Trout 12 years/$440 million! Its done!!

[Chuck]

5 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

It is a new contract. 

Basically he was going to get 66.5M for 19-20 and they added $360M and 10 years, but since it’s all one contract they can shuffle the money around in different years. 

That means the Angels luxury tax figure goes up for 19-20, which isn’t a big deal because they had plenty of room. But perhaps this explains why they wanted to keep that room. 

We really appreciate your insight into this stuff, @Jeff Fletcher. Thank you.

[Jeff Fletcher]

Just now, beatlesrule said:

Okay thanks for clearing it up. I was confused all day about it.

I write articles about these things. You can always read those

[beatlesrule]

24 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I write articles about these things. You can always read those

I tend to go to MLBTR for all my baseball stuff and it still has a 10 year 360 million extension there.

[Lou]

6 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

I tend to go to MLBTR for all my baseball stuff and it still has a 10 year 360 million extension there.

  I'm pretty sure that was Fletch's point 

[Jeff Fletcher]

53 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

I tend to go to MLBTR for all my baseball stuff and it still has a 10 year 360 million extension there.

You can believe them or me. 

(But they linked to my story.)

[Lou]

FLETCH 2020 !

[TooCool]

Thanks for signing that extension Trout on my Mom's Birthday (she doesn't give a **** about baseball but still). But in all seriousness, it's awesome that he just randomly did it when no one expected it. That's just the type of guy he is and why we love him for it. No need to make a big deal out of it or keep fans wondering.

But seriously though... the Halos wasted a lot of seasons with Trout already. Let's give him the team he deserves. I'm sick of hearing from smug Dodgers fans about how he gets the big bucks but doesn't play October ball.

[Lou]

Trout, Trout, Trout . . . blah, blah, blah . . . everyone is missing the best part of this all. 

Mama Too Cool shares a birthday with Fred Berry, aka Freddy "Rerun" Stubbs! 

[Cody Pendant]

2 hours ago, Adam said:

Because you’re familiar with PJ Masks, yes

I have a 5 yr old. Haunted by the Masks. 

[Do0mT3cH]

Got the notification for this in the morning, read it and fell back asleep thinking it was a dream. Finally got up to a phone full of messages/notifications confirming its real life and it was a surreal feeling. Mike is one of a kind and him signing this extension makes you love him and appreciate that much more. It was a great day to be an Angels fan today and this off season is a win no matter what. Next extend Simmons and the core we have going for ward is very bright and promising. Mike Trout forever. 

[Inside Pitch]

6 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

It is a new contract. 

Basically he was going to get 66.5M for 19-20 and they added $360M and 10 years, but since it’s all one contract they can shuffle the money around in different years. 

That means the Angels luxury tax figure goes up for 19-20, which isn’t a big deal because they had plenty of room. But perhaps this explains why they wanted to keep that room. 

So, you're saying that because they didn't do what the "they aren't doing/spending enough" crowd wanted them to do they had the financial room to sign the single most important free agent in the existence of the Angels franchise?   It's almost like they had a big picture view of things instead of focusing on the two years they knew they had him under control for...   

What a dumb plan...

Thank you for spending the entire winter (and years before that) sharing your insights and keeping us in the loop.  I've read a lot of baseball message boards since the advent of the internet and never seen a member of the media be as involved/frank with the fan base as you have been while interacting with us.  We say it a lot, it's probably old hat... but we greatly appreciate your insights and narrative busting.

Tell Billy and Arte thanks...   

Edited March 20, 2019 by Inside Pitch

[fan_since79]

7 hours ago, TooCool said:

But seriously though... the Halos wasted a lot of seasons with Trout already. Let's give him the team he deserves. I'm sick of hearing from smug Dodgers fans about how he gets the big bucks but doesn't play October ball.

The Dogs are really good at losing October ball. Experts in fact.

[Lou]

19 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

The Dogs are really good at losing October ball. Experts in fact.

it's quite Rangeresque 

[beatlesrule]

7 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

You can believe them or me. 

(But they linked to my story.)

Haha, I believe you. MLBTR again stated it is a 360 million dollar extension in the new Betts article so it would be nice if they actually read your tweet.

[yk9001]

I will admit my bias against Albert Pujols, the bias being that I can't stand him.  That said, Sportscenter did a short montage of MLB star players (and Pujols) discussing Trout's extension.  Kris Bryant, Christian Yelich and Nolan Arenado were somewhere between giddy and downright ecstatic for Trout.  

Pujols gave some canned platitudes through clenched teeth.

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

So, you're saying that because they didn't do what the "they aren't doing/spending enough" crowd wanted them to do they had the financial room to sign the single most important free agent in the existence of the Angels franchise?   It's almost like they had a big picture view of things instead of focusing on the two years they knew they had him under control for...   

What a dumb plan...

