Angels' Mike Trout Still Keeps in Contact With Shohei Ohtani
Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are no longer be teammates since Ohtani departed for the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency, but the two still keep in touch. This is not necessarily a surprise — the two players were teammates from the time Ohtani arrived in Major League Baseball with the Angels in 2018 — but it's nice to hear that the two former MVPs and All-Stars remain in contact.
The two players publicly reunited during the Dodgers-Angels Freeway Series in Spring Training. While noting he's been in touch with Ohtani outside of this moment, Trout called Ohtani a guy "you can't replace" in a recent interview.
“You can’t replace a guy like him," Trout said on Foul Territory. "When he’s pitching and hitting, it’s hard to replace. Of course I was trying to get him to come back. I talked to him a few times, obviously see him when we played him in the Freeway Series. I’m excited for him, happy for him, he’s going to kill it wherever he’s at.”
It's clear the Angels have not been able to replace Ohtani. They are 9-13 to begin their first year of the post-Ohtani era.
Even the Dodgers struggled last week with Ohtani, at least until their 10-0 win over the New York Mets on Sunday. Long-term, however, the loss of Ohtani has huge implications for both the Angels' lineup and rotation. Without him, the Angels are missing the best hitter and pitcher from last season — when they already struggled to win.
Trout has done his best to help carry the Angels, getting off to one of his hottest starts in years. He's stolen five bases, equaling his total from the last three years combined. He's also tied for first in MLB in home runs with eight. Even with this level of production, it cannot fully make up for what Ohtani could have also brought for the team.
