summit21

The AAV is a bit less than I expected; I was guessing 10/$330-350M.
Trout will get +10 years, $35-40M per year added onto his two remaining years, imo. I could suspect something like a re-worked 12/$400M contract.

for the Phillies, yes. not for Harper.

just about anything is better than the pujols deal.
 

Yeah, I get it. Plus if this guy is right, there's a chance Harper's already peaked and won't get any better. It is a risk but not a risk. If he "only" signed for, say, 5/$200M, he'd be a free agent at 31 years old. At that point he could be a mega-star and command another $200M deal and make significantly more. Or he could be an aging slugger getting offers of 1/$15M or 2/$25M. 
The Phillies contract kind of makes sense for both. Harper gets his big contract and a ton of guaranteed money. The Phillies take a risk but could end up getting a bargain if Harper strings together half a decade of 2017-esque seasons.

For me, the bottom line is that the Phillies had a plan, they worked the plan, they made some bold moves in trades and FA, and it will likely return some dividends for them.  They even made good on the "silly money" claim.  They did exactly what i hoped we would do coming from almost the exact same position.  I respect that, i like the aggressiveness, i hope it works out well for them.

I think they're in trouble after 2020 unless they go berserk from a payroll standpoint.  

ace?  

Can you imagine signing over 13 years of your life to Philadelphia?  

I actually agree with this. Not to mention that Harper in Philly may take a bit of the heat off Trout, who likes a lower profile than he'd normally experience playing for one of the bigger East Coast teams.
But while I don't think Harper-to-Philly diminishes the chances that they'll go after Trout, I don't think it increases the chances that they'll actually get him. That is up to Trout.
I suspect we'll know whether Trout will remain an Angel for life within the next few weeks. If he doesn't sign an extension now, I don't think he ever will. I suppose they could have a great year and he could feel inspired in November, but I guess I just think it lowers the chances greatly.
In other words, right now I think he'll probably be an Angel for life. If he doesn't sign before Opening Day, that probably becomes a maybe. If he doesn't sign next offseason that maybe becomes a probably not.

I literally can't believe all the hoopla about this in regards to Trout remaining here. If anything the AAV of Harper's contract makes it much more likely he could wind up back in Philly. At just 25.38 million/year and front-loaded if reports are correct then all they have to do is backload Trout's contract. There could easily be years the both of them are taking up only 55-60 million. Backloading Trout retains value in the later years. Also, the Phillies current large contracts are set to expire in 21/22 i.e...Arrieta, Mccutchen, Nola,  and Robertson. I hope Trout stays, but the AAV of Harper's contract makes me leary now.

Scouts continue to rave about his awareness. A real student of the game. Prior to each road series, Bryce has been known to review field dimensions, and visualize potential ball tracking situations.......

now that Harper has set the market, Denard Span can finally get serious about signing a deal 

I would like to be the First to wish future Hall of Famer Mike Trout continued success in his career when he signs with the Phillies in 2 years to be re-united with his buddy Bryce Harper..... 

I literally can't believe all the hoopla about this in regards to Trout remaining here. If anything the AAV of Harper's contract makes it much more likely he could wind up back in Philly. At just 25.38 million/year and front-loaded if reports are correct then all they have to do is backload Trout's contract. There could easily be years the both of them are taking up only 55-60 million. Backloading Trout retains value in the later years. Also, the Phillies current large contracts are set to expire in 21/22 i.e...Arrieta, Mccutchen, Nola,  and Robertson. I hope Trout stays, but the AAV of Harper's contract makes me leary now.

It's funny how one play can define you when maybe it shouldn't... 
"Machado’s top speed, 26.3 feet per second, was the same in each of the past two seasons and up slightly from 2016 (26.1 second). Machado averaged 27.4 seconds in 2015, the first year Statcast cameras tracked player movement. His sprint speed split times, including his initial burst — his first 5 feet (0.55 seconds) — were also the same in each of the past two seasons." - Five Thirty Eight

Ground out by three steps instead of two?
Oh the horror.

Being pessimistic about a guy who has shown nothing in years before now doesn't make you a "failo", it makes you a realist. 
 
I'll be happier than anyone if Cowart has actually made some monumental breakthrough this season and becomes even a league average MLB third baseman.  But god forbid that some of us want to see an actual full season of improvement in the minors before having faith in this kid again.  If he proves us wrong, all the better.

Since the World Series games will all be on the west coast, I don't think it will be an issue.

For some reason, I thought of Dana Plato when I read this...

3 pages and no Barbaro video? WTF?

Admitting to something you know you will be caught doing is not the basis for any leniency. It all sounds noble and responsible except for the fact all it was is not denying breaking his contract with MLB to not relapse. Essentially a public relations move after the fact.
Hopefully the decision is based on the rules and guidelines rather than trying to make a feel good story out of this for Hamilton.

A player who averages like 2 hr a year while batting 260 getting over 100 mil is an albatross for sure.

If you gloat too much it loses the "l", and you become the "goat."