Phillies set up to hook Mike Trout after signing Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper reportedly signed with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. As big of a deal as that is for Philadelphia and its fans, it could mean even more down the line. Come Opening Day 2021, it’s entirely possible that the Phillies could field an outfield with both Harper and Mike Trout.

Long before Harper signed with Philadelphia, we heard that the Phillies would make a play for Trout — the Jersey boy who still feverishly supports Philadelphia’s other teams — when he becomes a free agent after 2020. With Harper now aboard, it still feels plausible.

Harper’s deal was good for the Phillies: Normally, signing a player of Harper’s caliber would be too costly to even think about adding another star, let alone someone like Trout. But this deal was different.

That helps. But on its own, saving an extra $5-$10 million a year on Harper isn’t going to get Philadelphia close to Trout. That’s a given.

The Phillies have more money to clear: With very little imagination, Philadelphia can actually clear more money than it’s adding with Harper.

So, the money shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

That said, there is another potential holdup that needs to be figured out.

The Phillies have a crowded outfield: Harper, Andrew McCutchen, and Odubel Herrera are all under contract in 2021.

In the end, the only thing that can really keep the Phillies for going all-in for Trout is if he signs an extension with the Los Angeles Angels before then. At one point, the Halos were reportedly set to offer Trout a “lifetime deal.”

A mega-extension could happen. But the fact is that Trout is the best player in the game and has been for the better part of a decade. Despite his sustained brilliance on the field, Trout will be only 29 when he hits free agency. Players like that generally don’t deprive themselves of a chance to test the open market.

The Phillies will not be the only team in on Trout. That’s a given. But for most of the offseason, it was fair to wonder if signing Harper might prevent that from happening. That doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact, if anything, Harper signing in Philadelphia only makes Trout coming feel more realistic.

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