Goodbyes? We miss prime Mike Trout
There may be no sadder situation in professional baseball — well, outside of the Chicago White Sox — than the plight of Mike Trout and the Angels.
The team is a disaster, with one postseason appearance in the last 15 seasons. Trout, the homegrown superstar whose Baseball Reference page once looked Bonds-esque, is 33 and cannot stay healthy. Hope registers in the negatives.
Sam Blum and Andy McCullough interviewed Trout and others in his orbit for a probing piece yesterday, one I found insightful. Three things I want to highlight:
- It’s impressive and indicative of the depressing situation that Trout is a surefire Hall of Famer despite averaging 66 games per year since 2021. By age 28, he had three MVP awards and a Rookie of the Year honor. At 33, he can’t stay on the field.
- It’s led even Trout to wonder if the best version of himself is still possible. From 2012 to 2022, he averaged 41 home runs and a 1.010 OPS per 162 games played. Yet in limited action these last two seasons, his strikeouts have spiked. He hit just .220 in 29 games this year, the lowest number since his debut in 2011.
- His frame and defensive position in center field could be to blame for some of his ailments, per our report. He is open to playing more DH and less center field to preserve his health. He knows his time is limited.
The expensive elephant in the room: Trout has six years and $216 million remaining on his mega-contract, which makes it both prohibitive for the organization and impossible to trade, if it reaches that point.
I thought it couldn’t get any worse than Shohei Ohtani leaving the Angels for nothing last winter. I guess we’re here. I encourage you to read the full story for more insights from Trout himself, including an intriguing shot at Angels owner Arte Moreno.
Watch and Listen
📺 WNBA: Dream at Liberty
7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
The first of what should be a great playoff doubleheader tonight. A lineup change made a huge difference for New York in Game 1, and the Liberty can clinch a series win here already. See if the title favorites look the part.
📺 WNBA: Storm at Aces
9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Baseball can wait a night. The Aces, the defending champs, can sew up a first-round win while once again employing the best player in the league. But they ended the season on a tear after an iffy start. Can they look like the favorite?
Stream games like these here and get tickets here.
🎧 “Scoop City” had former NFL lineman and podcast star Chris Long on to talk about the Eagles and play a game of Red Light, Green Light for all things NFL. Get it? Listen here.
