Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has a no-trade clause, and it's clearly his ace in the hole.
Mike Trout knows the questions are coming, and the Los Angeles Angels outfielder thinks they’re “hilarious.” The All-Star game is approaching, and Trout has eagerly answered most of the questions about that topic.
But there are also questions about another topic, and Trout issued some noteworthy answers about the trade deadline and his no-trade clause. Trout doesn’t usually talk about this, which is part of why his answers were noteworthy. The other is that he knows he’ll be asked a lot about being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies when he arrives in Philly for his All-Star cameo.
“Oh, I know I'm going to hear that a thousand times,” Trout said in a piece written by Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “The thing is, I have a no-trade clause. So, like, it can happen whenever. Ultimately, it comes down to what me and my family want. So I just think it's so hilarious when guys keep asking me.”
The automatic follow up is about whether Trout wants to stay with the Angels, and his answer to that one was more succinct.
“Yeah, for sure,” Trout said if he wants to remain with the Angels. “For sure.”
Trout also said he plans to talk with interim general manager John Mozeliak after this weekend’s Draft and after the All-Star break about his status. That, too, is new given that he’s spent the last five seasons playing for GM Perry Minasian.
The Angels outfielder will get a positive response from Philadelphia fans, although he might want to moderate those comments about his no-trade clause and where they appear. This is a fan base that can turn on a dime when it comes to turning on players, and if Trout makes a misstep that makes it sound like he doesn’t want to come play for the local nine, he’ll hear about it very quickly.
“The fans have been awesome,” Trout said prior to last night’s game against the Minnesota Twins. “I know how Eagles fans are when an opposing player comes into town. So to hear that ovation, it means a lot. The fans of Philly sports, they appreciate people that play the game hard and play the game the right way, and that's how I’ve been since I was a kid. I know they see that, and I don't take it for granted playing this game.”
Manager Kurt Suzuki was an All-Star teammate of Trout’s back in 2015, so he knows better than anyone what the experience will be like for Trout.
“That's going to be something special for Mike,” Suzuki said. “I know he's been thinking about that a lot, and especially coming into the year, he knew it was going to be in Philly. That's something special for him, and the guy deserves it. His career speaks for itself, but now to be able to go play an All-Star game really close to home, it's definitely going to be a cool experience for him.”
