A visitor now, Bryce wishes Washington well

WASHINGTON -- It will be weird for a while, Bryce Harper said. He does not know how long it will feel that way, but it will feel that way for some time.

Harper walked into Nationals Park before Tuesday night's 8-2 Phillies romp over the Nationals for the first time since he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia on March 2. Harper, who went 3-for-5 with an emphatic 458-foot homer in his first game against his former club, spent the first seven years of his career with the Nationals. He helped them make the postseason four times. Harper won the 2015 National League Most Valuable Player Award. He made six NL All-Star teams. He thrilled the hometown crowd in July, when he won the Home Run Derby.

Every day for the past seven years, every time he reached the field level from the players’ entrance at Nationals Park, Harper turned right to reach Washington’s clubhouse. This time, he turned left to find the visitors’ clubhouse.

“Walking in today was definitely different,” Harper said before Tuesday’s game. “I think every time I walk in it’s going to be a little weird, but I think the more and more we play here, the less different it’s going to be.”

It will continue to be strange to see Harper emerging from the other dugout in a different uniform. Many wondered if he would stay. The Nationals offered Harper a $300 million contract on the final day of the 2018 regular season, but $100 million of that contract would have been deferred. Harper, his wife Kayla and his agent Scott Boras met with Nationals ownership two days before Christmas to discuss a potential return, but Washington’s second offer fell far short of expectations.

A few months later, Harper joined an NL East rival.

“I have no hard feelings against the Nationals, the Lerners and the Lerner family,” Harper said. “They always treated me with the utmost respect and it has been fun playing for an organization that really cares about their players and their organization and their fans as well. I’ll always cherish those moments and respect the Lerner family and whatever they do.

“It just didn’t happen. I thought on both sides it was kind of mutual and it didn’t really bother me from both sides. I felt like, ‘OK, they have two great young outfielders and they have a great plan and they’re going to do what they want to do for their organization.’ I said all year last year, ‘If I’m part of it, great. If I’m not and they want to move on, I’m fine with that as well.’”

Harper is happy in Philly. He had a great Opening Weekend. The Phillies swept the Braves. He homered twice. He got a curtain call. He received multiple standing ovations.

He and his wife then announced Monday that they are expecting their first child in August. They are having a boy.

“I might get a little emotional because I'm very excited,” Harper said, his voice cracking for a moment. “Excited for my wife and myself and my family. Going through a little process; she found out in November. We were very excited when it happened, and when you're going through that process, you're thinking about more than just yourself. You're thinking about other things as well. That's your family and your kids and things like that.”

It is why Harper mentioned the importance of growing roots in one city during his introductory news conference with the Phillies on March 2.

"I'm very excited to be able to announce it to the world now,” he said.

But Tuesday was about the present. Harper seized his first moments with the Phillies over the weekend. What would his first game against the Nationals be like?

He hoped for some cheers. He expected some boos. He received both.

• Harper bowed to Phillies fans who traveled to Nationals Park

“It's part of sport,” he said. “No matter where I go, if I'm a visiting player, I get booed. It's just part of it. I might get a little bit tonight, I might get cheered as well. All the messages that are coming in on Instagram are, 'We're going to cheer you tonight, boo you later.'”

Harper understands, but he said he will cherish his Nationals memories. His favorite moment remains Jayson Werth’s walk-off homer in Game 4 of the 2012 NL Division Series. But there are others. He mentioned his first plate appearance at Nationals Park in 2012.

"I think I punched out and they gave me a standing ovation,” he said. "Very good memories here. I've always said, I wish the guys in the clubhouse nothing but the best. I'm very excited to see how all those guys do. I'm excited to watch Juan Soto's career unfold. See what he does and a lot of the other guys in the clubhouse."

Harper just wants his new team to win.