Los Angeles Dodgers: The positives of not signing Bryce Harper

1. The door is now wide open to sign Mike Trout

Mike Trout is set to hit free agency not next offseason but the following offseason and will undoubtedly shatter the sports contract record that Harper just established. Trout deserves and likely will get the $400 million that people expected Harper to get. Honestly, I would pay Mike Trout $500 million for 15 years of his service even if it burns me in 10 years.

Trout is a sensational player and when his career is finished will likely finish in the top-five in all-time WAR and could even finish first all-time. He is this generation’s Mickey Mantle and is the textbook definition of a five-tool player.

While there is still some time until he hits the open market, the Dodgers should already be considered to be in the running for Trout, even after signing A.J. Pollock this offseason.

The team is going to have a lot of money off the books and is going to be living comfortably under the luxury tax threshold by the time Trout is a free agent. Not only that but the team will still have its young core in tact, meaning that Trout will finally get a chance to play for a contender.

Trout does not care about marketing himself, at least so it seems, so the bright lights of LA are not really something that might intrigue him. However, signing with the Dodgers allows him to stay in Southern California, where he has spent his entire career.

I am not confident that the Dodgers will make a hard push for Trout just because of the team’s history of not wanting to sign long-term deals. However, if any player is worth a massive deal it is Mike Trout.