As of March 19, 2019, Mike Trout signed a $426.5 million 12 year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, making him the highest paid athlete of all time. Trout is a seven-time all star and two-time American League MVP. He is already considered as one of the best players of his generation and it appears that he will finish his career with the only franchise he has known.
After spending seven seasons with the Angels, Trout faced a new sort of pressure during the Angels season opener against the Oakland Athletics. In his first game with his new deal, Trout went 1 for 3 with a single and one walk. Those against Trout have been all over twitter saying “$426 million for this?.” With this new contract Trout will have to prove himself even more than he already has. Mike Trout is also 27 this year which is known as the peak age for baseball players. No player in baseball history has posted more career WAR (Wins Above Replacement) or the total contribution to his team. It’s probably safe to assume that Trout won’t continue to be a 10 WAR per season machine throughout the entire life of this contract. Even star level players peak more quickly than most expect. While Willie Mays and Hank Aaron were superstars late into their careers, other outfielders like Trout such as Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones, fell off a performance cliff after age 30 and never recovered. Trout and the Angels are committed to each other for the long haul. If Trout is interested in winning World Series rings, then he took a risk with remaining in Anaheim, he has never won a playoff game with the Angels even while establishing himself as the game’s best player. The team has been so focused on Mike Trout. The productivity of the team’s farm system has fallen. For much of Trout’s tenure with the Angels, the club had one of the worst farm systems in baseball. The Angels’ system ranked last in baseball in 2014, 2016, and 2017. With a big year coming up, Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are one of the many teams to keep an eye on throughout the season. |