Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout lost his primary running mate this offseason when Shohei Ohtani headed up the I-5 to join the L.A. Dodgers on a historic 10-year, $700 million deal that was nearly entirely deferred. Rumors stated that Ohtani may have stayed in Anaheim had Angels owner Arte Moreno offered the same deal, but he refused and Ohtani swapped from red to blue.
This left Trout and the Angels in an interesting position. Moreno has made it clear that they are cutting costs this season, as their payroll currently sits at $188 million and they did not sign a free agent to a deal larger than $33 million (Robert Stephenson). So Trout is the lone superstar next to Anthony Rendon and a host of potentially promising young players.
If all goes right, the Angels could be competitive this season. But the likelier scenario is the team’s ninth consecutive losing season — ZiPS projections have L.A. finishing 78-84 — and another year missing the postseason with Trout at age 32.
But Trout’s mindset has remained mostly positive throughout Spring Training, even if Moreno isn’t listening to his bids to sign top free agents. And that’s because he went into the offseason with the expectation that Ohtani would leave, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post:
“I kind of knew, the feeling I was getting, the vibe I was getting,” he said of Ohtani. “I’m happy for him.”
Even still, the Angels superstar believes in what the team has. And is looking ahead to what could be a fun season in Anaheim if things go right.
“You never know, that’s the feeling in this clubhouse,” Trout said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence. … It’s going to be fun.”
It’s noted that plenty of things need to go right for the Angels to break their postseason drought. Just about all of their young pieces — Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Logan O’Hoppe, Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Chase Silseth — need to have quality seasons, while Trout and Rendon need to stay healthy.
Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon taking starts at DH
In an effort to keep the Angels star duo healthy, manager Ron Washington revealed that both players are starting at least one game per week at the designated hitter position. This means L.A. won’t be signing a traditional DH like J.D. Martinez and will rotate based on need throughout the season.