BALTIMORE - Mike Trout walked into a conversation with interim general manager John Mozeliak a few weeks before Monday’s Trade Deadline and walked out with a clearer picture of where the Angels say they’re headed. The club’s biggest star wasn’t moved, wasn’t shopped in any serious way, and didn’t come away rattled by the organization’s sell-off.
Trout made that much plain Tuesday, saying the Deadline activity had not changed his stance on staying in Anaheim long-term.
“Nah, it hasn't changed anything,” Trout said. “But we're not where we want to be.
Doing what we did, I think helps our future. And we’ll see where it goes.”
The three-time AL MVP and 12-time All-Star also pushed back on the idea that he was somehow being pulled into a dramatic trade-room scene. Trout said the visit was simply a meeting in a conference room with Mozeliak, who had taken over on an interim basis after Perry Minasian’s dismissal in late June. Trout said he has been in the trade room before under previous general managers, but that this moment was more about communication than spectacle.
“People were blowing it up,” Trout said. “It wasn't what everybody's saying.
Basically, just going over everything. It wasn't like I was telling him, 'Oh, trade this guy, trade that guy.'
It was basically just a plan. It was just Mo trying to build a relationship with me in the couple weeks he's been here.
Just being transparent. I think that's the biggest thing.”
Mozeliak said Monday that he wanted Trout to understand his vision for the organization, noting that the longtime face of the franchise deserved that level of candor.
“He truly loves the game of baseball and so he was just curious of what this whole thing looked like,” Mozeliak said. “He's the face of this franchise, and from where I stand, we want to get this better for him and for others because our fans want to see winning, and that's the goal of what we're trying to accomplish.”
The Angels’ Deadline moves were impossible for Trout to ignore. He said it was difficult watching teammates depart, including right fielder Jo Adell, right-hander José Soriano, catcher Logan O'Hoppe and relievers Ryan Zeferjahn, Chase Silseth, Kirby Yates and Brent Suter. But he also said he understood the logic behind the shake-up, pointing to the organization’s effort to build something that lasts.
"We've got to look at ourselves in the mirror,” Trout said. “We're not where we want to be.
I think the best step in the best direction to turn things around is to do what we did. It's tough seeing your teammates go.
Built great relationships with all the guys. It’s a family.
It's a brotherhood. We see these guys more than our regular family.
That's the toughest thing, but we got some great prospects in return.”
That prospect haul was part of the reason Trout said the Deadline didn’t leave him discouraged. He said his card-collecting hobby meant he already knew several of the names coming back to the Angels.
The group includes shortstop Arjun Nimmala, now the club’s No. 2 prospect, right-hander Mason McGwire at No. 15 and catcher Jacob Cozart at No. 19.
The Angels also added catcher/designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros, who joined the roster on Tuesday, along with infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr., outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr., and right-handers Angel Rivero and Kyle Robinson. Ballesteros, 22, had been a Top 100 prospect in each of the last two seasons, while Alvarez, 23, arrived with a strong reputation after coming over from the Braves.
Trout said the reaction around the league suggested the Angels had done well.
“You can see the responses and everybody was excited about the Deadline,” Trout said. “The [media] and the scouts said Mo did a good job.
I follow a lot of these prospects, collecting cards, so I know the majority of the prospects that were getting traded. So we got a great boost in the farm system and we’ll see where it goes.”
The Angels haven’t reached the postseason since 2014 and haven’t finished with a winning record since ’15, and Trout said the team’s moves were made with that reality in mind. For now, he says the message from the front office hasn’t pushed him any further from the franchise he still plans to call home.
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