With the Los Angeles Angels reportedly signing Mike Trout to a record 12-year $430-million extension to stay with the team, Dukes and Bell want to know what's next for Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Could this affect a future deal with the Braves and Acuña if he continues to produce like he did the second half of last season?
Ronald Acuña Jr. splits from 2018:1st half: .249/.304/.438 with 7 HR and 19 RBI2nd half: .322/.403/.625 with 19 HR and 45 RBI
— DukesandBell929 (@DukesandBell929) March 20, 2019
Carl Dukes said that he was blown away when he saw the amount of money Trout got from the Angels.
“When this was first reported I was like what? How much?” Dukes said. “The best players in the game get taken care of. With Trout locked up he can go out and recruit other players just like Bryce Harper tried to recruit him. There was no reason for the Angels to wait with the way the contracts are going up, I’m just shocked it was $100 million more than Harpers deal.”
And good lord. What’s Ronald Acuna Jr gonna be worth when he is Arb eligible?
— Nubyjas Wilborn (@nwilborn19) March 19, 2019Mike Bell wonders if the Angels have hamered their ability to win a World Series with the Trout contract.
“Rookie of the year, two-time MVP, Mike Trout is the gold standard,” Bell said. “I’m just confused on the length of the deal and I wonder if the Angels will ever win a World Series with Trout on the roster.”
Carl thinks this deal could affect a future deal for the Braves with Ronald Acuña Jr.
“The Braves could say, at any point, why wait and cut Acuña a long-term deal. I don’t think they will do that,” Dukes said. “If Ronald Acuña is the player we think he will be, he could be a $500-million player.”
Mike talked about how this will be interesting to see how the team plays this out.
“You’re not going to pay Acuña now because he’s under team control,” Bell said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how the team handles his contract in the future.”
