Within days of signing his record-setting 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies last month, Bryce Harper was openly talked about recruiting Mike Trout to the City of Brotherly Love after the Angels outfielder and New Jersey native’s contract expired after the 2020 season.
So much for that. The Angels are finalizing a 12-year contract extension for Trout worth “roughly” $430 million, which would surpass Harper’s deal as the largest in North American sports history by a cool $100 million. It was widely assumed that landing baseball’s biggest contract was one of Harper’s objectives in free agency; he held the record for less than three weeks before news broke of Trout’s pending extension.
Early in their respective careers with the Angels and Nationals, there was some debate about whether Trout or Harper was baseball’s better young superstar, but Trout, a seven-time all-star and two-time American League MVP, has put the debate to rest in recent years.
“If you don’t [consider Trout the best player in the game], then you’re not watching,” Harper said while mic’d up during last year’s All-Star Game. “This guy is day in and day out, year in and year out, one of the best in all of baseball.”
After Tuesday’s news broke, the Harper-Trout comparisons resurfaced, and jokes about how disappointed Harper must be to be upstaged by Trout once again oozed like Cheez Whiz.
Harper: I’m going to recruit Mike Trout to join me on the Phillies in a couple years.
— The D.C. Universe (@dcuniverse) March 19, 2019
Trout: pic.twitter.com/F0DmUR2C11
Bryce Harper hearing about the Trout contract: pic.twitter.com/ardZCTn6cq
— James O'Hara (@thisyeardc) March 19, 2019
Bryce Harper on hearing Mike Trout reportedly will sign a record-breaking 12-year contract worth more than $430 million pic.twitter.com/88UmCYtqGl
— Neil Greenberg (@ngreenberg) March 19, 2019
How long until this shirt is taken out of circulation? https://t.co/j7i0qkL9mi pic.twitter.com/xz19nM3uLk
— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) March 19, 2019
It's not every day you can get a serious collector's item at these prices. #WearTheMoment https://t.co/WgIJLotWCy pic.twitter.com/XY9cwXB7fb
— BreakingT (@breakingtco) March 19, 2019
When Bryce Harper gets that Mike Trout notification pic.twitter.com/haDdsxN2O5
— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) March 19, 2019
Bryce Harper: "Congratulations to me for signing the biggest contract in professional spo--"
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) March 19, 2019
Mike Trout: pic.twitter.com/4PvG4GyTrf
So Bryce was king for about twelve minutes 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Citizens of Natstown (@CitsofNatstown) March 19, 2019
Bryce Harper played himself.
— Mr. Irrelevant (@MrIrrelevantDC) March 19, 2019
Bryce Harper when asked if he saw how much Trout was getting pic.twitter.com/gu88EaSLeR
— Daniel (@7wwerocks) March 19, 2019
Bryce Harper: signs for $330M, promises to bring Mike Trout to Philly.
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 19, 2019
Mike Trout: signs for $430M, is not coming to Philly.
Bryce Harper: pic.twitter.com/PxWrG5MMlI
Harper is beside himself. Driving around in downtown Anaheim begging (thru texts) Trout’s family for address to Mike’s home
— Nick Stellini (@StelliniTweets) March 19, 2019
Bryce Harper: Come to Philly man!
— Brook Smith (@brookme3) March 19, 2019
Mike Trout: pic.twitter.com/0bp51ywY3W
Lol. Bryce already hating his deal.
— Eric Bickel (@EBJunkies) March 19, 2019
How hated must Bryce Harper be if he attempted to recruit Trout and two weeks later he became an Angel for life
— Chickelon Musk Puppet (@chicken__puppet) March 19, 2019
Mike Trout was like “Oh wow Bryce Harper set a record for biggest total contact in sports? Let me just leap past that and set the real record.” pic.twitter.com/j79wDA25xr
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) March 19, 2019
Meanwhile, Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal “fainted” upon reading the news of Trout’s pending payday and suggested he’ll raise his kid to be a baseball player.
“Son, grab that bat!” Beal tweeted.
*faints* https://t.co/MkssqC4SCA
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) March 19, 2019
Son, grab that bat! Lol https://t.co/TUmZYAD5l4
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) March 19, 2019
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