Each year that Mike Trout is great and his team stinks, the question of the Los Angeles Angels trading him out of town is posed.
And each year, LA general manager Billy Eppler has an answer. “We’re not going to trade Mike Trout.”
Eppler had the same answer in 2018, a year that will see the Angels miss the playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine years and bring Trout one year closer to free agency in fall 2020.
With essentially two years left on Trout’s deal, Eppler is now confronting the problem not of trading Trout, but of getting him to stay in Los Angeles on a long-term contract extension.
To do that, the first step is likely moving on from manager Mike Scioscia. While talented, Scioscia has been in LA for more than a decade and the team could use some fresh blood.
Also, Eppler will have to handle the situation with two-way star Shohei Ohtani correctly, demonstrating to Trout he is committed to winning and will continue to surround him with young, talented players who are capable of doing so.
“We’re going to continue to improve this club and watch the development of some young players emerging into the major leagues, be open-minded in the trade market and in the free-agent market, and put together a contending team next season,” Eppler said. “That’s our goal.”
Hopefully, Trout buys in and Eppler is able to hook him back in.
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