Mike Trout’s Contract Renewed Just Above League Minimum

The Los Angeles Angels renewed Mike Trout’s contract on Saturday, just $20,000 above the league minimum, at $510,000. The new contract comes in the middle of a Spring Training in which Trout is being moved from center to left field. The extremely low contract wasn’t expected by anyone, including Trout’s agent Craig Landis.

“During the process, on behalf of Mike, I only asked that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season,” Landis explained in a statement. “The contract falls well short of a ‘fair’ contract and I have voiced this to the Angles throughout the process. Nonetheless, the renewal of Mike’s contract will put an end to this discussion.”

Mike Trout is coming off one of the best rookie seasons of all-time, as he finished the year hitting .326 with 30 home runs and 83 runs batted in. Trout also stole 49 bases in 54 attempts while scoring 129 runs. Trout would’ve taken home the MVP if it wasn’t for Miguel Cabrera’s triple-crown, but walked away with the AL Rookie of the Year instead.

To put Trout’s contract in perspective, Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees will make Trout’s entire contract in just 2.8 games, considering he plays. That’s less than three games for a player that is well past his prime, instead of a player who has yet to reach his peak.

Though the contract could be viewed as a distraction, Trout continues to focus on the season at hand and the goal of winning a World Series. Head coach Mike Scioscia has made it known that Trout will play both left and center field this year citing his versatility as a key to making the team better.

Keeping his mind on the game is practically the only way to look at it for the 21-year-old, who has less than three years of service in the MLB giving him no room to negotiate a higher contract. The NL Rookie of the Year, Bryce Harper, is only set to make $750,000 this year, though his numbers were no match for Trout’s.

Mike Trout seemed unaffected Monday by the contract, as he went 3-3 at the plate in a 13-5 loss to the Oakland A’s. Mike Trout’s contract is sure to come up throughout the season as long as he continues crushing the ball at the plate, which is always a good sign for the star-studded Angels.