Maximizing the Chances of Trout Being an Angel for Life

[Angelsjunky]

It is all on our mind, especially as the team struggles: how to keep Trout beyond the 2020 season and make him a lifetime Angel? I don't claim to know what is in Trout's head, but here are some thoughts on what to do and what not to do:

• Show him respect - They're already doing this, so just keep doing it. Make it clear to him that this is his team, and that he is the Greatest Angel Ever. I'd even add some kind of line like, "Other teams, especially on the east coast, have a long history of great players, but we don't. You can be the face of this team's history in a unique way - you are the Great Angel." 
• Show him the money - After Harper and Machado get their mega-contracts this offseason, show Trout the money. I think you start by offering something like 30% more than the highest of the two. Let's say that' 10/$350MM. Offer Trout 10/$450MM or 12/$500MM. Hard to turn down half a billion dollars.
• Don't tank the season - Make some moves to improve the team, namely a reliever or three, but...
• Don't rob the future to pay the present - Hold onto the best prospects, and only trade from surplus.
• Keep Building the Farm - continue what the Angels are doing, which improves the long-term prospects of the team.
• Treat Pujols with Respect...to a point - As much as I hate to say it, putting Albert out to pasture sends a bad message to Trout, like putting grandma in a crappy nursing home. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Pujols is being given such a long leash because of his relationship with Trout. That said, the Angels also need to field the best team they can, so it doesn't have to be either/or: either Pujols plays every day or is released. A phase out approach is probably the best way to go, especially once Thaiss really starts forcing the issue (which is already starting to happen. Similarly...
• Don't abandon Garrett Richards - I know, we're all sick of his inability to stay healthy and CJish ways on the bound. But I think at this point he could be had for a pretty big homefield discount, whether that means a Qualifying Offer or an affordable three year deal. He's Trout's best friend, so there's a similar situation as with Pujols.

If Trout, or his wife, ultimately wants to live full-time on the east coast, there's nothing the Angels can do about it. And, in the end, the Yankees can always outbid. But the above will, I think, maximize the team's chances of keeping him an Angel for life.

 

[tdawg87]

10 years/800 million should do it.

[Slegnaac]

15 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

10 years/800 million should do it.

And use of the yacht during the off season.

[Angel Oracle]

800 years/$10 million

[Ohtaniland]

20 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

10 years/800 million should do it.

And polish his knob twice a day. 

[the dude abides]

8 minutes ago, Slegnaac said:

And use of the yacht during the off season.

Company car wouldn't hurt either.  A new Ford Focus that he can trade in every year.

[Ohtaniland]

He likes SoCal. What if the Padres offered some ridiculous contract that no other team wanted to match. SD is a pretty nice place to live. 

[Dtwncbad]

Does nobody have the guts to even entertain the possibility of Mike Trout being terrible at 36 with 4 or 5 more years left on a massive contract?

Sure curse me if you want but isn't that a consideration?

There are no Cardinal fans upset anymore that Pujols was not a Cardinal for life.

So just saying let's not exclusively subscribe to the singular idea that the world will end for Angel fans if he leaves.

Maybe.  Maybe not.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

5 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

He likes SoCal. What if the Padres offered some ridiculous contract that no other team wanted to match. SD is a pretty nice place to live. 

And he could be in TJ in half an hour...

[Lou]

5 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

What if the Padres offered some ridiculous contract that no other team wanted to match

 

[UndertheHalo]

16 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

Does nobody have the guts to even entertain the possibility of Mike Trout being terrible at 36 with 4 or 5 more years left on a massive contract?

Sure curse me if you want but isn't that a consideration?

There are no Cardinal fans upset anymore that Pujols was not a Cardinal for life.

So just saying let's not exclusively subscribe to the singular idea that the world will end for Angel fans if he leaves.

Maybe.  Maybe not.

The bottom line is.  The Angels have to establish whether the guy wants to be Angel or not.  Probably this offseason.  If not soon after. If he’s not willing to seriously entertain an offer then we have to realistically consider trading him.  I’m fine giving him 10 years.  If he tails off in the last couple of years.  So be it.  But this has to be settled before his walk season and the closer we get to that the more trouble the Angels are going to be in. 

This is a two way street.  Trout has to accept that maybe it’s not going to happen this year or next.  He has to believe in what the Angels are doing.  Equally, the Angels owe it to Mike Trout to get as good as possible as quickly as possible without wrecking the teams year over year outlook.  Frankly they owe it to the fans as well.  Relative to other teams that have been shit for 10 years.  The Angels have gotten loyalty from the fans.  Reward it. 

We just have to hope that he’s on board and we have to hope the Angels are willing to put their money where their mouths are.  They say they want to win.  We have a great core in their primes.  With Trout,  Simmons, Upton and Ohtani, Skaggs, and Heaney.  This is a group you can build a championship around.  We have realistically 3 years max with the guys not named Trout or Ohtani. Now is the time.  The past mistakes are costly.  Deal with it. 

Edited June 19, 2018 by UndertheHalo

[Angelsjunky]

1 hour ago, Dtwncbad said:

Does nobody have the guts to even entertain the possibility of Mike Trout being terrible at 36 with 4 or 5 more years left on a massive contract?

Sure curse me if you want but isn't that a consideration?

