New York Yankees Would Be Willing to Give Mike Trout a 10-Year Contract
December 13, 2013 · Kenny DeJohn · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
An interesting tidbit of news came from New York Yankees team president Randy Levine on Friday, December 13, as he claimed that Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Mike Trout would be a player he would be willing to give a 10-year contract to.
Levine told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that he was unwilling to give Robinson Cano a 10-year contract because he is over 30 years old, though Trout would be worthy of such a contract when he hits free agency in 2018.
“Now, if it was Mike Trout, I’d offer him a 10-year contract,” Levine said. “But for people over 30, I don’t believe it makes sense.”
Trout, 22, would be 27 years old by the time he hits the open market, and it’s interesting that Levine used him as a comparison to Cano.
Using him could have simply been an example to prove a point, but there’s always the chance that Levine and the Yankees brass have big plans for him should he hit the open market.
Trout has already established himself as one of the premier players in the sport after just two full seasons in the league. In his career of two-plus years, Trout has hit 62 home runs, stolen 86 bases, hit 17 triples, driven in 196 runs and slashed .314/.404/.544.
He has finished second in the American League MVP voting twice already and won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2012. Combine that with his stellar defensive work, and you’ve got yourself the total package.
Should the Angels allow him to test the free-agent market, Trout will undoubtedly command a hefty payday. Not many teams would be able to compete financially with the Yankees, and if they’re actually willing to go 10 years, the competition might just be blown out of the water.
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw may be the first $300 million player when he hits free agency after the 2015 season, but Trout could very well be the first position player to earn such a contract.
The Yankees appear willing to give that to him, and that will create for an interesting offseason in several years’ time.
For now he’s an Angel, and likely not at all thinking about his free agency. When it becomes the talk of baseball in a few seasons, though, look for the Yankees to gear up for a run at baseball’s youngest superstar.
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