Signing(s): Bryce Harper to Phillies (13 years/330 M)

[Dr Pepper]

How is it tampering, again?

I mean we could all just play make-believe and insist that players never discuss these things with eachother while still under contract, and that Harper is "breaking the mold" here. But that's not true.

I figured it's only really tampering if Phillies management came out and declared their intention to chase Trout when he's a free agent.

It's not as though Harper can sign him, so what's the problem?

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

It's tampering because these two are best friends and I suspect sometimes even part-time lovers.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

How is it tampering, again?

I mean we could all just play make-believe and insist that players never discuss these things with eachother while still under contract, and that Harper is "breaking the mold" here. But that's not true.

I figured it's only really tampering if Phillies management came out and declared their intention to chase Trout when he's a free agent.

It's not as though Harper can sign him, so what's the problem?

Based upon mlb rules it's tampering but honestly I don't think this shit impresses Trout. He seems uncomfortable with any attention that isn't about baseball i actually don't think he'd like playing in Philly infact I'd be surprised if he's ever a free agent

 

[MMC]

Based upon mlb rules it's tampering but honestly I don't think this **** impresses Trout. He seems uncomfortable with any attention that isn't about baseball i actually don't think he'd like playing in Philly infact I'd be surprised if he's ever a free agent

I actually wouldn’t be surprised at all if Trout and Harper talked about teaming up in Philadelphia before Harper chose to sign there. I fully expect Trout to sign with the Phillies when he hits free agency.

 

[John Price]

 

[Jack Straw]

It's tampering because these two are best friends and I suspect sometimes even part-time lovers.

Isn't it redundant to say that they are "sometimes" "part-time" lovers? Isn't "sometimes" the same as "part-time"?

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Isn't it redundant to say that they are "sometimes" "part-time" lovers? Isn't "sometimes" the same as "part-time"?

I don't know....maybe once in a while?

 

[Jack Straw]

I don't know....maybe once in a while?

Sure, why not. nttawwt.

 

[robert terwilliger]

i heard mike trout didn't even know who the phillies were before harper made that statement.

 

[HugoLalumiere]

Yeah, Scott...you're magic

It's clear Boras has taken a bath in the most expensive champagne the night of the signing. That man is responsible for most of those ridiculous contracts teams end up regretting sooner rather than later. Boras doesn't give a ****, Harper doesn't give a ****, they get paid and the sport gets a little sicker each year. Oh! And the fans end up footing the bill for those contracts... But record jersey sales and most likely those jerseys didn't sell for cheap. Oh well...

 

[Jack Straw]

i heard mike trout didn't even know who the phillies were before harper made that statement.

I think it’s possible that he heard something about them when he went to their championship parade in 2008. Just a possibility.

 

[robert terwilliger]

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

How is it tampering, again?

I mean we could all just play make-believe and insist that players never discuss these things with eachother while still under contract, and that Harper is "breaking the mold" here. But that's not true.

I figured it's only really tampering if Phillies management came out and declared their intention to chase Trout when he's a free agent.

It's not as though Harper can sign him, so what's the problem?

It's tampering in the sense that it could undermine what the Angels management is trying to do currently wrt extension talks. The Angels have made it no secret that they want to keep Trout, and he's under contract for the next 2 years.

Every player does this. The only real issue is that Harper went public NBA-style, and I don't think the sport wants players to openly build super teams like that league does.

 

[Dr Pepper]

It's tampering in the sense that it could undermine what the Angels management is trying to do currently wrt extension talks. The Angels have made it no secret that they want to keep Trout, and he's under contract for the next 2 years.

Every player does this. The only real issue is that Harper went public NBA-style, and I don't think the sport wants players to openly build super teams like that league does.

Fair enough.

Hey, if this is what it takes for the Angels to try and build a successful team around Trout so that he's not "wasting away" on a non-contender, I'm all for it. Reminds me of watching Halladay pitch in Toronto, knowing full well he'd never sniff the playoffs there after years of incompetent management by the Jays.

Funny how he ended up in Philly too, though.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Fair enough.

Hey, if this is what it takes for the Angels to try and build a successful team around Trout so that he's not "wasting away" on a non-contender, I'm all for it. Reminds me of watching Halladay pitch in Toronto, knowing full well he'd never sniff the playoffs there after years of incompetent management by the Jays.

Funny how he ended up in Philly too, though.

The sad part is, the Angels have tried. They're one of the top-5 to 10 payrolls every year. Their issue is their owner had too much influence on decision making with an already suspect gm at the time (Dipoto). Now they're stuck with the rotting corpse of Pujols wasting a good 20% of their payroll to put up an ops+ of 80.

 

[rangerssharks414]

It's tampering in the sense that it could undermine what the Angels management is trying to do currently wrt extension talks. The Angels have made it no secret that they want to keep Trout, and he's under contract for the next 2 years.

Every player does this. The only real issue is that Harper went public NBA-style, and I don't think the sport wants players to openly build super teams like that league does.

It's a hell of a lot easier to build a super team in the NBA than any other sport.

 

[robert terwilliger]

i really feel for trout here because he's the innocent guy in all this. he's just minding his own business watching the weather channel and all of a sudden a bunch of people start paying attention to him and asking him when he's going to philly.

that's the part i don't like. i know it's bordering on hot take alert but i don't really like stuff like this. i know it goes on between players and all that but all it does is make the next two years less about how amazing mike trout is or what other moves the phillies made this offseason and turns it more into "when" trout goes there and has him answering the same questions he's not allowed to answer for the same period of time.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

i really feel for trout here because he's the innocent guy in all this. he's just minding his own business watching the weather channel and all of a sudden a bunch of people start paying attention to him and asking him when he's going to philly.

that's the part i don't like. i know it's bordering on hot take alert but i don't really like stuff like this. i know it goes on between players and all that but all it does is make the next two years less about how amazing mike trout is or what other moves the phillies made this offseason and turns it more into "when" trout goes there and has him answering the same questions he's not allowed to answer for the same period of time.

That's really the degradation of sports coverage to me. Too many tmz-style shows and columns that just speculate and don't actually cover what is going on in the sport.

 

[robert terwilliger]

same.

i usually like olney's podcast but it's basically half that anymore, down to which pitcher all-time you'd want facing aliens for the fate of the universe, space jam style, and he picks f***ing madison bumgarner. foh.

 

[BLONG7]

Any predictions on #34's stats this season?

30 HR
270 avg
110 RBI's

Higher, lower??

 

[Voight]

Lower. He's hit 100 RBI once, this past season & hit 30 or more HR only twice.
Lets not go crazy here.

 

[darko]

same.

i usually like olney's podcast but it's basically half that anymore, down to which pitcher all-time you'd want facing aliens for the fate of the universe, space jam style, and he picks ****ing madison bumgarner. foh.

Mariano Rivera.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Lower. He's hit 100 RBI once, this past season & hit 30 or more HR only twice.
Lets not go crazy here.

Well do the Phils play in a more hitter-friendly park?

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Surprised he wouldn't take a 2 or 3 year deal at 40 million per in LA like was reported

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

I realize it means nothing, but for the sake of conversation, Sports Illustrated did their top-100 current players yesterday. Harper was #20. They get it.

MLB Top 100: Ranking Trout, Harper and...Vlad Jr.?