Wedensday Halolinks: Angels pass on Trout lifetime contract

Today is just a normal day in the baseball world.  No big deals consummated, no free agent surprises, and one else is missing any finger or toes.  There are however, a couple of interesting things still going on -- and something I can make up to see if anyone is paying attention.

Ho-hum Halolinks (but still worth the read):

• Okay, so you've probably heard by now about Stanton's record-breaking deal out of Miami, but what's interesting when these deals happen, people look for comparisons in order to better show the magnitude of the deal.  In this case, they are looking at Mike Trout's deal.  And when looking at those other deals, new revelations sometimes come out.  I don't know, I may have missed this when the negotiations were going on, but did anyone else hear about this lifetime contract stuff?  Stanton's deal brings Trout's more into focus - angels.com, "During extensive negotiations in Spring Training, Trout's agent, Craig Landis, briefly floated the idea of a lifetime contract that could've looked something like the deal Stanton ultimately signed with the Marlins. "It never really got off the ground," Landis said then. "The Angels weren't that interested. They couldn't really make an offer. So, we crossed that off as a possibility."  You've got the best player of the generation and you're not interested in a lifetime deal?  Why not?
• It looks like Stanton gave up a lot during the early years of his deal: Giancarlo Stanton's $325M with Miami Marlins heavily backloaded - ESPN, "According to a major league source who had seen the terms, Stanton's salaries over those first three seasons will be only $6.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016 and $14.5 million in 2017, far less than he could have earned through arbitration in 2015 and 2016 and then via free agency."  I don't know, after all the crap Miami's owner has pulled over the last few years, it'd be hard to trust him in a long-term deal.  Not so much as to the deal itself, but what he's going to do with the team over the long run.
• Here's the deal...The Angels send Howie Kendrick to Baltimore in a trade for Bud Norris.  I'm terrible in forecasting trades and actual value of players, but a deal centering around Kendrick and Norris seems like something that could get done.  Angels need a pitcher, Orioles could use a second baseman.  (I'm not advocating the Angels dealing Kendrick, just if they must, at least get something back that'll help the club): Orioles shopping Ubaldo Jimenez, Bud Norris - MLB Daily Dish, "The Orioles are currently lush in starting pitching with Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Kevin Gausman, and Miguel Gonzalez already entrenched in next year's rotation, and the highly-regarded Dylan Bundy looming as well. Thus it seems likely that the Orioles trade away at least one starting pitcher this offseason."
• Angels hire Anderson to manage Triple-A club - angels.com, "Anderson, who spent last year as the Orioles' Minor League infield coordinator, played for the Dodgers from 1983-89 and then in his final season in '92, winning the World Series in '88, while teaming up with Angels manager Mike Scioscia."
• Can someone explain to me how an $18 million loan becomes a $36 million debt?  Some Wrigley rooftops face foreclosure - Chicago Sun-Times, "Fifth Third Bank, which lent rooftop owners Thomas Gramatis, Max Waisvisz, Daniel Finkel and various holding companies about $18.6 million between 2006 and 2012, says the owners haven’t kept up with mortgage payments and owe in excess of $36 million in principal, interests and other fees, according to the court document."  Other fees?  Vig?
• And if how does this seem right; produce docs by 11/26, show cause by 12/19, and then have a hearing 1/9/15?  Why can't they do all of that on 11/26?  If he's "abusing the discovery process", why give him more time?  Judge threatens Roger Clemens with contempt in Brian McNamee lawsuit - ESPN, "U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak issued a 13-page order in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday telling Clemens to produce by Nov. 26 all documents previously demanded by the court. She told Clemens to show cause by Dec. 19 "why he should not be held in contempt based on his deliberate violation of this court's Aug. 13, 2013 order to produce all withheld responsive documents" for review. She said Clemens also should show cause "why he should not be sanctioned ... for his continued and repeated abuse of the discovery process." Pollak said Clemens' lawyers should show cause why the court should not impose sanctions "for unreasonably and vexatiously multiplying these proceedings through their discovery tactics." She scheduled a hearing for Jan. 9."
• Neat-o: Athletics agree to three-year, $30 million deal with Billy Butler - MLB Daily Dish, "The deal will reportedly come with a $5 million signing bonus and will become official once Butler passes a physical."
• I like bobbleheads.  Just sayin': Bobble, bobble, toil and trouble – The Hardball Times, "Los Angeles Angels: Charlie Sheen might make a good choice here, and not just because of his links to the entertainment industry. Sheen made headlines in Anaheim after a Friday night game on April 19, 1996, when he bought out the entire left field bleacher section in an attempt to procure a home run ball, preferably from Cecil Fielder of the visiting Tigers. The Angels gave Sheen a volume discount on the 2,615 tickets he bought (total attendance that evening was 32,693). Sheen and three friends stood watch in left field but procured no home runs. (They did get to see a 4-3 Angel victory, however.)"