Harper hopes Betts makes more money than he did in free agency

In February, Bryce Harper signed a $330-million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, which was the richest contract in baseball history until Mike Trout's record extension (12 years, $430 million) with the Los Angeles Angels a month later.

Like Trout, Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts could wind up surpassing Harper's deal when he's eligible for free agency in 2021 - something the Phillies slugger would like to see happen.

"Mookie's an incredible player," Harper told John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston. "If he has an opportunity to make more money than I do, then I hope he does."

The Red Sox have already offered Betts a contract extension - reportedly valued at $200 million over eight years - but it was declined. Harper was in a similar situation when he turned down an offer from his former team, the Washington Nationals, before hitting the open market.

"For myself and other players, you earn that opportunity to go there," Harper said of free agency. "You're locked in for a long period of time with one team once you get drafted, and then you have an opportunity to go and listen to other teams and see what they have to offer. It's a fun time, it's a good time to feel wanted, and Mookie is going to be wanted by a lot of teams and I think Boston is going to be one of them."

Betts, the 2018 American League MVP, has been one of baseball's most electric players since debuting in 2014. In six big-league seasons, he owns a .300/.373/.516 slash line with 131 home runs, 455 RBIs, and 122 steals while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.