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Bryce Harper agreed to a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. As expensive as that deal is for Philadelphia, it is structured to help the team pursue other free agents in the years to come, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reported on Friday.

According to Verducci, Harper's average annual value of $26 million leaves room for the Phillies to bid on Mike Trout if Trout becomes a free agent after the 2020 season. A Phillies source said before the offseason began that the club had enough money to sign both Manny Machado and Harper, but wanted just one of them in order to keep money in reserve for Trout.

Trout, currently playing for the Angels, had a .312 batting average in 2018 and finished with 39 home runs.

Harper had the chance to make more per year before agreeing to terms with Philadelphia. The Dodgers reportedly offered a four-year deal worth $45 million per season, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi. Per Morosi, Los Angeles' deal would have broken the MLB record for average annual value per year and allowed Harper to re-enter the free-agent market at 30 years old.

“Bryce took less AAV. He took more years,” Harper's agent, Scott Boras told Verducci, comparing the deal to the Machado contract. “And we’re playing on a winning team. Bryce Harper wanted to play on a winning team now and one that has the revenues to sustain it. He got all those things."

Quote (EmericAn @ Mar 1 2019 02:09pm)

Lmao

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Bryce Harper signed the record-breaking 13 year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, ending one of the most intriguing free agent sagas in baseball history. Thanks to the Harper deal that only pays him just north of $25 million in average annual value, the Phillies are serious players if Mike Trout hits free agency in two years (Trout becomes a free agent after the 2020 season).

CBS Sports MLB Insider and former general manger Jim Bowden believes the Phillies will have Trout and Harper in the same outfield in 2021.

"They just did a tremendous job at getting a player at $25 million a year. That's a really good AAV," Bowden said on MLB Network Radio. "And by the way his contract is the same way of Robinson Cano, Albert Pujols and Joey Votto...and everyone is going to talk about 'How could you do that the last three years.' Again, the way I view it, 10 years, $330 million would have been a good deal at $33 million a year.

"But those extra years are going to allow them to sign Mike Trout in two years and they're going to sign him. They are going to get him. Harper and Trout have been texting by the way, back and forth throughout this process. Harper reached out to Trout to ask him about the city of Philadelphia.

"Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are going to be on this team in two years. Just book it. You're only two years away from that happening."

Trout, who is from Millville, New Jersey, already has made it known how much he loves the city of Philadelphia. A season ticket holder, Trout has a strong friendship with Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz , and many other Philadelphia Eagles players.

Quote (FUC @ Mar 1 2019 04:27pm)

Halos gonna offer him a life time contract

Quote (Sixers @ Mar 1 2019 05:05pm)

He's coming home man, sorry to say. He's coming home.

Quote (Winlaw @ Mar 19 2019 10:46am)

Bump

Quote (Sixers @ Mar 19 2019 10:47am)

Scared the living shit out of the Angels and forced them into throwing a panic offer to Trout to keep him in LA LOL.

Holy shit that deal though