When Bryce Harper’s New Contract is Up in 13 Yrs, Bobby Bonilla Will Have 4 Years Left on His Mets Deal

Yesterday Bryce Harper signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for a record 13 years and $330 Million. If you choose to believe any of the media speculation that led to this he did NOT get the team, years or money he wanted. This is not the most interesting thing about this story.

To me, comparing this contract to a very old one is way more fascinating. In 2000 the New York Mets owed Bobby Bonilla $5.9 Million. Instead of paying him they negotiated one of the worst deals in baseball history, unless you are Bobby Bonilla.

The Mets, Bobby Bonilla and his agent Dennis Gilbert worked out a deal no baseball fan could forget. Bobby would differ any payments from the Mets for a decade and in return they would pay him $29.8 Million. The payments started in 2011 and won't end until 2035. The payments are due every July 1st to the tune of $1,193,248.20 Million. Mets fans call it "Bobby Bonilla Day."

If you had trouble with the headline let me say it again. Read it super slow so it can sink in. Bryce's Harper's brand new contract ends in 2031 and Bobby Bonilla will get checks from the Mets four years after it's over.

Sure we are talking about roughly $30 million for the entire Bonilla deal versus the $25 Million per year for Harper. That's just a case of era, the money always goes up in baseball. It's just an excellent time and contract to use to make a very long winded point. The Mets have always been a dumpster fire and will continue to be one.

It should be noted that Bobby was pretty much considered a bust as a Met. In five years over two stints with the Mets he did this:

• 515 Games played
• 95 HR's
• 295 RBI's
• .270 Batting Average
• OBP .356

In Pittsburgh he did this:

• 843 Games played
• 114 HR's
• 500 RBI's
• .284 Batting Average
• OBP .357

This is a "chemical burn" blog aimed at Mets fans. You got reminded that the best available talent on the free agent market went to a rival, in your division. Top that off with I did all this research and wrote ALL these words to tell you your team sucks eggs.

What a Met fan might say in rebuttal:

The contract really was not that bad financially, they basically took a loan from Bonilla at around 8%.

What anyone whose not a Met fan says to your rebuttal:

HAHAHAHAA. Bad optics. On top of being bad at baseball you still have to talk about paying a BUST a million a year, every year until 2035.