L.A. times article about possible Trout extension

[beatlesrule]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/mlb/la-sp-mlb-shaikin-20180609-story.html

Trout can be a free agent after the 2020 season. Would he consider signing before then if the Angels do not make the playoffs, this year or next?

“I don’t know the answer,” Trout said. “I want to get to the playoffs. That’s my mindset. I can’t predict the future. So I just take it one game at a time now and see what happens.”

Trout made his debut in 2011. Since then, he has won more most valuable player awards (two) than postseason games (zero). In his six full seasons, he has played in three postseason games, fewer than Kyle Farmer, the Dodgers’ third-string catcher, played in one week last October.

Just a little snippet.

[GrittyVeterans]

I have to imagine he won't return if they miss the playoffs next year. Next year and 2020 are the years to go for it if you are Eppler. 

[Ohtaniland]

“I don’t know the answer to that” means he’s leaving his options open. 

[Lou]

if he's looking for a guaranteed playoff spot, how many teams will he consider? 

if he goes to Boston, NYY, Houston or the dodgers, he can go to hell. 

[Ohtaniland]

8 minutes ago, Lou said:

if he's looking for a guaranteed playoff spot, how many teams will he consider? 

if he goes to Boston, NYY, Houston or the dodgers, he can go to hell. 

I think he’s looking for consistency. He’s looking to play for a team like our 2002-2009 Angels. Having a chance to get to a second wild card game every now and then isn’t going to keep him here. I think he’s looking for the best opportunity to play a lot of October baseball. 

[Tank]

i think you sign an extension now if you feel like this team is on the verge of being a yearly challenger, not just a "i sure hope we can make the playoffs this year!" kind of team.

if he doesn't sign one now, it doesn't mean anything good or bad - just keeping his options open for now.

[Lou]

6 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

I think he’s looking for consistency. He’s looking to play for a team like our 2002-2009 Angels. Having a chance to get to a second wild card game every now and then isn’t going to keep him here. I think he’s looking for the best opportunity to play a lot of October baseball. 

how many teams have consistently made the playoffs the last 8 years? 

[Ohtaniland]

1 minute ago, Tank said:

i think you sign an extension now if you feel like this team is on the verge of being a yearly challenger, not just a "i sure hope we can make the playoffs this year!" kind of team.

if he doesn't sign one now, it doesn't mean anything good or bad - just keeping his options open for now.

He may not be open to that right now. Maybe he wants to put himself in a position that no player in MLB history has ever been in. Imagine being to best baseball player in the world in your prime years having the opportunity to be on the open market. It’s a rare opportunity that he won’t pass up IMHO. 

[Ohtaniland]

19 minutes ago, Lou said:

how many teams have consistently made the playoffs the last 8 years? 

Well I don’t think he really cares about the past 8 years. I think he and his people will evaluate which team is best prepared for winning in the future. He’ll be looking at the current talent level, age, farm systems, budgets, management and marketing. Oh and that team must be willing to pay him with the biggest contract in MLB history. 

[Stradling]

So he will stay, good to hear.  

[TroutField]

We have spoken for years how the Angels need to poise themselves to be competitive and on the rise from 2018-2020 to show Trout he should stay. 

 

If this franchise is still spinning its wheels with mediocre talent around him why would he want to stay? I would be devastated but I would understand. 

[Angelsjunky]

Eppler has already improved the organization by leaps and bounds and the trajectory looks good. I’d rather see the Eppler Era see a continued trend of improvement than a spike and then fall. If Trout sees this, he’ll more likely re-sign: 2017 < 2018 < 2019 < 2020.

That said, Arte will have to show him the money. And the worrying factor: Trout’s (and more so, his wife’s) roots on the east coast. 

We’re probably going to see an epic bidding war and an eventual contract topping half a billion dollars.

[Second Base]

The Angels have put themselves in a good position with Trout.

