After the Phillies forked over a 13-year, $330 million doozy of a contract, Bryce Harper has taken his talents to the city of Philadelphia. It’s a lengthy commitment, but Harper is one of the best sluggers in the game, and it may just keep the Phillies’ contention window for years and years to come.
So, unsurprisingly, Harper is already recruiting some big names for his new team — and there may be no bigger name in baseball than Mike Trout, who just happens to be a free agent after the 2020 season.
In an interview with Philadelphia radio station 94WIP, Harper made it clear that he already has his sights set on Trout.
“I think that’s one thing about this contract that I’m able to do, you know, having 13 years in a place, I’m able to help recruit guys to this organization ... For me, I can be able to talk to Trout or whoever wants to come to Philly or is thinking about coming to Philly, I can say, hey, this is the place to be. This is where the fans are great, ownership understands it, our manager is awesome ...
I think it’s respecting Mike Trout in a certain way during the season, letting him play, and do the things he needs to do to of course be Mike Trout, but if you don’t think I’m going to call Mike Trout in 2020 to have him come to Philly, then you’re crazy.”
Of course, Harper holds back a bit to avoid tampering outright, but there’s no denying that having a player of his calibre on the Phillies should only make them that much more appealing of a destination for Trout in 2020.
It’ll sting the wallet some to hand over yet another historic contract for Trout on top of Harper’s deal, but that’s the game when you’re playing to win — and just think of what a core that would be!
It’s only been five days since Harper signed with Philly, but it’s clear that he’s loving his new team and city. Besides recruiting players to his own team, he’s also going to bat for other Philly sports teams, even trying to sell NFL free agent Le'Veon Bell on "the greatest city in the world."
h/t 94WIP
