Mike Trout had a historic rookie campaign in 2012 so the Los Angeles Angels did what anyone would do in their position, they renewed his contract for $20,000 over the league minimum.
The 20-year-old Trout has little say over his contract for the upcoming season even if he finished second in the AL MVP voting.
Trout will earn $510,000 in 2013 up from the roughly $480,000 he made last season. This obviously did not set well with his agent.
“During the process, on behalf of Mike, I asked only that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season, given his service time,” Landis, who represents Trout, said in an email. “In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a ‘fair’ contract, and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process.”
Trout though took the high road and says the renewal of his contract slightly above the league minimum will not bother him.
“You could easily put yourself in a bad mood about it, but that’s not me,” Trout said. “I like to play baseball. I’m going to try to win a World Series for the team and not worry about off-the-field things.”
The Angels have big money tied up in Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Vernon Wells, and Jered Weaver, and C.J. Wilson so while giving Trout a small may seem like an insult it is not completely without reason.
If Trout plays anywhere near the level he did last season the Angels will likely dump large sums of money at his feet in upcoming negotiations.
