MLB notebook: Angels, Trout reportedly near $430M deal
Mike Trout is on the verge of a 12-year, $430 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Angels, ESPN reported Tuesday. Trout, 27, is a two-time American League Most Valuable Player and is scheduled to become a free agent in 2020. The agreement, per ESPN, will tack on 10 years to the final two seasons remaining on Trout's $144.5 million agreement with the Angels. The deal would smash the massive contract signed by outfielder Bryce Harper -- 13 years, $330 million with the Philadelphia Phillies -- on March 2. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke currently holds the record MLB annual average salary at $34.4 million. Trout would eclipse that mark with an average of approximately $36 million. --New York Yankees reliever Dellin Betances will begin the season on the injured list as he recovers from a right shoulder impingement, general manager Brian Cashman confirmed. An MRI exam revealed the injury after the club was worried about the four-time All-Star's velocity this spring. Although there was no timetable for the 30-year-old right-hander's return, it is not considered a serious setback as he will be treated with anti-inflammatory medication. "I'm just a little behind," Betances said. "That's how I feel right now. I'm not concerned at all." --Detroit Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer is being advised to undergo Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, although the team said he "is seeking a third opinion at this time." The Tigers announced that results of an MRI exam and a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews led to the recommendation of reconstructive surgery on Fulmer's ulnar collateral ligament. Fulmer, 23, was shut down by the Tigers earlier this spring to work on "lower-body mechanics" as he worked his way back from knee problems that cut short his 2018 season in mid-September. The Tigers said Fulmer began to experience right elbow soreness after a recent bullpen session. --Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler has been ruled out as a replacement for Clayton Kershaw as the team's Opening Day starter. Buehler, 24, has been slowed by shoulder issues this spring. He went 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA in 24 appearances (23 starts) last season while finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year balloting. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda are the top candidates to take the hill when the season starts on March 28 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. --Field Level Media
