Mike Trout, Angels agree to $144.5 million deal

[wilmyers]

http://aldengonzalez.mlblogs.com/2014/03/28/angels-mike-trout-agree-on-six-year-deal/
 
I know there's some chatter about this in the MLB General Forum but it's time to give the AL West some love...for the first time since 24 February...
 
Trout could've stood pat and commanded upwards of $300 million later; however, he wisely gets paid a nice sum now and is in position to get that monster deal before the age of 30.  I heard talk this morning, Trout wants to win more than anything and while he has faith in the Angels now...if it doesn't happen by the time this contract is up, he'll be elsewhere.
 
Odds the Yankees eventually sign a 29-year old Mike Trout to a deal that make this Jacoby Ellsbury deal look cheap...?

 

[Pugz]

he'll probably sign the richest deal in history once this one is up.

 

[Giantmetfan07]

I don't know why everyone just assumes every player in the league wants to and will sign with the Yankees. Although if in 7 years from now they signed both Trout & Harper that would be pretty freaking insane. 

 

[Hurricane Season]

Someone explain to me what "arbitration years" are.  I have no idea how baseball contracts and free agency works.

 

[Elite]

Someone explain to me what "arbitration years" are.  I have no idea how baseball contracts and free agency works.

Before signing this contract, he didn't have a set salary for the next couple years. He was going to be an Angel no matter what, but how much they were going to be paying him was yet to be determined. In the off-season, teams work with the player and agent to try to come to a salary for the upcoming season, if they can't reach an agreement, it goes to an arbitration hearing where both sides present their case for why they should be paid this much money and the arbitrators decide.

Most players are under arbitration for four years.

 

[Hurricane Season]

Ah, thanks.

 

[wilmyers]

I don't know why everyone just assumes every player in the league wants to and will sign with the Yankees. 

Because history shows

 

[Giantmetfan07]

But its not like other team's can't afford to sign players as well. 
 
I mean shit, recent history shows that LA is the place to sign. 

 

[elcheato]

He did grow up in Jersey idolizing Jeter, but he is a known Phillies fan, so there's that.