The Angels are in “active” negotiations with Mike Trout on a multiyear extension, owner Arte Moreno told the Register this morning.
“I would say active,” Moreno said when characterizing the talks. “I think both sides really want to at least have a conversation. We’ve been in conversation and talking.”
Trout, the Angels 22-year-old superstar, is not eligible for arbitration until 2015, and not eligible for free agency until after the 2017 season. As arguably the game’s best all around player, he is widely expected to sign a record-breaking deal, if he and the Angels can reach an agreement.
Moreno wouldn’t characterize how likely a deal is, or how quickly he anticipates a resolution, but he indicated that it would be best not to have it drag too much into the regular season.
“Typically you don’t want to get to a situation where you have something hanging over you when you are playing,” Moreno said. “Then the press an fans get into it. ‘Why won’t you do this and that?’ To make a good long-term deal both sides have to meet. Obviously everyone has a different strategy.”
Although the Angels would obviously like to reach a deal as soon as possible, they must wait until after opening day to sign the agreement or else the contract would count against the Competitive Balance Tax threshold for 2014.
“We’re talking,” Moreno said. “Obviously we love the player and the person.”
