The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the teams that have been mentioned as a possible suitor if the Chicago Cubs trade star third baseman Kris Bryant, but Bryce Harper does not seem as giddy about the idea as you might expect him to be.
Harper and Bryant both grew up in Las Vegas and played with and against each other as kids. They’ve been friends for a long time, so naturally Harper was asked what he thinks about the rumors that Bryant may be traded to Philly. Harper expressed some concerns about the financial ramifications of it and spoke highly of Phillies third base prospect Alec Bohm.
Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant grew up together in Vegas and are longtime friends. Harper's take on a potential trade of Bryant to the #Phillies, which remains unlikely: pic.twitter.com/VZDMnY9Wb4
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) February 16, 2020
Harper is right, and his rationale explains why a Bryant trade to Philly is very unlikely. Bryant will make more than $18 million this season and likely much more than that in his final year of arbitration eligibility in 2021, then he’ll be in line for a massive free agent contract. The Phillies are already paying Harper $26 million per year, and there are only so many of those contracts a team can carry.
If Bohm is as good as advertised, it doesn’t make much sense for the Phillies to acquire Bryant. There are other teams interested in the Cubs star that are probably more likely to land him.
