TEMPE, Ariz. — Context is always important. The context here is that Mike Trout almost never offers anything closely resembling criticism when it comes to speaking about the Angels. Be that his teammates, coaches, the front office or owner Arte Moreno. And the context here is that Trout previously had not made the kind of remarks about the Angels that he did on Monday.
The three-time MVP always speaks publicly in the final days of the season. And he does so again in the first days of spring.
Every year, his message takes on a similar tenor: He likes the direction the team is headed. He wants to win. He’s excited about playing.
“The way (Angels GM) Perry (Minasian) and the front office constructed a team this offseason, getting a lot better, it’s definitely a sign in the right direction,” Trout said last spring. “We’ve got a good team.”
“We’ve got a lot of young guys that came in,” Trout said last September, responding to a question about his confidence in the organization’s decision-makers. “If you look at what happened over the year — when we were playing in April our first baseman was taking college at-bats. To see him up there and do that. I can go through the whole roster.”
But when Trout spoke on Monday, ahead of the first full-team workout of the spring, he deviated from his approach in a way that many Angels fans have been hoping for over the last few years.
He said he thinks the team could be doing more.
“I was in contact with both of them (Moreno and team president John Carpino), just pushing, pushing, pushing,” Trout said. “There’s still some (free-agent) guys out there that can make this team a lot better.”
Blake Snell, J.D. Martinez and Cody Bellinger are just some of the major free agents still on the market who could theoretically help bolster the Angels roster.
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“I’m going to keep pushing as long as I can,” he added. “Until the season starts or until those guys sign. It’s just in my nature. I’m doing everything I can possible. It’s obviously Arte’s decision. I’m going to put my two cents in there.”
Trout will turn 33 years old this season. He was 23 years old the last time he played in the postseason. He watched his superstar teammate, Shohei Ohtani, sign with the Dodgers. And then an offseason where the Angels only spent along the margins and in the bullpen — the most expensive contract was three years and $33 million given to reliever Robert Stephenson. And that’s all after winning just 73 games each of the last two seasons.
For Trout, it’s clear this moment in time represents an inflection point in his Anaheim tenure. That’s probably why he couched his comments about wanting to remain with the Angels by adding that he could be open to getting traded in the future.
“I think the easy way out is to ask for a trade,” Trout said before later adding, “Maybe down the road, if some things change.”
He didn’t state specifically what would have to change in order for him to want out. But, presumably, it’s tied to what he talked about as the sun rose on Monday morning. Tied to his belief that the franchise is making legitimate attempts to become contenders.
Trout’s loyalty to the Angels has been unquestionable. He signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract in order to play his entire career with one organization. But Trout is likely seeing what we’re all seeing. That the pathway for his team to be a contender continues to narrow. The likelihood of finally making the postseason is lesser on paper than it’s ever since his first call-up 13 years ago.
Moreno told The Orange County Register in an interview last week that he expected the Angels to “set the budget lower” and shed some of the $233 million payroll from last season.
“I’m not going to spend money just to show that we’re going to spend money,” Moreno said in the interview, “unless it’s going to substantially change the team.”
It’s likely a similar message Moreno gave to Trout. When asked if he believed Moreno would pull the trigger on free agents, Trout said, “Um, you know, it’s uh, yeah, no. You know how Arte is.”
He danced around it. He laughed at the end. But the answer was, ultimately, “No.”
Trout said he’s spoken to free agents who are not only willing to play for the downtrodden franchise but actively want to sign there. But, Trout said, it will be up to Moreno.
“(Trout’s) talked to me about it, and he’s talked to the man about it that can make a difference,” said Angels manager Ron Washington. “And now it’s up to someone else to make the call.
“But my comment to that? Keep going, Mike.”
So yes, Trout may be loyal. But the Angels are testing that loyalty. Even though he’s paid handsomely, it doesn’t negate a desire to win.
It was around this time last year that Trout competed in the World Baseball Classic final. After Team USA lost in the championship, Trout texted his then-Angels manager, Phil Nevin.
“‘I needed this. I needed to play in this atmosphere. I needed to experience it and be in the moment,’” Trout said last year, relaying his text. “It just made me think about how bad we want to get back to the playoffs.”
That was a rallying cry for last season. The Angels poured so much into finally making a run. Rushed call-ups. Deadline deals. A relatively higher payroll. And still, the Angels finished 16 games below .500 — out of contention playing a single meaningful September game.
Trout toed a very delicate line on Monday. He didn’t blast the organization or the people in charge of it. At one point, he actually complimented Moreno for being willing to spend. He complimented GM Perry Minasian for improving the bullpen. His overall message, however, strayed from the company line in a way Trout almost never does.
He’s committed to being here. He’s committed to winning. And now, he’s simply asking for the same in return.
“When it finally happens, I think that’s bigger than if I wanted to just get out of here,” Trout said. “… If things change, and people feel a different way, we’ll go from there. But that’s how I feel.”
(Photo: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images)
