Phillies GM Klentak Discusses ‘Hero’ Nola, Players Holding Out to Maximize Free Agency

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Philadelphia Phillies pitchers and catchers have reported to Clearwater, and just hours are left until the first full-squad workout. Baseball is back; and yet, plenty of free agents remain on the open market. One of them, of course, is Bryce Harper, represented by agent Scott Boras.

Saturday morning on SportsRadio 94 WIP with Howard Eskin, Phillies GM Matt Klentak alluded to the perennial All-Star outfielder when saying he does not they are in a position yet to know what factors are driving "a certain free agent."

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"I would guess that money is at least one of them, but until a player signs, we don’t know that," Klentak said, adding there have been a couple times in his career "where a player has signed not purely for the money."

One of those players was during his time spent as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's assistant general manager — a fellow Boras client, RHP Jered Weaver. Despite Boras not "supportive of what amounts to a hometown discount," Weaver signed a rare mid-season extension in late August 2011.

At the time, Weaver said:

“If $85 (million) is not enough to take care of my family and other generations of families then I’m pretty stupid, but how much money do you really need in life?

I’ve never played this game for the money. I played it for the love and the competitive part of it. It just so happens that baseball’s going to be taking care of me for the rest of my life.”

Klentak noted that Weaver signed an extension with the Angels "about a year before he reached free agency," and at his press conference said:

‘I’m signing here because I like it here. I like living here, my family’s in the area. I love this team, manager, everything about it. I don’t need to get to free agency to maximize every penny, because I’m where I want to be. They offered me a fair contract, and I want to take it.'

The Phillies GM added that from that point forward, Weaver was a "local hero." "He was really good, too. He was an awesome pitcher, but he was perceived as a local hero," Klentak said.

Seven-plus years later, Klentak experienced the second instance in his career where a player signed "not purely for the money." That happened on Thursday at the Phillies' press conference to announce Aaron Nola's multi-year extension.

"At the other day when we sat at Aaron Nola’s press conference, I heard him say, ‘it’s not all about the money,'" Klentak said. "He said, ‘this is the right fit for me, it’s not about the money, I love playing in this city, I love my teammates, I want to win here.’"

Klentak said he heard that, thought of Weaver and that Nola, too, is a "hero" for "saying and believing that." "[Nola] wants to work. He wants to win. I think that is such a refreshing thing to hear from any perspective, but certainly from a fan’s perspective," Klentak said.

While the Phillies general manager idolizes players for not prioritizing money, he respects players, such as Harper, holding out to maximize their free agency "and turn it into every penny that they can get."

"I don’t think every player is like [Weaver and Nola]. I really don’t. Those are two that I have had in my own career that I’ve seen, and I’m certain there are dozens of others that have made similar decisions.

Players work a long time to get to free agency; they work really hard and a lot of players before them have worked to allow the economics of baseball to be what they are. If a player wants to maximize their free agency and turn it into every penny that they can get, then good for them.

They’ve earned that, and they should be able to do that.”

Earlier in the interview, Klentak raised the thought that the "landscape of free agency" is "clearly changing."

"Is it because teams are less willing to commit, [or] is it a strategy on the part of certain agents to drag things out?" Klentak said. "I don’t know the exact answer, but I do know this — as a general manager, or as anybody working on the management side in the negotiation — you have to be willing to make adjustments to the evolving market."

Harper reportedly is nearing a deal worth at least 10 years and more than $300 million. While he likely will not take a "discount" by any means, the Phillies would be just as thrilled to sign him as they were with Nola.

At the end of the day, it is all about doing whatever it takes to bring the World Series trophy back to the city of Philadelphia.