Topps has extended its deal with Angels CF Mike Trout in which the trading card company exclusively will have access to Trout autographed cards. The two-time AL MVP also has marketing deals with Nike, BodyArmor, J&J Snack Foods and Phiten, among others (THE DAILY).
HIDDEN GEM? FOXSPORTS.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote Trout, the potential face of baseball, is "toiling in relative obscurity in Orange County," while players like Cubs 3B Kris Bryant and Dodgers SS Corey Seager -- "younger stars in more vibrant markets -- are poised to achieve greater fame." MLB might not need "one face, a new Derek Jeter," as the game is "bursting with young talent," including Bryant, Seager, Astros SS Carlos Correa and Indians SS Francisco Lindor. It also is possible Trout does not care "about being the face," as he is "unassuming, and reportedly will skip playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic." Rosenthal: "As long as Trout stays in Anaheim, he will not be fully appreciated by the general public as the modern Mantle. ... Trout soon might not even be the face of baseball in the Los Angeles market; Seager is at least a strong competitor for that distinction." Meanwhile, NL MVP Bryant playing for the defending World Series champs "in the bustling Chicago market, soon could be the face nationwide" (FOXSPORTS.com, 11/21).
