Mike Trout wants to stay on Angels, eyes free agents - ESPN

TEMPE, Arizona — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout said he has no desire to be traded now and that he has encouraged Angels owner Arte Moreno to sign at least one of the remaining high-profile free agents to help replace Shohei Ohtani.

On the first day of full squads around Major League Baseball reporting to spring training, the three-time American League Most Valuable Player reaffirmed his commitment to the Angels but left open the possibility of a deal in the future. Trout, whose $426.5 million contract with the Angels runs through 2030, has a full no-trade clause.

«The easy way out is just ask for a trade,» Trout said. «There might be a time. Maybe. I really haven't thought about this. But when I signed that contract, I'm loyal. I want to win a championship here. The overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is bigger satisfaction [than] bailing out and just taking an easy way out. So, I think that's been my mindset. Maybe down the road if something's changed, but that's been my mindset ever since the trade speculations came up.»

In Trout's 13 years with the Angels, they have made the playoffs just once, in 2014, when they were swept by the Kansas City Royals. In the wake of Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million free agent deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Angels — who went 73-89 last year and replaced manager Phil Nevin with Ron Washington — completely overhauled their bullpen, signing five relievers, including right-hander Robert Stephenson and left-hander Matt Moore.

While Trout didn't name names, he said he hoped the Angels could add from an available player pool that includes National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell, outfielder Cody Bellinger, left-hander Jordan Montgomery and