Its Time....

[eligrba]

for the Angels to address the Mike Trout issue.  The Angels should begin to actively determine whether Trout is interested in signing an extension or not.  Signing him now makes him an Angel for life, regardless of his future performance, which at this point should have little consideration.  Whatever money the Angels offer, will probably never be what the open market would command, but it would make a clear statement about the direction of the teams' future.

I am having a tough time trying to understand how the Angels would not be interested in actively pursuing this because Mike Trout determines the Angel's future, whether he plays for the Angels his entire career or not.

I will not be surprised if the Angels fuck this up, after all it is a team that is currently spending nearly 50 million dollars this year for two players who bring nothing to help the team's current performance.

Fire away!!!

[Reveille1984]

He's under contract for basically four more years (including 2017).  I think we have some time...

[Angelsjunky]

I hate to say this, but why would Trout be interested in signing away his career to the Angels at 25 years old, especially considering how crappy the team is? If I'm Trout I'm not signing as an Angel long-term until I see signs that the franchise will thrive.

There's also the problem of location. I really wouldn't be surprised if Trout is just waiting for his chance to sign a mega-contract with the Phillies or Yankees.

[TroutCron]

4 minutes ago, eligrba said:

for the Angels to address the Mike Trout issue.  The Angels should begin to actively determine whether Trout is interested in signing an extension or not.  Signing him now makes him an Angel for life, regardless of his future performance, which at this point should have little consideration.  Whatever money the Angels offer, will probably never be what the open market would command, but it would make a clear statement about the direction of the teams' future.

I am having a tough time trying to understand how the Angels would not be interested in actively pursuing this because Mike Trout determines the Angel's future, whether he plays for the Angels his entire career or not.

I will not be surprised if the Angels fuck this up, after all it is a team that is currently spending nearly 50 million dollars this year for two players who bring nothing to help the team's current performance.

Fire away!!!

This will be difficult given that we don't know what Boros will want for Harper and Machado. I have to figure that it will take upwards of 440 million to sign Harper which will directly affect Trout's asking price. At the least I would expect 10/400mil. I don't see Arte doing that even though it would probably be a bargain. 

[eligrba]

12 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I hate to say this, but why would Trout be interested in signing away his career to the Angels at 25 years old, especially considering how crappy the team is? If I'm Trout I'm not signing as an Angel long-term until I see signs that the franchise will thrive.

There's also the problem of location. I really wouldn't be surprised if Trout is just waiting for his chance to sign a mega-contract with the Phillies or Yankees.

If that is the case, than the Angels should trade him, but I think it is to the team's advantage to know one way or the other.  Considering how business savvy Arte is, I would be surprised if he is simply going to wait and see what happens hoping for the best.  That does not seem like a solid approach to such a valuable and uncertain commodity.  Who knows what motivates someone like Trout.  He might see the opportunity to become the face of an organization for eternity rather than for a contract.  He will get a mega-contract regardless of where he signs.  Trout can help the Angels future by either committing to the team or deciding to keep his options open.  Either way, the Angels "Trout Window" is not in winning a championship but in determining the path to their future.

[eligrba]

19 minutes ago, TroutCron said:

This will be difficult given that we don't know what Boros will want for Harper and Machado. I have to figure that it will take upwards of 440 million to sign Harper which will directly affect Trout's asking price. At the least I would expect 10/400mil. I don't see Arte doing that even though it would probably be a bargain. 

That would be frustrating because Arte has essentially thrown away millions to players who could never give the Angels what Trout has in his short tenure.

[Docwaukee]

something to consider is that his buddy Albert chased the dough.  I wonder if he regrets that a bit.  Expectations for Albert would have been much different had he stayed in STL.  Perhaps Albert can offer Trout some advice in that regard. 

Because if we backed up the truck for Trout and he declined in a reasonable way while spending his entire HOF career here, I would be much more willing to accept that as a fan than I am to watch Albert decline after he gave his best years to another team.  

[Angelsjunky]

Think Barry Bonds. He came up with the Pirates, left as soon as he could. Or Ken Griffey - left the Mariners, went home to Cincinnati. Or Alex Rodriguez: he took the money and ran.

Now Mike Trout isn't any of these players, but the one commonality is that they all started with a non-premier franchise and went to (what they perceived to be) fresher pastures: a bigger, more storied franchise and/or more money.

I don't think Trout is first and foremost motivated by money. He probably doesn't see a lot of difference between making $35 and $40 million a year, nor should he. But I do think he's motivated by family, love of playing and winning. He is going to make the choice based upon those factors.

The best way for the Angels to keep Trout is to improve the team, to get them back to contention within the Trout window. I've argued again and again that this isn't about winning now, but improving year by year so that by the time the window starts closing (say, 2019), the team is clearly going up and starting to contend, with a healthy farm system.

If the Angels are contenders in 2019-20, with strong prospects for 2021 and beyond (thriving farm, strong young core of major leaguers) then I think Trout will be interested in staying long-term, or at least more than he'll be if they're still floundering. In other words, the team has to be good enough that his interest in winning and perhaps sense of loyalty out-weigh any desire to play for a local team.

But again, if Trout wants to be a Phillie or Yankee, then there isn't a lot the Angels can do about that. We'll just have to enjoy him for the next >4 years, and hope he'll be honest with the Angels that he wants to leave so they can get a good package of prospects for him,  before he departs.

[Troll Daddy]

I having a tougher time figuring out why Trout would resign with the Angels. The best reason I can come up with is location. 

 

[ABC]

Word is that Trout wanted 13 years but Arte said, no.

[Docwaukee]

If Trout knows his history, he'll also see that neither Bonds nor Griffey won a championship and Arod didn't with the original team he signed.  So I agree with AJ in that the best chance to keep him is to have this franchise turned around by 2019 as I think the lure of winning will be the biggest factor in where Trout ends up.  