There are no Cardinal fans upset anymore that Pujols was not a Cardinal for life.

So just saying let's not exclusively subscribe to the singular idea that the world will end for Angel fans if he leaves.

Maybe.  Maybe not.

The thing is, if Trout is "terrible" at 36 (and that's a stretch; a reasonable worst-case scenario is that he's an average LFer by then), he's earned being overpaid for a few years for the club he gave so much too. IThe Angels are playing Pujols for his service to the Cardinals. That's horrible. But if the Angels end up over-paying Trout for a few years--and it is probable that they will--it isn't so bad, because he already gave them his best.

[floplag]

money or anything else wont matter if we dont win.  thats been made clear. 

[Ohtaniland]

6 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

The thing is, if Trout is "terrible" at 36 (and that's a stretch; a reasonable worst-case scenario is that he's an average LFer by then), he's earned being overpaid for a few years for the club he gave so much too. IThe Angels are playing Pujols for his service to the Cardinals. That's horrible. But if the Angels end up over-paying Trout for a few years--and it is probable that they will--it isn't so bad, because he already gave them his best.

If Trout wins a few more MVP’s and 2-3 championships I could see him pulling a Barry Sanders and retire young and wealthy. 

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, OHTANILAND said:

He likes SoCal. What if the Padres offered some ridiculous contract that no other team wanted to match. SD is a pretty nice place to live. 

??????

We are not getting him extended if he goes FA.

They key is giving him an offer that will convince Trout not to test the market.  The Padres shouldn't even be given a chance to offer him something "ridiculous "

[Angels#1Fan]

3 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

10 years/800 million should do it.

Why not 10 years and an even billion?

[Angels#1Fan]

1 hour ago, floplag said:

money or anything else wont matter if we dont win.  thats been made clear. 

Only in your mind.

[Ohtaniland]

I’m on board with putting Albert in a crappy nursing home. 

[floplag]

31 minutes ago, Angels#1Fan said:

Only in your mind.

no, by his own statements, look them up

[maximus p]

What if Trout, seeing what has happened with the whole Pujols (and Hamilton for that matter) contract, decided he didn't want to put the Angels through another multi hundred million dollar contract, because he doesn't see the future as good enough and it wouldn't matter how much Arte offered-including stupid money like a half a billion over 10 years (not wanting to hamstring the Halos for another 10 years).

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, maximus p said:

What if Trout, seeing what has happened with the whole Pujols (and Hamilton for that matter) contract, decided he didn't want to put the Angels through another multi hundred million dollar contract, because he doesn't see the future as good enough and it wouldn't matter how much Arte offered-including stupid money like a half a billion over 10 years (not wanting to hamstring the Halos for another 10 years).

Then we trade him!  Not very complicated.

[ten ocho recon scout]

10 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

And he could be in TJ in half an hour...

Or he could just move back in with Richards....

Reference what @Angelsjunky said, Ive mentioned it before (not sure if its even true), but I think Pujols is being given a lot more rope than hes due because of trout. It shows trout the team would stick by him when hes old and shitty.

For all the shit we give pujols (which is well deserved), maybe karma pays it forward, and 10 year front office guy pujols can convince trout to stay. 

[T.G.]

Trout loves to sign autographs for kids...

We give a kid a contract that looks like a photo - Trout signs it, not knowing it's a contract and bingo - he's an Angels for the rest of his career.

[Dtwncbad]

Here is a prediction.  When we get closer to Trout's free agency, the subject of extending him is going to be the hottest topic.

Mike Trout is not dumb.  His smartest play is to let his agent deal with it and to appear unemotional and almost apathetic on if he stays or goes.  There is no reason at all for him to reveal that "he really wants to stay an Angel". . .

And there are going to be fans frustrated with an extension not yet signed, nervous about losing him, and ultimately they will get annoyed AT Trout for not signing and not overtly communicating that he wants to stay.

We will see some "screw this disloyal, unappreciative, greedy guy" junk. . .

All of that will be the product of the fans nervous about losing him and Trout being smart in having a poker face.

I dont know what will happen on an extension or not.  But I am not going to be someone that, during the height of it all, translates the combination of no signed extension and Trout poker face into some negative reflection on Trout personally.

I will judge him (and the front office) on the outcome, not on the emotions running rampant during the process. 

 

[stormngt]

31 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

Here is a prediction.  When we get closer to Trout's free agency, the subject of extending him is going to be the hottest topic.

Mike Trout is not dumb.  His smartest play is to let his agent deal with it and to appear unemotional and almost apathetic on if he stays or goes.  There is no reason at all for him to reveal that "he really wants to stay an Angel". . .

And there are going to be fans frustrated with an extension not yet signed, nervous about losing him, and ultimately they will get annoyed AT Trout for not signing and not overtly communicating that he wants to stay.

We will see some "screw this disloyal, unappreciative, greedy guy" junk. . .

All of that will be the product of the fans nervous about losing him and Trout being smart in having a poker face.

I dont know what will happen on an extension or not.  But I am not going to be someone that, during the height of it all, translates the combination of no signed extension and Trout poker face into some negative reflection on Trout personally.

I will judge him (and the front office) on the outcome, not on the emotions running rampant during the process. 

 

Extend him in the off season this winter or trade him by July 2019.  Simple solution.  Trout for life or we get a boatload of prospects