Thank you for spending the entire winter (and years before that) sharing your insights and keeping us in the loop.  I've read a lot of baseball message boards since the advent of the internet and never seen a member of the media be as involved/frank with the fan base as you have been while interacting with us.  We say it a lot, it's probably old hat... but we greatly appreciate your insights and narrative busting.

Tell Billy and Arte thanks...   

No problem. My job is to inform. Hopefully a few of you have become subscribers.

[Angelsfan1984]

12 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

No problem. My job is to inform. Hopefully a few of you have become subscribers.

Make a YouTube and Twitch channel with your updates. You've got kids doing reviews on toys and people eating food making millions...

[Second Base]

It feels to me like a lot of the factors that fans thought would play a role in Trout's decision, really didn't.

Here's how I perceive the narrative, and the actual reality of it. 

- "Mike Trout just wants to win, and the Angels aren't winning."  Half truth.  Yes, Trout wants to win, and yes the Angels haven't won yet.  But it isn't for lack of trying.  They spend money every year.  And the fact that Trout actually gets involved in the draft process and gives the Angels his own input on who he likes illustrates his own personal investment into winning.  He knows the culture, knows Arte, knows Billy and knows just how hard they're working to win now, AND in the future. 

- "Mike Trout is from the East Coast, and wants to be on the East Coast"  Another half truth.  Yes, he is from the East Coast, and yes, he's an Eagles fan and enjoys spending his Winters out there. But it's also clear that Mike enjoys Orange County during the season, and travels all over and enjoys the weather all over. 

- "Mike Trout is close with Bryce Harper and several players on the Yankees and Phillies.  That's where he will play."  The people perpetuating these narratives don't seem to know Trout at all.  He's the most likeable guy, maybe in all of baseball.  Him or Granderson probably.  Sure, he's friends with Harper, jokes around with Judge etc..But they don't see the connections he makes with the players in the Angels clubhouse.  Pujols, Calhoun, Ohtani, Skaggs, Heaney, Bedrosian....shoot, you can even see him hitting it off with David Fletcher.  

- "Mike Trout's personality fits the Philly narrative.  Hard working, passionate" - That also fits Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Queens....And yes, Mike Trout is both of those things, but I think what some people know about professional athletes and some people don't.  These guys by and large, hate to lose.  It doesn't matter if it's baseball, ping pong, pick up basketball games, random trivia games.  They are ultra-competitive, and Trout is no exception.  Inside the Angels clubhouse, it's full of these guys, probably every other clubhouse too.  Even when there's a language barrier, you see someone like Ohtani competing and trying to beat others at non-baseball activities.  The point is, you don't need to go to Philly to find those traits. 

I think at the end of the day, Trout is loyal, and is good at reading people.  He surrounds himself with an inner-circle that's been built over time.  He's genuine.  Arte Moreno is like that.  So was Scioscia.  Same with Upton, same with Pujols.  So is Eppler.  Trout stayed with the Angels because he's comfortable here, likes the people, wants to win and feels they're going to win a lot of games soon, and was offered an amount of money and years that would make this great arrangement a permanent one.  He didn't choose the Phillies or anywhere else because he hasn't established a nearly decade long rapport with them, and doesn't feel like being under their media microscope at all times.  He can keep the distractions at a distance in Anaheim.  

[Inside Pitch]

7 minutes ago, Second Base said:

It feels to me like a lot of the factors that fans thought would play a role in Trout's decision, really didn't.

Here's how I perceive the narrative, and the actual reality of it. 

- "Mike Trout just wants to win, and the Angels aren't winning."  Half truth.  Yes, Trout wants to win, and yes the Angels haven't won yet.  But it isn't for lack of trying.  They spend money every year.  And the fact that Trout actually gets involved in the draft process and gives the Angels his own input on who he likes illustrates his own personal investment into winning.  He knows the culture, knows Arte, knows Billy and knows just how hard they're working to win now, AND in the future. 

- "Mike Trout is from the East Coast, and wants to be on the East Coast"  Another half truth.  Yes, he is from the East Coast, and yes, he's an Eagles fan and enjoys spending his Winters out there. But it's also clear that Mike enjoys Orange County during the season, and travels all over and enjoys the weather all over. 

- "Mike Trout is close with Bryce Harper and several players on the Yankees and Phillies.  That's where he will play."  The people perpetuating these narratives don't seem to know Trout at all.  He's the most likeable guy, maybe in all of baseball.  Him or Granderson probably.  Sure, he's friends with Harper, jokes around with Judge etc..But they don't see the connections he makes with the players in the Angels clubhouse.  Pujols, Calhoun, Ohtani, Skaggs, Heaney, Bedrosian....shoot, you can even see him hitting it off with David Fletcher.  

- "Mike Trout's personality fits the Philly narrative.  Hard working, passionate" - That also fits Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Queens....And yes, Mike Trout is both of those things, but I think what some people know about professional athletes and some people don't.  These guys by and large, hate to lose.  It doesn't matter if it's baseball, ping pong, pick up basketball games, random trivia games.  They are ultra-competitive, and Trout is no exception.  Inside the Angels clubhouse, it's full of these guys, probably every other clubhouse too.  Even when there's a language barrier, you see someone like Ohtani competing and trying to beat others at non-baseball activities.  The point is, you don't need to go to Philly to find those traits. 

