Moreno: Angels need Trout 'on the field' to be successful

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno expects his team to contend in 2025 but says they'll only be able to achieve that goal if Mike Trout is part of the everyday lineup.

"We don't need Mike Trout to be an MVP. We just need Mike Trout to get on the field," Moreno said Wednesday, according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger.

"Because whether he's a DH or playing a corner, whatever he's doing, when Mike Trout comes up to bat, it really protects the other guys, and he can change the game with one swing."

Trout has appeared in just 266 games over the past four seasons while dealing with a myriad of injuries. The Angels' record has gotten worse each year, with them posting a franchise-worst .389 winning percentage in 2024.

Los Angeles relied mostly on a young core of players this past season. Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Logan O'Hoppe are expected to play big roles in the future, but the owner wants Trout and the Angels to come up with a plan for him to stay healthy in 2025.

"I just want the young players to be around people who want to win and want to compete. That's so important," Moreno said.

Trout, a three-time AL MVP, is set to earn $37.1 million per season through 2030. The Angels have made the postseason just once during his big-league career, losing in the 2014 ALDS.