owner who will make a commitment to this team and continue to do it for a long period of time? Yes, Middleton said. Four months that formed one of the craziest offseasons in Phillies history. Four months of piecing together a stupid puzzle with stupid money. Four months of protracted negotiations and inaccurate tweets and tracking private jets. “Well,” Klentak told them, “we have the makings of a deal.” Klentak’s voice clattered from an iPhone speaker. This was a chance to alter the dynamic, to break the stalemate between Middleton and Boras. So Middleton dialed him and put him on speakerphone. Klentak thought the deal was so dead that he decided to work from his Clearwater Beach condo. Assistant general manager Ned Rice was there. They gathered in the office of team president Andy MacPhail. ![]() Middleton took the elevator to the third-floor offices at Spectrum Field and summoned a meeting with the brain trust. Middleton, instead, continued his talk with Buck. If Boras was calling this early, it wasn’t to share the news that he had accepted a deal with the Giants or Dodgers. The Wednesday conversations between the billionaire owner and powerful agent were tedious. in Las Vegas, where Boras had established a regular presence this winter. There was an unbridgeable gap, Middleton told Buck through his car’s speaker. Now it was Thursday morning and Middleton was driving to Spectrum Field while Pete Buck, another of the team’s owners, was on the phone.
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