I think at the end of the day, Trout is loyal, and is good at reading people.  He surrounds himself with an inner-circle that's been built over time.  He's genuine.  Arte Moreno is like that.  So was Scioscia.  Same with Upton, same with Pujols.  So is Eppler.  Trout stayed with the Angels because he's comfortable here, likes the people, wants to win and feels they're going to win a lot of games soon, and was offered an amount of money and years that would make this great arrangement a permanent one.  He didn't choose the Phillies or anywhere else because he hasn't established a nearly decade long rapport with them, and doesn't feel like being under their media microscope at all times.  He can keep the distractions at a distance in Anaheim.  

I'm seriously considering sending Harper a gift basket thanking him for his comments and the amount of media noise they created.  A part of me will always wonder if it didn't speed the process up and maybe help the situation along.

[arch stanton]

Wasn't the consensus going into the off season that Trout would get extended after the market was set by Machado and Harper? We just didn't realize that the two prancing peacock asshats would jerk everybody around through the entire winter

[Jeff Fletcher]

17 minutes ago, Second Base said:

It feels to me like a lot of the factors that fans thought would play a role in Trout's decision, really didn't.

Here's how I perceive the narrative, and the actual reality of it. 

- "Mike Trout just wants to win, and the Angels aren't winning."  Half truth.  Yes, Trout wants to win, and yes the Angels haven't won yet.  But it isn't for lack of trying.  They spend money every year.  And the fact that Trout actually gets involved in the draft process and gives the Angels his own input on who he likes illustrates his own personal investment into winning.  He knows the culture, knows Arte, knows Billy and knows just how hard they're working to win now, AND in the future. 

- "Mike Trout is from the East Coast, and wants to be on the East Coast"  Another half truth.  Yes, he is from the East Coast, and yes, he's an Eagles fan and enjoys spending his Winters out there. But it's also clear that Mike enjoys Orange County during the season, and travels all over and enjoys the weather all over. 

- "Mike Trout is close with Bryce Harper and several players on the Yankees and Phillies.  That's where he will play."  The people perpetuating these narratives don't seem to know Trout at all.  He's the most likeable guy, maybe in all of baseball.  Him or Granderson probably.  Sure, he's friends with Harper, jokes around with Judge etc..But they don't see the connections he makes with the players in the Angels clubhouse.  Pujols, Calhoun, Ohtani, Skaggs, Heaney, Bedrosian....shoot, you can even see him hitting it off with David Fletcher.  

- "Mike Trout's personality fits the Philly narrative.  Hard working, passionate" - That also fits Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Queens....And yes, Mike Trout is both of those things, but I think what some people know about professional athletes and some people don't.  These guys by and large, hate to lose.  It doesn't matter if it's baseball, ping pong, pick up basketball games, random trivia games.  They are ultra-competitive, and Trout is no exception.  Inside the Angels clubhouse, it's full of these guys, probably every other clubhouse too.  Even when there's a language barrier, you see someone like Ohtani competing and trying to beat others at non-baseball activities.  The point is, you don't need to go to Philly to find those traits. 

I think at the end of the day, Trout is loyal, and is good at reading people.  He surrounds himself with an inner-circle that's been built over time.  He's genuine.  Arte Moreno is like that.  So was Scioscia.  Same with Upton, same with Pujols.  So is Eppler.  Trout stayed with the Angels because he's comfortable here, likes the people, wants to win and feels they're going to win a lot of games soon, and was offered an amount of money and years that would make this great arrangement a permanent one.  He didn't choose the Phillies or anywhere else because he hasn't established a nearly decade long rapport with them, and doesn't feel like being under their media microscope at all times.  He can keep the distractions at a distance in Anaheim.  

This is all true. But I think it’s really a lot more simple. 

Trout is happy. He loves his life where he can live in beautiful SoCal and just play baseball and not be bothered. He likes all the people he works with, from the owner down to the clubhouse guys. He wants to win, but no one can guarantee winning. You can only guarantee that you’ll try, and he believes the Angels have tried and will continue to try.

Also, they gave him the largest contract in the history of sports. Now. Not two years from now. 

I had a hard time believing that Trout would turn down that kind of money for some potential, grass-is-greener collection of maybes in two years. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by Jeff Fletcher

[VariousCrap]

Any news of when the press conference will be?

[T.G.]

Just now, VariousCrap said:

Any news of when the press conference will be?

At Bryce Harpers' house next week.

[Taylor]

32 minutes ago, VariousCrap said:

Any news of when the press conference will be?

Thursday afternoon on Arte's yacht.

It will be docked the whole time. He ran out of money for fuel.

[T.G.]

The deal isn't official yet...