Ask any long-time fan, and they’ll agree – baseball has changed a lot since the 90s. Most players rarely remain in one team for their entire careers anymore. Gone are the days of players like Derek Jeter. Now there’s a temporariness in everything. But then there’s always an exception to the rules – here it’s Mike Trout, the golden boy of the Los Angeles Angels. 

Ever since he was drafted in 2009, Trout has remained an Angel. Through thick and thin – recently mostly thins, his loyalty has never withered. For that, he was awarded the biggest contract in baseball, but sometimes money isn’t everything. In his illustrious career, Trout has played only 3 postseason games. So perhaps it’s time for the Halos to fulfill his on-field dreams. They could take the first step right now, but Arte Moreno’s stance has raised some doubts.

Los Angeles Angels trying to navigate their new reality

In a report from The Athletic, Mike Trout made it obvious that he’s “loyal,” to the Angels. As The Millville Meteor said, “The overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is bigger satisfaction than bailing out and just taking the easy way out. … Maybe down the road, if some things change.” This showed his loyalty but also raised an important question. 

For instance, while Trout said he wanted to remain an Angel, he did say he might be open for a trade, eventually. Is this a way for Trout to add some pressure on Halos’ management? In the same interview, the slugger said he was “pushing” the management for free-agent signings.

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So Trout has made it clear that he wants to be a part of a competitive team. With consecutive 73-win seasons, the Anaheim Angels are quite far from it. Now they don’t have Shohei Ohtani as well. So it’s surprising how the franchise hasn’t gone ballistic over the free-agent market. Shouldn’t they create a winning team around their remaining superstar? 

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But this is where mixed signals come in. While the Angels haven’t made any huge signings, they have been linked with quite a few major stars.

Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger are still in the market 

The loss of Shohei Ohtani has left a giant hole in both the mound and the plate for the Angels. This is where either Blake Snell or Cody Bellinger could help. While the links with Snell have strengthened in recent times, they still aren’t in a place where they should be. Arte Moreno is famous for not investing big on pitching and Snell wants a $200 million plus deal. Will anyone blink here?

On the other hand, Bellinger is far closer to the Chicago Cubs. The Halos will have to pull a proverbial rabbit out of their hats to entice him. But why haven’t they pulled it out yet? If not now, then when? The last question is the one that has become a part of the Halos’ story in the past few years.

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