For a baseball player to emerge as a star, it takes time, patience and a lot of hard work, and contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as easy money. Many young players who met and exceeded expectations in their rookie seasons expect their paychecks to increase dramatically after only a couple of years. Mike Trout is a shining example of impressive rookie who thought that the high production of runs and an overall positive performance would lead to a handsome raise.

The cash-strapped LA Angels are not going to confirm his theory and instead of offering him a much better deal, Mike Trout would only receive a salary of $510,000 in 2013. Given that this amount is only $20,000 more than the minimum salary paid in MLB, it comes as no surprise that the baseball player and his manager are discontent. While Mike is unwilling to express his frustration with the deal he received, his agent dismissed the contract as insulting and ridiculously low.

As for Trout, he reconfirms his enthusiasm for being a part of the LA Angels and says that money is not the most important thing in the equation. He led the MLB with 129 runs and was only one step away from stealing the MVP award, but this was not enough for the Angels to boost his contract. LA has finalized contracts for more than 20 players this week and all of these salaries revolves around the value of half $1 million. It is Mark Trumbo who got the best deal, although $540,000 is hardly a jackpot for another promising player.

Many rookies do the mistake of comparing their salaries to those of vastly experienced players who performed similarly well in the previous year. If we are to consider the amounts made by their peers, it is crystal clear that Bryce Harper is the one that will make the most money although $750,000 is only a tiny amount if compared to what some of the most prominent players make. As if the unsatisfying salary wasn’t enough, Trout was informed that he will play in left field although he prefers center field.