You would think Bryce Harper might be jealous of the fact that Mike Trout has agreed to an extension with the Angels that will pay him a whopping $100 million more than what Harper got from the Phillies, but the man who had a record contract for less than a month insists that is not the case.
Harper told reporters on Wednesday that he is “very happy” for Trout and told him previously that he hoped his contract blew Harper’s away. He also said he is excited to see what Trout’s $430 million deal means for future star free agents like Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge.
Bryce Harper said he texted his congratulations to Mike Trout. “When I talked to him this offseason, I told him, ‘Man, I want to get as much as I can so that you can blow me out of the water pretty much.’ And he did. I’m very happy for him.”
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) March 20, 2019
Asked Harper about the slew of recent extensions (Arenado, Trout, Bregman, Nola, Severino, etc.). “It’s personal preference,” he said, adding that it’s “very good for the players. I’m excited for Mookie (Betts) to see what he gets, how he goes about it. (Aaron) Judge, as well.”
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) March 20, 2019
If teams felt Harper was worth as much as Trout, he would have gotten offers that were a lot higher than the 13-year, $330 million deal he signed with Philadelphia. In reality, the Angels probably overpaid to keep Trout, as they were clearly willing to do whatever was necessary to keep him in LA.
By the numbers, Betts can make the argument that he is closer to Trout than he is to Harper. He has already turned down at least one extension offer from the Red Sox, and he said this week that he fully expects to become a free agent after the 2020 season.
Folks on Twitter had quite a bit of fun at Harper’s expense after news of Trout’s contract broke, but you can only be so upset when you just inked a deal that will pay you $330 million guaranteed. Even if Harper is feeling sorry for himself, he’s smart not to say it.
