Phillies: Mike Trout/Bryce Harper duo in the future?

What are the chances the Phillies can get the two best players in baseball?

It’s the wildest of wild dreams for a Philadelphia fan to have, but could the Phillies really pull off one of the greatest moves in baseball history by acquiring the two best players in the game?

Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are without a doubt the best and most electrifying outfielders in baseball, and both are on track for Cooperstown before their 27th birthdays. Combined the two outfielders have three MVPs, two Rookie of the Years, 11 All-Star selections, six Silver Sluggers, two All-Star MVPs, 350 home runs, 990 RBIs, and a combined batting average of .313 in 13 seasons.

Imagine them being on the same field wearing the same uniform.

Harper, a free agent after this season, has already said he won’t talk about his contract and will focus on this season in Washington. Turning 26 in October Harper is likely headed towards free agency and the largest contract ever signed by a baseball player.

Philadelphia has been heavily connected to Harper for years with the Nationals having a lack of success despite his greatness. During the Harper era the Nationals have made the playoffs four times and never advanced past the Division Series.

While playoff runs haven’t been as common for the Phillies since their stretch of dominance, their future is looking brighter than the Nationals. With a television deal flushing cash into the organization and an astronomically low payroll the Phillies can afford to give Harper a deal worth $400 million potentially over a decades worth of seasons. /

Trout, a lifelong Philadelphia fan, will have to wait before he hits free agency after signing a six-year $144.5 million deal with the Angels that keeps him under their control until after the 2020 season. It’s no secret Trout loves the City of Brotherly Love and like the Nationals, Los Angeles has experienced very little success in the Trout era.

In seven seasons with Trout on the club Los Angeles has made the playoffs once and didn’t advance past the Division Series.

If the Phillies give Harper $400 million it’s likely Trout, given his upward projections, could merit a deal worth $500 million.

Few teams can afford to make such offers, and luckily Philadelphia is one of those teams that can boldly go into the open market and pull off these deals.

Young players and the atmosphere in the city can and will drive players back to the Phillies. It brought us Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Jim Thome, Carlos Santana, and Pat Neshek in recent years, and there’s no reason it couldn’t help sway Harper and Trout here as well.