Mets will still be paying Bobby Bonilla when Bryce Harper’s contract ends

Yes, Bryce Harper has a contract that will run through 2031. However, the New York Mets will still be paying Bobby Bonilla for four more years after Harper’s deal comes to an end.

Well, the Philadelphia Phillies got their man. On Thursday, they signed Bryce Harper to a mammoth 13 year deal worth $330 million. As the contract does not include an opt out, Harper is theoretically going to be a part of the Phillies until 2031. That is quite the commitment for both the team and Harper to make.

Yet, there is one player who will still be getting paid when Harper’s contract comes to an end. Yes, the New York Mets will still be paying Bobby Bonilla, as his deferred payments will not come to an end until 2035.

It is possible that Harper will still be productive for the Phillies at the end of his contract. He will be approaching 39 years old at the point, and likely nearing the end of his career, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that Harper can make an impact. On the other hand, the Mets will send their final payment to Bonnila when he is 72 years old, something absolutely amazing to think about.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

That contract, and those payouts, overshadow the type of player that Bonilla was during his career. He was a six time All Star and won three Silver Slugger awards, while finishing in the top three of the NL MVP vote twice. Overall, he produced a respectable .279/.358/.472 batting line, hitting 287 homers and 408 doubles.

While he may not have been able to continue his production from his Pirate days with the Mets, Bonilla was still a solid player. He made two of his All Star appearances while in New York, a productive player until injuries hampered his career. As a member of the Mets, Bonilla had a .270/.356/.446 batting line, hitting 95 homers and 98 doubles over his five seasons in New York.

Unfortunately, Bonilla’s second stint with the Mets did not go as well as his first. Appearing in only 60 games, he had a horrendous .160/.277/.303 batting line, hitting four homers and five doubles in 141 plate appearances. Yet, that year proved to be profitable for the former All Star, as his struggles led to the buyout that he is still enjoying to this day.

Bryce Harper may be getting the headlines with his 13 year contract, but there is still one person who will be paid beyond the term of that deal. Bobby Bonilla has 17 more years of payments to receive from the New York Mets.