|
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Los Angeles Angels renewed the contract of AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout for $510,000, prompting an angry response from the outfielder's agent. Craig Landis said his client was disappointed with the decision announced Saturday. The salary is $20,000 above the major league minimum. "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 said in a statement. "In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a 'fair' contract and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process. Nonetheless, the renewal of Mike's contract will put an end [to] this discussion." Trout has one year, 70 days of major league service and is likely to be eligible for arbitration after the 2014 season and for free agency after the 2017 World Series. Teams can renew the contracts of unsigned players on their 40-man rosters from March 2-11 "Mike, himself, does not wish to comment on this matter," Landis said. "As when he learned he would not be the team's primary center fielder for the upcoming season, Mike will put the disappointment behind him and focus on helping the Angels reach their goal of winning the 2013 World Series." Speedy Peter Bourjos is set to be the Angels' primary center fielder, flanked by Trout in left and 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton in right. Trout said he wouldn't focus on off-the-field issues. "You could easily put yourself in a bad mood about it, but that's not me," Trout said Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times. "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." Trout's agent, Craig Landis, was less diplomatic about his client's deal. "I asked only that the Angels compensate Mike fairly for his historic 2012 season, given his service time," Landis said in an email to the Times. "In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a 'fair' contract, and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process." Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto defended the team's position. "We love Mike -- he's a big part of what we're doing now and hopefully for many years to come," Dipoto told the Times. "But we're operating within the parameters of the collective bargaining agreement, and it's a system that rewards service time." Trout had a $482,500 salary last year when he finished second to Detroit's Miguel Cabrera in AL MVP voting. Trout hit .326 with 30 homers and 83 RBIs, and led the majors with 129 runs and 49 steals. He also earned a $10,000 bonus for winning Rookie of the Year. Los Angeles also agreed to one-year deals with 21 players, including Bourjos and Mark Trumbo. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
|
