Mike Trout’s $430 million contract makes him the richest athlete in North America, continuing the debate over whether or not athletes are being overpaid. After agreeing to the largest contract in American sports history, Trout’s 12 year $430 million deal was signed on March 19, turning heads and raising the question of if athletes are overpaid.

Athletes are the sole reason these organizations stay as popular as they do. Mike Trout is not a new player in the MLB scene; he has been sought after by multiple teams for his achievements and accolades in the MLB. Steven Kutz of Marketwatch.com says, “He was AL rookie of the year in 2012 and was an All-Star seven times, baseball’s MVP twice, and he’s finished second in MVP voting four times,”. This has brought up some talk around Hall High School, seeing as sports are a hot topic here. Daidren Ramos, a senior at Hall High School, said, “I do not think athletes are overpaid since they bring in a lot of money to the organization, which helps make money for them and the league.”

The MLB has some of the highest paid players in all of sports. According to the NY Times, “the minimum annual salary in each league is nearly $500,000, and star players are paid far more, often signing huge contracts worth tens of millions of dollars per year.” Top players in all sports, especially in the MLB, are necessary for a team’s success. Players like Trout are necessary for a team’s performance in the future, which is why the Los Angeles Angels decided to hire him for the next 12 years.

Sports are a business, and it is necessary for these franchises to take advantage of superstars who benefit the team with higher knowledge of the game. When Sam Kursman, a senior at Hall, was asked about the overpaying of athletes, he stated, “I believe that a team can give as much money as they wish to a player, because it is a business and they bring in money for the team.” As long as the team feels that player will live up to expectations, they should be allowed to offer as much as they want.

Success is key in the big leagues. Players like Mike Trout are the biggest part of the franchise, helping to boost revenue. Mike Trout has been able to conquer the MLB because of his skills and personality, which is why he got such a large contract. Athletes deserve the contracts they recieve, mainly due to the major amounts of money they bring in for the team and the league.

Many disagree with athletes getting paid this much – for example: Ryan Arnold, a senior soccer player at Hall High school, says, “It’s fine if athletes get millions, but this deal is too much since he makes around $100,000 a day.” Many people state that only the best players in the sport deserve the most money, while others argue that we are paying athletes to physically perform.