Quote:
Originally Posted by mrreality68
Regardless of Which metrics to use he is one of the top centerfielders in mlb.
That being said it is hard to rank him compared to others when he is still in the middle of his career and some like JR. have amazing numbers that Trout may or may not achieve.
Now with this new injury that is supposed to effect the rest of his career and may slow him down it make it more difficult for me to put him up higher and I might move him down a few slots.
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So here is an interesting question. If in fact this latest health issue will greatly negatively impact Trout's ability to play at a high level going forward, would he be better off just retiring now to better preserve his legacy and retain his status in the minds of most baseball fans as an elite player, or should he continue honoring the remaining years he has on the 12-year contract he is currently playing under, even if he can only be an average player at best going forward? He's signed through 2030, so he has over 8 years left to go. Tacking 8+ years of average, injury riddled play onto his career could cause his esteem to diminish greatly in the eyes of many people, especially younger fans who may not have seen been around or as aware of his play during the earlier part of his career.
And before anyone starts chirping about this being a stupid question because of course he signed a contract for huge money, and therefore he should continue to play to keep collecting all that money, I am well aware of that fact and fully realize any sane person would likely continue playing to collect all that money. The question and potential discussion though is to consider the possible impact such a decision can have on Trout's legacy and career perception to baseball fans, not on his pocketbook.
It is sort of like the Sandy Koufax paradox. When Koufax called it quits, though still fairly young, he was at the top of his game and remembered as such to fans at the time. Just contemplate how different the perception of Koufax might have been had he decided to continue playing for several more years with his health and issues possibly causing him to not be anywhere near as effective as he was during the height of his career.