Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout says he wouldn’t trade himself

Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout told reporters that if he were Halos GM Billy Eppler, he wouldn’t trade himself for a complete team rebuild.

For the Los Angeles Angels, Mike Trout’s name has been the center of the team’s attention since he came into the league five years ago.

Since then, Trout has been the best player in baseball, and frankly, one of the best the game has seen.

The numbers speak for themselves: five-straight All Star games, four-straight Silver Sluggers, three MVP runner-ups, an MVP award, and five-straight years leading the league in WAR.

And a partridge in a pear tree, right?

The value of Trout seems immeasurable, but the Angels were able to ink the 24-year-old to a six-year, $144.5 million contract that runs through 2020.

The blueprint has been to build around Trout in order to build a championship roster with Trout as the nucleus.

In 2014, things seemed to be going according to plan as the team won 98 games, the most in the Majors. That success led to Trout’s first appearance in the postseason, but he went only 1-for-12 in the three-game series against the Kansas City Royals and the Angels were swept.

Jul 9, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) singles in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore Orioles defeated Los Angeles Angels 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

Since then, the Angels have been on a steep downhill free-fall that has led some analysts to wonder if the Halos should trade their superstar for a complete team overhaul.

The debate raised eyebrows and concerns among Angels fans, but Trout himself assured reporters this week that there was nothing to worry about.

On Monday, during the All-Star media session, Trout was asked if he would trade himself if he were the Angels GM. His response?

A smile, followed by, “No, I don’t think so.”

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Trout also said that he has known for awhile that Billy Eppler, the Angels current GM, doesn’t want to trade him.

“When that stuff got out there, Billy called me,” Trout said, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. “[He] said, ‘Obviously, don’t even think about it. Don’t let it bother you, you’re not going anywhere.'”

Trout also reassured Angels fans that he hasn’t considered leaving and enjoys playing in Southern California, despite playing for a team that finished the first half of the season 37-52, 16.5 games out of the division lead.

“I like Anaheim. I like the fans, they’re great,” Trout said. “Obviously, we’re in a tough situation. Things haven’t gone as well as we’d like this year.”

Trout can’t be blamed for the team’s struggles, in fact he may be the only thing helping the team keep its head above water. He leads the team in 12 of 16 offensive statistic categories including batting average (.322), home runs (18), and hits (104).

He will probably finish the season among the league’s best in those categories once again, but once again he will likely miss the playoffs.

Next: Where's the relief?

Trout said he wouldn’t trade himself, which is good for fans knowing that he will be with the team until at least 2020.

The bigger concern should be, where will he play the year after?

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