General manager Perry Minasian’s comment in December that Mike Trout would “100 percent” not be traded has aged quite well.
Despite Shohei Ohtani’s decision to sign with the Dodgers shortly after the comment, Trout appears locked in with the Halos, as former Angels reporter Sarah Valenzuela suggests that Trout “likes where he is… for better or worse.”
"He just likes where he is"@Sarah_IsabelVee says that despite the @angels playoff drought, don't expect Mike Trout to demand a trade. He is committed "for better or worse"
▶️ https://t.co/VWxy97zcyy pic.twitter.com/pC5zrQ8UAa
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2024
His commitment to the franchise is fairly surprising, given their underperformance over the years, despite his historically great career. However, his loyalty can simultaneously be explained by him only having ever played for the Angels, and thus, his ties to Anaheim and Southern California, as a whole, are unbreakable.
In his time with the Halos, Trout has racked up 11 All-Star nods, nine Silver Slugger awards, a Rookie of the Year Award and multiple positions atop the league’s leaderboard in OPS, OBP, and RBIs.
A series of calf, back, and hand injuries over the past few seasons, in particular, have left both him and the organization desiring more. However, with a new manager and some young talent entering the fold, a turnaround is certainly possible in the next couple of seasons as they look to end their run of losing campaigns.
