Mike Trout on Trade Speculation: 'I Want to Win a Championship' With Angels

Though his patience has been tested, Trout considers a trade request 'the easy way out.'

Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout has made it clear that he intends to stay with the Angels for the time being.

While there have been rumors that Trout could be traded to a contender, Trout shut those down and made it clear he wants to win with the Angels.

"When I signed that contract, I’m loyal. I want to win a championship here. 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. So I think that’s been my mindset. Maybe down the road, if some things change, but that’s been my mindset ever since the trade speculation came up.”
— via Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register.

Trout has indeed been loyal to the Angels to this point in his career. The eleven-time All-Star has spent his entire career with the Angels, dating to when the team selected him in the first round of the 2009 draft.

Trout's contract is intended to keep the center fielder with the Angels until 2030. He is playing out the 12-year, $426 million contract he signed with the Angels in 2019, which was the largest contract in North American sports history at the time. 

However, Trout's goal of winning a championship with the Angels has required a lot of patience. Staying with the Angels is far from the easiest way out, when many contenders would likely be happy to take Trout to boost their own title odds. Trout and the Angels have not made the postseason since 2014, almost a decade ago. 

While Trout has had some injury issues over the last season, the Angels hold one of the longest postseason droughts and would need to change their trajectory significantly to make the postseason again and be in title contention. It certainly helps the Angels' case to have Trout on board, but they still have a long way to go.