[Ohtaniland]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

I hate to say this, but why would Trout be interested in signing away his career to the Angels at 25 years old, especially considering how crappy the team is? If I'm Trout I'm not signing as an Angel long-term until I see signs that the franchise will thrive.

There's also the problem of location. I really wouldn't be surprised if Trout is just waiting for his chance to sign a mega-contract with the Phillies or Yankees.

This^^^^

I don't think Trout has any incentive to re-negotiate with the Angels ever again under his current deal. If the Angels want to make him a lifetime deal they will have to outbid other teams in the open market. Trout has total control over the situation because he has full no-trade clause that requires his permission to be dealt. So Trout has the ability to pick and choose his destination if he authorizes a deal regardless of the talent level that's offered in return. The Angels can actually end up with just a first round pick.

Trout's agent said that they were comfortable with the years because it leaves his options open.

[Ohtaniland]

47 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

 

But again, if Trout wants to be a Phillie or Yankee, then there isn't a lot the Angels can do about that. We'll just have to enjoy him for the next >4 years, and hope he'll be honest with the Angels that he wants to leave so they can get a good package of prospects for him,  before he departs.

If we wait we won't get anything for him. The Angels don't have the authority to trade him. That's why they need to do something with him sooner than later. 

[Homebrewer]

The question seems to be what is the goal of the organization. Is it having the best player in baseball, or is it winning a world series. As fans we'd like to believe it's both...but the commitment shown so far, to build a winning team just doesn't back that up. Arte's reluctance to go after top tier players has faded considerably. It's understandable sure, after being burned, but the fact and the reality remains. Scouring the waiver wires and bringing in the Maybins and Reveres of the baseball world isn't going to bring a winner to the OC...

So it appears that having the best player in baseball is going to be the goal, and the draw for this organization for a couple more years at least..and then I expect a regime change will happen. With luck it will happen before I expect it, because when that happens the fortunes of this team will begin to change..and not before. 

The fun appears to have gone out of it for Arte at this point, and he seems OK with just having a team, instead of building a great team. I'm afraid we are looking at what this team is going to be until there is renewed energy and commitment (yeah, money) coming from the ownership.

[gurn67]

Trout seems like a very loyal guy by the way he leads his life outside of baseball. There are two constants in this organization since the glory days to the complete wreck it has become. The owner and the manager. How many years have we waited for Arte to hire a GM who has proven he has the ability to build a championship contending ballclub? Instead he's hired three rookies on the cheap who knew they did not have the authority to replace our 50 million dollar manager. Cubs paid 18.5 million to bring in Epstein. Arte paid around 400 million to bring in Pujols & Hamilton. Some owners spend money wisely, some don't.

[bloodbrother]

Trout wants to win and so far in his 5+ years of playing here he's seen very little of that. He already signed an extension. Don't see why he'd want to agree to another one when he still has 4 years left on his current deal. Clock is ticking for this org to put a quality roster around him and to start winning or else he'll be chasing a championship elsewhere.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

4 hours ago, TroutCron said:

This will be difficult given that we don't know what Boros will want for Harper and Machado. I have to figure that it will take upwards of 440 million to sign Harper which will directly affect Trout's asking price. At the least I would expect 10/400mil. I don't see Arte doing that even though it would probably be a bargain. 

I don't see Trout doing anything contract-wise until he sees what the market is for those two - that, and the direction that the Angels go from here forward. If two years from now we are still trying to cobble together a roster and a farm system from other teams' castoffs, that might be a sign that it is time to move along if he wants a ring - which I assume that he does.

[Dtwncbad]

This would be a terrible time to try to sell him on being an Angel for life.

[Ohtaniland]

1 hour ago, bloodbrother said:

Trout wants to win and so far in his 5+ years of playing here he's seen very little of that. He already signed an extension. Don't see why he'd want to agree to another one when he still has 4 years left on his current deal. Clock is ticking for this org to put a quality roster around him and to start winning or else he'll be chasing a championship elsewhere.

If Trout is ever troubled with having to make such a huge decision about where he wants to play in his future.......

losing will cure that.

[Skankhunt42]

When I read the title of the post, I thought it was going to be about

[stormngt]

8 hours ago, Reveille1984 said:

He's under contract for basically four more years (including 2017).  I think we have some time...

The closer he gets to free agency....the more likely he leaves for free agency.  Lock him up while there is an economic advantage to do so.

[Ohtaniland]

9 hours ago, stormngt said:

The closer he gets to free agency....the more likely he leaves for free agency.  Lock him up while there is an economic advantage to do so.

Well the Angels have no say in the matter. They can't force him to sign another extension and they can't trade him without his permission. Trout is the most powerful person in the organization. Only Trout can wave his no-trade clause and still maintain the authority to name the teams that the Angels could trade him to. It's a nice position to be in.

 

[Blarg]

It's time for people to stop obsessing about what Trout will decide to do with his career. 

[Ohtaniland]

8 hours ago, Blarg said:

It's time for people to stop obsessing about Trout.

I'm glad you pointed that out.

[stormngt]

8 hours ago, CALZONE said:

Well the Angels have no say in the matter. They can't force him to sign another extension and they can't trade him without his permission. Trout is the most powerful person in the organization. Only Trout can wave his no-trade clause and still maintain the authority to name the teams that the Angels could trade him to. It's a nice position to be in.

 

Of course they can't force them to sign.  You.missed the point.  Since Trout is under contract for the next four years the Agels have an advantage in negotiating with him.  The closer he gets to free agency the less advantage the Angels have.  That's why I say start the ball rolling now.