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| Mike Trout |
Remember when the Los Angeles Angels called up Mike Trout late in the season? I'll bet you don't, because he did make much of an impression.
Trout played in 40 games and had 123 at-bats at the tail end of the 2011 season. He batted .220/.281/.390 with only five home runs and 16 RBIs. He struck out 30 times and generally took his lumps.
But you know what happened the next year? Trout learned from the ass-kicking he received in 2011 and came back strong in 2012. He won the American League Rookie of the Year, batting .326/.399/.564 with 30 home runs, 83 RBIs, a league-best 49 stolen bases and a league-best 129 runs scored.
Trout made the All-Star team that year, something he's now done for eight consecutive years. Do you suppose Trout learned anything from those 123 struggling at-bats in 2011? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess he did.
This does not mean Robert will become Trout, but I think this example is just one that defeats the whole notion of "Robert won't learn anything if you call him up for 30 games in September."
Really? Who says?
If Robert were to be called up (he won't), I wouldn't even care if he struggled, because it would teach him what he needed to do in order to hit the ground running for the 2020 season.
Unfortunately, the Sox are going to sit on their hands and make Robert go through struggles next season, much the same way they sat on their hands last year and made Eloy Jimenez go through struggles this season.
This will kick the rebuild can down the road another year, and we'll have to listen to another year of general manager Rick Hahn's crap about "patience." After seven consecutive losing seasons and 11 years with no playoffs, I've waited long enough, thank you very much.
We all know the main reason the Sox will stash Robert in the minors is so they keep the extra year of service time, which means they don't have to pay him until after the 2026 season.
As a fan, I don't know why I should care about 83-year-old Jerry Reinsdorf's 2026 payroll. In fact, I don't care about Reinsdorf at all. He has more money than I'll ever see in my life.
What I do care about is the Sox putting good players on the field, and winning more baseball games than they lose for a change. Sadly, I don't see it happening anytime soon.
The front office's defenders tell me I'll be "happy" about all this in 2026 when Robert is still on the team.
But, here's the thing: If Robert is called up now, why does that mean he won't be on the team in 2026?
You know who Mike Trout plays for? He's still with the Angels. You want to know why? It's because the Angels' ownership group paid Trout fair market value -- before he ever reached free agency. Trout is the best player in the sport, and he's paid as the best player in the sport. There was never any thought that Trout would leave the Angels, because the team showed him the respect he has earned.
See how that works. That's how it is supposed to work, no?
If Robert does what all Sox fans hope he will do, eventually the team will have to pay him. And they should pay him. What do I care if that day comes in 2026 or 2027?
Most of the rebuild proponents seem thoroughly convinced that the Sox will be contending for the World Series by 2021. (Wishful thinking, if the organization is going to continue to bury talented players in the minors, draft poorly and not spend on the best free agents.)
But if the Sox truly do have a championship window from 2021-25, there should be more than enough revenues to keep the players who brought the city and the fan base those hypothetical championships.
It's time to stop defending these lame strategies by the Sox front office. Remember, Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito only have four years left of team control after this.
The clock is already ticking, whether we like it or not.
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