Newest Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper made headlines with his attempts to recruit Mike Trout. His sales pitch is being put on hold…for now.
It did not take long for Bryce Harper to attempt to recruit another superstar for the Philadelphia Phillies. At his introductory press conference, he alluded to another outfielder who, in two more seasons, would become a free agent. One that he was hoping to bring with him to Philadelphia. While he did not mention Mike Trout by name, it was pretty clear who Harper was referring to.
Then in a radio interview, any ambiguity was gone. He mentioned Trout by name, saying that if anyone thought he would not attempt to recruit the superstar, they were crazy. Naturally, this infuriated the Los Angeles Angels, who are attempting to keep Trout for the long term and are looking to discuss another extension with the superstar.
In light of those comments, the Angels asked Major League Baseball to see if any tampering with Trout was occurring. While the investigation into whether or not Harper’s comments would constitute tampering, commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that Harper can no longer attempt to recruit Trout to Philadelphia. At least, for now.
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There has been a natural desire to connect Trout to the Phillies. He grew up relatively nearby in Millville, New Jersey, and is a somewhat regular presence at Eagles games. Adding Trout to the Phillies would be a homecoming of sorts, as he would be heading to a city ready to embrace his greatness.
Of course, any player would want to have Trout on their team. It is not just Harper that would be recruiting the superstar, as Trout has proven to be a generational talent at this juncture of his career. In seven full seasons, he has never finished worse than fourth in the MVP vote, been an All Star every season, has won the MVP award twice, and been the runner up four times.
The only thing that Harper can really be blamed for is his exuberance at attempting to bring Trout to Philadelphia. There is a time and a place for everything, and Harper simply needs to wait for that time to come. If the Angels are unable to find the money to pay Trout his worth, especially in light of the contracts that Harper and Manny Machado signed, that maybe it is time for “crazy money” to flow in Philadelphia once again.
Just don’t expect Bryce Harper to attempt to entice Mike Trout to come to the Philadelphia Phillies. At least, for now.