He's had mentors like Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols to help guide his formative years in the league, he plays for a large market team but small enough to keep him out of the spotlight, they've spent money in free agency but have money to spend right now, Trout is the highest paid major leaguer right now as part of the Angels, they've surrounded him with talent like Ohtani and Simmons, and they have a crop of extremely talented prospects coming up like Thaiss, Suarez, Canning, Adell, Marsh, Jones, that will keep this team competitive for years to come.  He's the face of the franchise and Arte will spend whatever it takes to keep the best player maybe ever in Angel red. 

There's literally only one thing that would cause Mike Trout to sign with another team, he wants to play back on the east coast.  

I think Trout stays in an Angels jersey. 

[Stradling]

6 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

The Angels have put themselves in a good position with Trout.

He's had mentors like Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols to help guide his formative years in the league, he plays for a large market team but small enough to keep him out of the spotlight, they've spent money in free agency but have money to spend right now, Trout is the highest paid major leaguer right now as part of the Angels, they've surrounded him with talent like Ohtani and Simmons, and they have a crop of extremely talented prospects coming up like Thaiss, Suarez, Canning, Adell, Marsh, Jones, that will keep this team competitive for years to come.  He's the face of the franchise and Arte will spend whatever it takes to keep the best player maybe ever in Angel red. 

There's literally only one thing that would cause Mike Trout to sign with another team, he wants to play back on the east coast.  

I think Trout stays in an Angels jersey. 

I have no idea if he will stay but I completely agree Eppler has put them in a good position to retain him.   I’d add Upton to that Ohtani and Simmons group, along with pretty good starting pitching that’s relatively young in Skaggs, Heaney and Barria.  

[Dick Enberg]

Let's not forget the Phillies. Couple of years from now they should be primed to be a play off contender for years.

[Ohtaniland]

3 minutes ago, Dick Enberg said:

Let's not forget the Phillies. Couple of years from now they should be primed to be a play off contender for years.

I think that’s a possibility. Trout is going to put himself in the best position possible to win and get compensated. Life is good for Mike Trout. 

[Angelsjunky]

The only way the Angels trade Trout is if the organization collapses and the team sucks tdawg’s balls in 2020. You don’t trade a franchise player unless your franchise is in shambles, and that is unlikely to be the case in two years. 

 

[Ohtaniland]

3 minutes ago, artesmustache said:

next year is the year to go all out. things set up nicely with the rotation and payroll. if you give it an honest shot and trout doesnt want to extend in the winter of 2019 (since market will be set already with harper and machado) then you entertain trade offers. guys of his stature that test the market rarely resign. yanks and phillies will back up truck for him.

They won’t trade him unless he requests a trade. They’re going to do whatever it takes to keep him. 

[tdawg87]

This thread is going to be Claude's bitch for the next 4 months.

[Stradling]

Yep

[Ohtaniland]

Just now, tdawg87 said:

This thread is going to be Claude's bitch for the next 4 months.

And we won’t know anything more about this topic in 4 months than we do now. 

[tdawg87]

2 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

And we won’t know anything more about this topic in 4 months than we do now. 

Exactly.

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

The only way the Angels trade Trout is if the organization collapses and the team sucks tdawg’s balls in 2020. You don’t trade a franchise player unless your franchise is in shambles, and that is unlikely to be the case in two years. 

 

You trade him if you cant get him to sign an extension! The dumbest thing the Angel's can do is let him go into free agency as an Angel.  If Trout is insistent on testing free agency that trade him a year and half to go and get the most for him!

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, artesmustache said:

If he gets to free agency, he's gone. If he doesn't want to extend in 2019 it's a clear sign he doesn't want to stay. Just don't get caught holding your dongs in your hand in 2020 if youre the Angels. 

Agreed

[Taylor]

1 hour ago, OHTANILAND said:

And we won’t know anything more about this topic in 4 months than we do now. 

You seem to know quite a bit already.