Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels have kicked off their preparations at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Arizona.
The three-time AL MVP has a big season ahead as he looks to help his team claim a postseason spot. However, he will be without his longtime perennial star, Shohei Ohtani, who left the Angels last year in free agency.
Trout’s wife, Jessica, shared a heartwarming display of her husband engaged in training.
The Angels are depleted, with their MVP star headed to cross-town rivals the LA Dodgers. Many analysts think that the Angels should trade Mike Trout ahead of the trade deadline to assemble future assets, but Trout has a different take.
“Easy way out would be asking for a trade”: Mike Trout wants to win championship with the Angels
On Monday, Mike Trout said spoke after training and addressed the rumors regarding the trade talks surrounding him. He said that asking for a trade is an easy way out and added that he’d like to win a championship with the Angels.
“I think the biggest thing right now is the easy way out would be asking for a trade,” Trout said. “There might be a time, maybe. I haven’t really thought about this. When I signed that contract, I’m loyal and want to win a championship here.”
Loyalty has been Trout’s biggest virtue, as he has stayed with the franchise that drafted him 25th overall in the 2009 MLB Draft. The club reciprocated by signing him to a blockbuster 12-year contract for $426 million in 2019.
Over the years, Trout has won everything apart from a World Series title.
“I think the overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is a bigger satisfaction than bailing and taking the easy way out,” Trout said.
Trout’s contract includes a full-trade clause, which means it will be up to him if he wants to get traded.
On that front, Trout mentioned that he would think about the trade in the near future, but, at the moment, hes’ focused on winning a championship for his franchise.
“Maybe down the road if something changes, but that’s been my mindset ever since the trade speculations,” Trout said. “I can’t predict the future. But I think the overall build of not getting to the playoffs and then when it happens, it’s bigger than if I just wanted to get out of here.
“The overall relationships with everybody in this clubhouse, everybody in this organization has been great. If things change, obviously, and people feel different way, we’ll go from there.”
With Mike Trout seemingly going nowhere in the immediate future, the Angels are primed to see a healthy and MVP version of the player again.
