With the much-maligned departure of Shohei Ohtani to their cross-town team this offseason, Los Angeles Angels fans have spent the last couple months worrying about whether their other superstar, Mike Trout, is also seeking greener pastures.
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Yet, Trout put an end to any speculation during his spring training media availability on Monday, when he made his take on his Angels tenure very clear.
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"The easy way out is just ask for a trade," Trout said. "There might be a time. Maybe. I really haven't thought about this. But when I signed that contract, I'm loyal. I want to win a championship here.
"The overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is bigger satisfaction [than] bailing out and just taking an easy way out," Trout continued. "So, I think that's been my mindset. Maybe down the road if something's changed, but that's been my mindset ever since the trade speculations came up."
This must be music to the Angels' ears.
Yet, just because Trout is loyal doesn't mean that he's content with playing for a mediocre team — which he made very clear to Angels owner Arte Moreno.
Trout also mentioned on Monday that he has been pushing Moreno and team president John Carpino to spend money and sign some of the free agents that are still available on the market, such as Cody Bellinger.
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"This offseason, I was in contact with both [Moreno and Carpino], just pushing, pushing, pushing. There's still some guys out there that can make this team a lot better... I am going to keep pushing as long as I can. 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 even revealed that multiple players have expressed their interest in playing for the Angels with Trout — although Moreno's hesitation seems to be the reason his team hasn't made more of a splash this offseason.
Considering that there are still some major free agents available on the market, the Angels brass still has ample opportunities to convince Trout that they're willing to spend money and help bring the Angels back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
What's for sure is that Moreno and Carpino would be wise to keep Trout content, so those trade rumors don't start to sound more enticing.
