Mike Trout’s move out of center field feels less like a jolt this time and more like the Angels finally catching up to reality.
For years, Trout has been the kind of player who could keep a team’s plan centered around him. But after spending most of 2025 at designated hitter and right field in moves meant to cut down on injury risk, the conversation around his defensive home has shifted again.
This time, the change came from Trout himself. Interim general manager John Mozeliak said at his end-of-season press conference Monday that Trout approached him about spending more time in left field, and possibly designated hitter, in 2027.
That is a much different setup than the one that sparked tension before. Then-manager Joe Maddon quickly walked back his suggestion that Trout would play less center field in 2022 after the three-time MVP took issue with it. This version sounds far more settled, and far more practical.
The numbers back it up, too. In 2026, the Angels had better options in center field.
Bryce Teodosio posted a plus-3 in Defensive Runs Saved, Josh Lowe had a 1, and even Jose Siri came in at minus-4 - all ahead of Trout. By DRS, only four center fielders finished with fewer totals than Trout.
Statcast’s Outs Above Average painted a similar picture, with only two center fielders grading out worse defensively over the season.
Still, the Angels had kept Trout in center even with those alternatives on the roster. That choice did not end up being the difference between making the postseason or missing it, but it did leave the team leaning on a setup that no longer made much sense. Now, with left field and designated hitter both open and a full offseason to prepare, the move looks a lot cleaner.
Two years ago, the circumstances were messier. Trout’s midseason shift to DH forced Jorge Soler into the outfield after Soler had spent most of the previous two seasons at DH, and the adjustment showed.
That kind of in-season reshuffling is one thing. Planning ahead is another.
The Angels also have more flexibility now than they did then. Soler was designated for assignment in August.
Jo Adell, the team’s opening-day right fielder, was traded to the Cleveland Guardians at the deadline, creating another opening in the outfield. Lowe, who had mostly played right field with Tampa Bay before being traded to the Angels in January, gives Mozeliak an in-house option if he decides to tender Lowe a contract this offseason.
So this time, the Angels do not need to tear up the roster to make the move. The hardest part was getting Trout to accept what the last 15 years have been saying about his defensive value in center field.
Just as important, Mozeliak now has a clean runway into the offseason. The position picture is no longer murky, and Trout’s role is no longer an open question.
That clarity matters, especially with new owner Stan Kroenke set to bring what looks like a true reset for the Angels in 2027.
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Now the Angels have a decision to make with a pitcher who looks like part of the solution, not just a useful piece. Whether they see him as a long-term arm worth extending or as a player whose value might peak on the trade market, Detmers rise has put his future squarely in the spotlight. For a team trying to sort out its direction, that is the kind of choice that can shape more than just one offseason. [Read more 🡒]