Buzz Bulletin: The Angels Aren't Happy With Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper isn’t making any friends within the Los Angeles Angels organization this week.

Harper (whose signing with the Philadelphia Phillies was rudely announced just as I was putting the finishing touches on this article about the major contenders in the Harper sweepstakes) is displeasing some folks in the Angels administration by making it fully known that he intends to pursue Trout in the hopes of luring him to Philly. Trout is set to be the belle of the free agent market following next season, and Harper is already courting the two-time American League MVP on his new team’s behalf.

Bryce Harper: “If you don’t think I’m gonna call Mike Trout to come to Philly in 2020, you’re crazy.” 👏👏👏
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) March 5, 2019

The Angels are rightfully pissed about this, and they’ve contacted the MLB to complain. Harper will likely get a tampering fine for mentioning Trout by name, but it doesn’t look like he’s feeling too bad about the potential violation.

Bryce Harper on his Mike Trout comments: “If I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t have said it.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/Tu8cv1ShBG
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) March 6, 2019

Even though it’s still two years out, I’m going to officially go on record with the prediction that Trout will indeed end up in a Phillies uniform when all is said and done and probably would even without Harper’s input.

Trout hails from southern New Jersey and is a lifelong Philadelphia sports super fan. If the offer is right (and given Philly’s sizable media market, it should be), there should be nothing stopping Trout from headed home to the east coast when his contract with the Angels has run its course.

Forbidden Love

NYC mayor Bill deBlasio raised some eyebrows this weekend by tweeting from Red Sox spring training, where he took in a game in the sunshine with his wife Chirlane.

Nothing like spending some time with my two great loves: @Chirlane and the @RedSox. Weren’t even favorites to win the division, and now they’re the reigning World Champions! pic.twitter.com/PVgxSZ20Ct
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) March 2, 2019

As you might expect, his constituents Are. Not. Having. It.

pic.twitter.com/UcU4kFdHw9
— Vincent Rivas-Flores (@vincentrivasfl) March 2, 2019

It will never not be the definition of lame that the literal mayor of New York is a Red Sox fan
— carlo (@carlotktk) March 2, 2019

Bill’s other loves:
NFL Team: @dallascowboys
NBA Team: @pacers
NHL Team: TBD
Pizza: @PapaJohns
Chinese food: @PandaExpress
Sinatra song: Chicago, Chicago
— Tim Andrews 🎤 (@TimAndrewsHere) March 2, 2019

DeBlasio lived in Cambridge as a kid and is a longtime Sox fan, but that’s not gonna get him off the hook.