With Bryce Harper signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, the attention turns to Mike Trout’s free agency in two years, so let’s imagine Trout in a Phillies uniform.
The Golden State Warriors added Kevin Durant to an already star-studded team that included the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Well, now there is a baseball version of the Warriors and it is the Philadelphia Phillies. Although the circumstances may be a little bit different than the Warriors because the Phillies have added all of their all-stars this off-season while the Warriors already had Curry, Thompson, and Green.
This off-season Philadelphia added Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen, David Robertson, and J.T. Realmuto before Harper was even remotely close to signing. I didn’t even include the Aaron Nola extension.
Then, they dropped a bomb on the league signing Bryce Harper to a 13-year deal, but it seems like he and the Phillies will not be stopping there.
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
At the introductory press conference in Clearwater on Saturday, Harper responded to a question saying, “I know there’s another guy in about two years that comes off the books, so we’ll see what happens there”.
Of course, he is referring to Mike Trout.
Everyone is well aware of the talent that Mike Trout has, but nobody knows if he is thinking about signing with the Phillies. Trout would have to make it to free agency in order for him to go to Philadelphia, but there has already been plenty of chatter to whether or not he wants to be a Phillie.
He grew up in Millville, New Jersey which is less than an hour drive to Philadelphia, and he is a hardcore Eagles fan, so there is a fit there geographically and culturally.
Mike Trout would come with a hefty price tag, and I would assume it would be in the $400 million range, especially if Harper got $330 million because Trout is one of the best players to ever play.
If Mike Trout were to become the center fielder of the Philadelphia Phillies, the outfield would persist of Andrew McCutchen in left field, Trout in center, and Harper in right.
As I said earlier the team already will have Aaron Nola‘s services for the next four seasons, and there are starting pitchers aplenty next off-season. Chris Sale, Justin Verlander, and ex-Phillie great Cole Hamels to name a few.
Philadelphia Phillies
That is just the pitching side, but here is what the lineup would look like with Mike Trout assuming the Phillies do not add anybody else and extend J.T Realmuto.
LF Andrew McCutchen
SS Jean Segura
CF Mike Trout
RF Bryce Harper
1B Rhys Hoskins
SP Aaron Nola
That lineup would easily be the best lineup in baseball and would produce at least four to five all-stars every season. It may arguably be the best team since the 2009 New York Yankees.
A lot of things need to fall into place for this to happen, but Harper is already thinking about the future, and he envisions it involving the best baseball player of this generation.