Mike Trout Pushing Angels Front Office to Sign One of the Top Free Agents
The Los Angeles Angels' offseason has been relatively uneventful. General manager Perry Minasian has had a broad palate of free agent stars to choose from – beginning with in-house star Shohei Ohtani — and thus far he's passed on all of them.
Mike Trout is hoping to shift that tide.
Trout will be entering his 14th year in the league. In December he lost his running mate, Shohei Ohtani, to the Angels' rivals up the freeway, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, the 32-year-old is taking matters into his own hands to build a stronger roster by recruiting star free agents.
In a recent interview with USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Trout said he's constantly communicating with the Angels' owner and president, Arte Moreno and John Carpino, respectively, to better the team.
"This offseason, I was in contact with (Arte Moreno and John Carpino), just pushing, pushing, pushing. There’s still some guys out there that can make this team a lot better."
The three-time American League Most Valuable Player also said he will continue to pursue certain star players until the start of the regular season.
"I’m going to be pushing as long as I can, unless the season starts or until those guys sign," Trout said. "It’s just in my nature. I’m going to do everything I can possible. It’s obviously Arte’s decision but I’m going to put my two cents in there."
Trout is in it for the long haul. Although the front office has not returned the favor to the 11-time All-Star, he's still dedicated to the team he's called home for 13 years.
The nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner is dedicated to the Halos. He's doing all he can to build the best team possible and make the postseason for the first time since 2014.
Four Scott Boras clients — pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Cody Bellinger — are still free agents as spring training camps open around the league. All four could make a major impact on a team looking to contend in 2024.
Assuming they can afford the players Trout is lobbying to sign, it seems Moreno and the Angels' front office don't share the same sense of urgency as their superstar player.
Trout isn't the same player he was in years past. He can't carry a team by himself, let alone with Ohtani. Time is ticking, and we'll see if Trout's efforts can help his team land a star player or two.
