Mike Trout eBay Card Lot

Mike Trout is such a great player and I've always been a big fan.  Picked up this lot off eBay last month.  This photo is just a classic batting stance of Trout's but combined with the Gypsy Queen design it is my favorite of the lot.

This is another great looking card.  So simple but something about the look and the colors really stand out to me.

More classic looks from Gypsy Queen and Allen & Ginter.

Love the classic Angels uni in this one.

League leader cards are fun and he's been on his share.  That middle card is a checklist card with a nice Julio Rodriguez appearance.

Nice Topps Chrome card.  Not a fan of the current Diamond Kings.  No logos are a killer and the designs themselves are a bit lacking. That Fire card looks nice.  That brand is hit or miss with me. 

Love All-Star Game cards and I like photos where it seems the players are enjoying themselves.  I really like that first Bowman card as well.  The design and photo are solid.

These cards always make you do a double take.  A card of another card.  Of course, that auto card would be a sweet one to own.

All these cards are good cards and glad I found the lot.  None are big money cards, but I needed some of them and the extras are always fun to have.

  

Random Wax: 2021 Topps Baseball Mike Trout Tin

2021 Topps:  Surprised I hadn't shown this one off yet.  I'm a sucker for these sometimes and this was one I picked up two years ago.  My second Mike Trout tin as I also picked up his 2020 Topps Tin.  I also grabbed a 2021 Ronald Acuna Jr. tin which I showed off here.

This 1952 Topps Redux is the highlight of the pack. I like this design and of course having Ohtani on it always helps.  I'd love to see him stay with the Angels but no matter how hard they try in L.A. the team still struggles.  Will be interesting to see how that plays out as this is his last year under contract.

There were big hopes for Jo Adell two years ago.  he can still turn it around but so far his career has not lived up to expectations.

Machado has done well for the Padres since arriving in San Diego via trade in 2018.  Rumor is he'll opt out of his contract after 2023.  He'll be 30 at that time but will probably get more than the $32M per year he is on contract for now.

Never cared for the '86 card design but somehow I like it in these newer sets.  Nice Trout pull too.

Another Ohtani!  I'm digging my pull.

Fun team card.

A couple of greats from the game.  Never get tired of pulling either of these guys.

I really hope Tatis Jr. can bounce back from his suspension and get back on the good side of the baseball gods.  I became of fan of his when he was mic'd up during an all-star game a few years back.  He screwed up, no doubt, but I'm still rooting for him.  Same for Mookie even in a Dodger uni.

That Devers is a 70 Years of Topps Blue Parallel.

Anderson had no idea he'd be a World Champion by year's end.  He had a down year last season but was really good in '20 and '21 including the playoffs.

I paid $14.99 for this tin in '21 and I think it's a good deal.  Can't say I really know what to do with teh tins after the fact but hey I'll figure it out. Happy Friday!

BREAKDOWN:

75 – Cards

10 – RC

6 – 1952 Redux

3 – League Leaders

1 – Team

1 – Chrome

1 – Future Stars

1 – World Series

1 – Chrome 1952 Redux

1 – Chrome 70 Years of Topps

1 – 70 Years of Topps Blue Parallel

1 - 1986 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary

2022 Topps 1987 Topps Baseball 35th Anniversary eBay Finds

2022 Topps: Grabbed some not so random '87 35th Anniversary inserts from the 2022 Topps set on eBay and thought I'd show them off.  Definitely an impulse buy but I found a seller with many of the cards I was chasing so I jumped.  I think the total for these shipped was just over $11.  Big Chipper Jones fan so we'll start with the Braves great.

A couple more Braves.  I still need to pick up the Freddie Freeman as well as a few others I'd like to grab like Rickey, Maddux, Bo and one or two others.  Love seeing retired greats included.

What a career!  Easy Hall of Fame selection when he was inducted in 2018 but he's definitely one of those guys who you wonder what his totals would look like if he had been healthier in the second half of his career.

A couple of great young sluggers in the league.  Hard not to like them both.  I became a Tatis Jr. guy last year when he was mic'd up during the All-Star Game.  Or was it the year before?  Hmmm

The '87 set isn't one of my favorite designs but like some other designs that fall into that category I like it more on new cardboard. 

Was really happy to see both of these guys available when I made my purchase.  I'd love to see the Angels do better this season and get Trout and Ohtani in the playoffs.  Same ole story with them.  They need better pitching.  Some of their young players need to step up too and might be ready to on offense.  We'll see.

Short and quick.  Lots to watch today.  NBA playoffs, USFL week one games, baseball and NASCAR on dirt.  Happy Easter!

Mike Trout Close to Signing 10-Year $360M Extension

2019 Topps Base Card, Variant, and Topps Now

Mike Trout is reportedly close to signing a 10 year $360M extension.  I for one think he deserves every penny.  For as good as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are they don't hold a candle to Trout.  He has put up massive numbers over his career.  I'd even say he gave the Angels a hometown discount.  Some are saying he should leave the team - they're no good - but they now have 12 years together to figure it out.  Also Trout doesn't seem like one who seeks out the limelight or drama and I think he is comfortable with the Angels and not looking for change or chasing uncertainty.  I love the idea of Trout spending the entirety of his career with the Angels.  We don't see that enough.  This is great for both he and the Angels.  I think he is the best all-around player I've ever seen in my 40 something years of watching the sport.  And the man can mash the ball.  He's fun to watch and after seeing free agency play out like a Greek tragedy over the winter baseball really needed a good story like this.  

Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout Get Big Deals

Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout both signed big deals this week.  They are both in the upper echelon of players in baseball today but are at different points in their career and were paid much differently.  Cabrera got a 10 year $292 million dollar deal while Mike Trout signed a six-year $144.5 million dollar deal.  Cabrera is 30 years-old while Trout is a 22 year-old. 

Cabrera is by almost any standard the best hitter in baseball and has been for some time.  This doesn't mean his contract hasn't made some shake their head.  He will be 40 when the contract ends and the contract is drawing comparisons to the deal Albert Pujols received from the Angels at age 31.  Puljols had an off year his first year with the Angels and was then only able to play 99 games last year due to injury while batting a career low .258.  No matter what the comparisons may be these are two different players.  While Pujols had been a relatively healthy player it was known he had some health issues specifically some feet problems when he left St. Louis.  Cabrera has also been healthy but doesn't seem to have any issues right now that makes me particularly worried about his health.  My thought is that this is a good deal.  He was two years away from free agency but locking him up now takes away all that drama.  In two years he might have commanded more than $30 million a year and maybe they lose him to another team.  Even as good as he is I doubt this deal looks good past year five - at best.  But there is no reason to believe he can't be productive even after that.  The rest of the money is just to ensure he is a Tiger for the remainder of his career.  Maybe his numbers dip with Prince Fielder no longer behind him in the lineup but he was a stud long before Fielder came along.  I like the move and hope it works out for both sides. 

Mike Trout has been a great young player who has lived up to the hype.  The Angels are as much paying him for his future production as they are what he has done the last three years when he made the minimum each year.  This also sets both parties up for the future when his contract runs out.  Trout will be in his prime when the contract ends and assuming he is playing well will be ready for a huge payday.  He'll be 29 and will be able to get a long term monster deal that will set him up for life.  Again I'm assuming he continues to put up good numbers.  The Angels if they want, and can afford to pay him at that time have the franchise player locked up for what may be the rest of his career.  If they don't want to keep him at that time they can walk away.  Trout is truly one of the most dynamic players we've seen in a long time.  This deal seems very fair to both sides and ensure the Angels have one of the game's current studs locked up for at least six years.