With the season coming to a close, the Los Angeles Angels continue to play for pride, reps for the young players, and speculation around the future of the team, including Mike Trout.
Most of the buzz has surrounded that of superstar Shohei Ohtani, for good reason, but also because of the incredible statistical season he put up in a contract year. The Angels were unable to reach another postseason with he and Trout, continuing their drought since the two-way man signed on.
Trout has endured much of the same, missing the playoffs, while having unbelievable on-field performance. His injuries are becoming more pronounced in his age-32 season, making consistency tough on the lineup.
He has yet to meet with the Angels front office which has sparked speculative thoughts, but Trout provided insight into the goal of those talks, per Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“I go through this every year,” Trout said. “They’re private conversations I have with Arte and John. I’m doing the same thing I did the last 13 years. Going into the offseason, clear my mind, getting ready for spring and wearing an Angels uniform in the spring.”
Trout noting that he expects to stay with the Angels is considerable news because of their youthful roster. Their farm system ranks near the bottom of Major League Baseball, but at this point in his career, the return for him wouldn’t net nearly as much as hoped.
Mike Trout looking to next season was best for mindset
The Angels placing Trout on the injured list effectively ended his season. There was some hope that he would be able to find a bit of rhythm with game speed, but he’ll have to wait until Spring Training to do so.
Appearing in 82 games in 2023 was a disappointment, but when he was on the field, Trout was very productive. His .857 on-base plus slugging with 18 homers, 44 RBI and 54 runs scored looked like his old self.
However, the push following surgery on his hamate fracture was too much for him to get fully right.
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