Mike Trout’s latest comments offer a pretty clear window into why the Angels decided to move on from Perry Minasian.
When John Mozeliak stepped in as interim general manager, one of the first messages he sent was simple: Trout was not going to be traded. That kind of clarity matters in Anaheim, where dealing the franchise’s face right after a front-office change would have gone over about as well as it sounds.
Mozeliak didn’t stop there. Trout said he met with the new GM before the trade deadline, and Mozeliak walked him through his vision for the organization going forward.
That kind of conversation may sound like standard procedure, but Trout also made it clear that not every previous general manager handled things that way. He said other GMs had talked with him in the trade room - except for Minasian.
That detail says plenty.
Minasian had plenty of issues during his time with the Angels, and while he had to operate under a demanding owner in Arte Moreno, the problems on his own watch were enough to sink him. Not keeping Trout in the loop may have been part of that bigger picture.
Maybe Minasian believed there should be a hard line between players and the front office. That line has value, sure, but Trout is different.
He’s the greatest player in franchise history, a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer, and someone who has stayed loyal to the Angels while repeatedly saying he wants to remain with the club.
In that light, it feels like a missed opportunity - maybe even a sign that Minasian never quite had the human touch this job demands. And when that kind of disconnect is paired with the team’s miserable results on the field, it’s not hard to see why the Angels eventually pulled the plug.
Mozeliak, by contrast, comes with a very different background. He ran the St.
Louis Cardinals for almost two decades, and he clearly understands the importance of handling legacy players the right way. By laying out a long-term plan and keeping Trout involved, he’s signaling that he intends to be around for more than a quick patch job.
Trout, for his part, appears to be on board. He said he understands the moves Mozeliak made at the deadline, and if the franchise cornerstone is aligned with the direction and being kept in the conversation, that’s a strong start for Mozeliak’s future in Anaheim.
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