If you share my excitement for the onset of spring (or, at least Spring Training), you'll want to give a quick listen to the late, great Ernie Harwell reciting the "Voice of the Turtle" to announce the start. (Via James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press; hat tip to Scott Miller.) Here are some AL notes to round out the day:
- Hisashi Iwakuma of the Mariners will keep his right middle finger in a splint for three more weeks, the originally expected timetable, the club announced. With the hurler unable to begin his full pitching program until that time, needless to say, he is unlikely to be be in the team's rotation when the season opens.
- The Blue Jays expect Ryan Goins to handle the bulk of the club's second base duties, manager John Gibbons said today, as MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm reports. Toronto's second base position has long been an area of speculation as to a possible addition; while a change of direction is always possible, of course, Gibbons did not make it seem like that was likely. "We're giving Goins every opportunity to be the guy," said the manager. In an excellent recent profile of Goins' progress, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca broke down some reasons for the team's optimism.
- In his podcast yesterday (audio link), ESPN.com's Buster Olney talked with colleague Jayson Stark about a possible extension for Mike Trout of the Angels (among many other topics). His record $1MM pre-arbitration deal is already in the bag, but what's next? Olney says that executives around the league tell him that, if Trout agrees to anything less than a monster ten-year (or greater) deal, their take would be that he hopes to have a chance to make a triumphant return to his native east coast with a large-market team. Otherwise, now is the time to cash in given his incredibly high standing and youth.
Yeah… I give zero chance Trout signs for more than 7 years unless those next 3 are $50MM+ per
75MM per and you got a deal
I’d rather he and everyone else play for $80,000/year so I could take my family to a few games this summer without maxing out my Amex. There, I said it.
Well, if tickets were that cheap, then all fans would be going to games and they would sell out in about 5 seconds flat. I’m exaggerating, of course, but the demand for tickets is much more than the price-tag you’re talking here.
It is unrealistic to think that if salaries were cut to $80,000, that any of those savings would be passed on to fans. Remember economics class in high school? Tickets (like any commodity) are priced to maximize revenue, even if it means a lot of empty seats.
To prove this, should the Angels sign MIke Trout to a 10-year, $300 million contract this winter, they’re not going to raise the price of hot dogs to $20 to make up for that, because sales would crater. Everything is priced to bring in the maximum profit, which means a hot dog price of $7 or so. Tickets are exactly the same.
Sage to say… These guy know what they’re doing. It’s a business. Disneyland could start selling tickets for $5, but why?
Yeah? Is Will Ferrell or Tom Cruise (or whoever is popular) gonna take half a penny on the dollar so the owners can pocket more money?
That wouldn’t be the case, the owners would just keep the money. They know people will pay the price.
I hate to be “that Yankee fan” but he hopes to have a chance to make a triumphant return to his native east coast with a large-market team. To me just screams “hopes to sign a record destroying contract with the Yankees.”
Agree. However, Arte won’t let it happen. He throws money at guys he shouldn’t. Watch what happens with the guy he should.
He grew up a Phillies fan. They fit that bill pretty good, although they are sabermetrically challenged.
The whole notion is silly, actually. If he wanted to be a Yankee that badly, he could just play out his arbitration years with the Angels and then sign with them. He can get his “record-destroying contract” from Arte or the Dodgers, and if he just played it out and became a free agent in 2018, the Red Sox would probably get involved too. In baseball terms, that will only be his age-26 season.
Besides, by the time he plays out a seven-year extension, he’ll probably be as much a Californian as the natives; a 29-year-old superstar, best player on the planet, playing in metro LA? Probably with multiple MVP’s to his credit as soon as the Angels can get over .500.
Sure, I’m pretty much with all that. But remember, there’s a lot more to an extension than just staying somewhere for x amount of years. The extension protects him from losing money over injury or any regression (I know, I know). It isn’t just as simple as “playing out arb years and leaving…”
large-market east coast team….so…..the Jays, right?
Yes but our GM will probably try and get him for 5 years ( our amazingly smart team policy) with 5 club options attached. Fool proof.
Monster deal could mean 10 years, 300 mil. 4 arbitration years, 6 free agent years.
Although I had never heard Harwell’s “The Voice of the Turtle”, as a Cub fan raised on Harry Carey, I can appreciate the unique sound and tradition. Maybe a Tigers fan or anyone with knowledge could fill me in, what the H is the Voice of the Turtle? I know he is referring to the start of the baseball season, but, Voice of the Turtle? Not putting it down, just need to be educated.
Taking six years now would lock in well over $100M guaranteed now, while priming him to hit free agency again when he’s just 29. I don’t think it’s the chance to make a “triumphant return” with an east-coast team so much as the chance to take a triumphant turn at free agency before he turns 30. Sure, east-coast teams (and at least a dozen others) will be in on the bidding, but at this point I think a six-year deal is just posturing for the biggest long-term payday.
All these Trout rumors just seem like the goal is purely to make contract history, rather than get a contract that’s actually fair. He’s a great player, but he’s not worth $30M/per. He’s just 1 player in a game that depends on a team contribution.
He puts up more WAR by himself than many teams entire outfield combined. If every season was like the last two, he’s worth 30/per.
WAR is an overrated stat that does not truly show what a player is worth.
Although I tend to lean more towards your 30mil, using WAR ruins your whole argument.