Angels Give Mike Trout Modest Raise, Agent Not Happy

The Los Angeles Angels have a strange way of making a guy feel welcome. 

In 2012, Mike Trout spent the first month of the season in the minors and spent the rest of the season reminding people why that was a huge mistake. The American League Rookie of the year was the best player in the AL not named Miguel Cabrera. The 5-tool player was nearly as known for his kind demeanor as his stat filling ways on the field. Surely, the Angels would reward his breakout year in the offseason. 

Strike one. 

When the Angels couldn't come to terms with Trout, they decided to give him a whopping 6.25% raise, which brought his salary up to $510,000. That amount is just $20,000 over the league minimum. Yes, that's for a guy who hit .326 with 30 home runs, 83 RBI and 49 stolen bases. The Angels have the power to go the frugal route thanks to Trout not being eligible for salary arbitration for another 2 years. As you can imagine, Trout's agent was none too happy about it. 

"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, in an email to the L.A Times. "In my opinion, this contract falls well short of a 'fair' contract, and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process." 

Strike two. 

To make matters worse, he was informed that he would be getting moved to left field. Manager Mike Scioscia moved the center fielder there with teammate Peter Bourjos taking the center spot. Last year, Trout's mentor, Torii Hunter switched positions to accommodate Bourjos, so although it's an inconvenience, it's  not too much to ask. After all, the guy did get a 6.25% raise. Trout wasn't happy about the lineup change, but put things into perspective. "I'm just happy to be in the lineup." Trout said. 

Strike three...could come later. 

When it comes to money, memories are nearly as long as grudges. This case won't be much different. If Trout manages to even come close to the MVP type year he had in 2012, the Angels will be kicking themselves. With hundreds of millions already tied up in Albert Pujols, Vernon Wells and the newest Angel Josh Hamilton, they'll wish they had opened the wallet a little more when they had the chance.