Trout to Kiermaier: The richest signing of all 30 MLB teams
By Bill Felber
6. Philadelphia Phillies
A few days after the Padres signed Machado in 2019, the Phillies went them one better with the signing of free agent extraordinaire Bryce Harper. The deal was for 13 seasons (through 2031) and will bring Harper $330 million.
Harper’s deal set the Phillies’ record both for dollar amount and average annual value. The latter standard, however, was surpassed a few weeks ago when the Phils came to terms with free agent shortstop Trea Turner.
Turner’s 11-year, $300 million deal works out to a $27.3 AAV, comfortably above Harper’s $25.4 million AAV.
Owner John Middleton is the common thread to Philadelphia’s aggressive approach to player recruitment. The team’s 10 richest free agents in history were signed by five different GMs, but in eight of those signings the GM answered to Middleton. That includes not only Harper and Turner but Zack Wheeler, J.P. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber.
Middleton, you will recall, is the man who said the chase for Harper should not be slowed by debates over ‘stupid money.’
That gives the Phillies an imposing five players on their 2023 roster — Harper, Turner, Wheeler, Realmuto and Castellanos — who will draw in excess of $100 million before their Philadelphia contracts expire.
For comparison, the Yankees likely will have four such players, the Mets three and the Dodgers two.