Bryce Harper agreed to a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. As expensive as that deal is for Philadelphia, it is structured to help the team pursue other free agents in the years to come, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reported on Friday.
According to Verducci, Harper's average annual value of $26 million leaves room for the Phillies to bid on Mike Trout if Trout becomes a free agent after the 2020 season. A Phillies source said before the offseason began that the club had enough money to sign both Manny Machado and Harper, but wanted just one of them in order to keep money in reserve for Trout.