The December 17th, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including proposing a $400 million extension for Mike Trout, Tanaka close to being posted and much more…
The Story: Could Mike Trout get a $400 million contract extension?
The Monkey Says: That seems insane and I can't believe any team would actually offer it if they had Trout. A ten-year, $300 million deal might make more sense, which is a weird thing to say. I also wonder if Trout's agent might not split the baby and go with a seven-year deal, that way Trout can be set for life, but then hit free agency right in his prime years, so he could get another massive extension or a giant free agent contract.
The Monkey Says: It is not 100% official yet, but once he does get posted, there will be a 30-day window to sign him. Almost every team will talk to him, so it could take the full 30 days to play out. In the old system, it almost always took the full negotiating window, but at least now someone might be able to close a deal more quickly, but only by overpaying. For the Angels, they are likely to pursue Tanaka, but they are looking at Garza too. They may not be able to sign Garza until after Tanaka signs as Garza's management appears to be waiting to see if the teams that lose out on Tanaka might turn to Garza.
The Story: Tyler Skaggs talks about starting over again with the Angels.
The Monkey Says: My favorite part of this story is that he still has a poster with Ramon Ortiz on it at his parents' house. My second favorite thing is that Dipoto pointed out his Skaggs' shortened stride as a likely cause of his velocity dip, which Keith Law also pointed out last week. If it is that clear to people, it seems like it should be an easy fix. Or at least Dipoto better hope it is.
The Story: Dan Brooks published his ranking of catcher framing and the value of the framing.
The Monkey Says: As in other rankings, Conger rate well and was worth a little over a win. Meanwhile, Iannetta was one of the worst, costing the Angels over a win and half. Playing Conger more and Iannetta less seems like an easy way for the Angels to get more value out of their catchers. There is an offensive tradeoff to account for, but it isn't a big one and there is a chance that Conger could develop more as a hitter this season, especially if his playing time is more regular.
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