The Los Angeles Angels have two words to say about franchise superstar Mike Trout — “he stay.”
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Angels general manager Perry Minasian made a definitive statement on Trout’s future in Anaheim.
“Mike Trout is not getting traded,” said Minasian, per Jeff Fletcher of the OG Register. “100 percent.”
Minasian’s comments put to rest several months of rumors about the potential trade availability of the three-time AL MVP Trout. A report in September suggested that the Angels might be willing to consider moving their longtime star. There were even some pretty wild names that emerged as possible trade suitors for Trout.
But a huge factor here is that Trout has a full no-trade clause in his contract. He also indicated in recent months that he has every intention of continuing his career with the Angels.
It might be best for the Angels to move off Trout at some point. While he is still very much Mike Trout when he is on the field, he can’t be considered the best player in baseball any more because of how much time he misses due to injuries every season. Trout is essentially a part-time player at this point of his career and has not played 120 games in a single season since 2019 (most recently missing nearly half of last year with a left hamate bone fracture). With seven years and $248 million still left on the 32-year-old’s contract, it is a major sunk cost for the Angels whenever Trout can’t play.
Nevertheless, the Angels plan to run it back for the foreseeable future with Trout, potentially to give him an opportunity to build back more of his value. There might also be some bread crumbs of hope with their other superstar possibly influencing the team’s decision here with Trout.
