The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Trout says he’s loyal guy, wants to win as an Angel
The annual questions surrounding Mike Trout have only grown louder.
Trout has enjoyed a Hall of Fame career — albeit one recently stalled by injuries — while the Angels have struggled. The confluence has caused people from coast to coast to question why Trout simply doesn’t ask the Angels for a trade.
Trout, who signed a 12-year, $426-million contract five years ago, said it’s not in his nature to “take the easy way out.”
“When I signed that contract, I’m loyal,” Trout said before the Angels first full-squad workout of the spring on Monday. “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 the easy way out. So I think that’s been my mindset. Maybe down the road, if some things change, but that’s been my mindset ever since the trade speculation came up.”
When asked what could change, Trout said, “I can’t predict the future.” He then said he’s enjoyed his relationships with “everyone in the clubhouse and everyone in the organization” and that the change might come someday “if … people feel different.”
Those “people,” obviously start at the top.
Trout said he’s had regular dialogue with owner Arte Moreno, president John Carpino and general manager Perry Minasian, and he’s impressed upon them his desire to build a winning team.
“I’m in Perry’s ear,” Trout said. “I’m in the front office’s ear every day. We’ll see what happens.”
Trout said he’s been specifically “pushing” the Angels to add from the remaining free agents, a group that is led by pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Trout didn’t say which free agents he’s endorsed.
“There’s a few guys out there that I’ve talked to that want to be here for sure,” Trout said. “I’m competitive. The guys that are out there are great players and great people. It would be foolish to say I don’t want them to come here.” — Jeff Fletcher
Ohtani faces live pitching
It was the shot heard ’round the world – as everything Shohei Ohtani does is.
Ohtani took live batting practice for the first time this spring on Monday, facing pitchers for the first time since his elbow surgery last September. He stood in for five pitches from Ryan Brasier without swinging. Against Blake Treinen, he fouled the first pitch off his foot then later swung and missed to end a five-pitch at-bat.
But in the final round of live atbats, Ohtani ended a five-pitch at-bat by sending a fastball from J.P. Feyereisen over the center field fence – a meaningless home run nonetheless documented by dozens of reporters and so many cameras that several photographers set up beyond the center field fence. A live broadcast back to Japan might have drawn good ratings – even though it would have aired at 4 a.m. there.
Feyereisen got a text from teammate Evan Phillips immediately after surrendering Ohtani’s first home run as a Dodger.
“Evan said I should go get the baseball and get it signed by him,” Feyereisen said with a smile.
Ohtani declined to speak with the media, leaving Feyereisen to look up startled to be surrounded by dozens of reporters when he reached his locker after the workout.
“You look at him in the box and it’s like everybody is dead quiet,” Feyereisen said. “‘Shohei is hitting, let’s go watch him.’ It’s cool seeing the following of his and obviously to see him play is awesome.”
• The Dodgers have decided to delay Walker Buehler’s start to the season as he returns from a second elbow reconstruction surgery. Manager Dave Roberts said there is “no hard date” for when Buehler will join the rotation, and added that it’s “probably unlikely” that Buehler would appear in any of the Dodgers’ Cactus League games before they leave for South Korea on March 14.
— Bill Plunkett
Around the diamond
• Bryce Harper wants to finish his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, playing into his 40s and perhaps gloving a throw at first base for the final out of a World Series.
Harper arrived at spring training on Sunday, and the two-time NL MVP said he accepts his move to first after 11 seasons in the outfield, a makeshift decision last year that got him back on the field following Tommy John surgery.
He has seven years and $196 million left on his $330 million, 13-year contract, a relative bargain with a $25.4 million average salary that ranks 25th among current players.
• Pablo Sandoval, the 2012 World Series MVP, is returning to the San Francisco Giants on a minor league deal that includes an invitation to major league camp.
Sandoval, 37, will be attempting to get back into the big leagues for the first time since 2021.