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With the July 31 trade deadline looming, the Los Angeles Angels find themselves in a familiar but tricky position — on the fringe of postseason contention and facing a pivotal organizational decision. But if you ask franchise icon Mike Trout, the message to the front office is simple: believe in this team.
“I think they know,” Trout said when asked if management sees the club’s potential. “They’re down here, they see it and they feel it. They know the guys we got in this clubhouse. It’s fun to come to the ballpark.”
Trout’s vote of confidence comes at a time when the Angels, sitting at 47-48 and just three games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, have outperformed preseason expectations. A year removed from a 99-loss season and plagued by injuries — including Trout’s own absence with a knee issue — Los Angeles has stayed afloat in a muddled American League playoff race.
Whether that’s enough to convince general manager Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno to buy at the deadline remains unclear. The front office has a history of bold, short-term thinking under Moreno, who is known for prioritizing immediate contention over long-term stability.
The Angels could be Wild Card contenders
Veteran closer Kenley Jansen, signed this offseason to a one-year deal, acknowledged that uncertainty but made his intentions clear. “Not finishing here would be disappointing,” Jansen told The Athletic. “I came here to try to help this team turn it around, to get at least a wild-card spot.”
Jansen, 37, has a 3.38 ERA and 16 saves over 38 appearances. He could be one of the Angels’ more valuable trade chips if the team decides to sell. Other candidates include infielder Luis Rengifo — on an expiring contract — along with Yoan Moncada, Tyler Anderson, and even young assets like Reid Detmers and Jo Adell if the Angels opt for a more aggressive shake-up.
Still, there's internal belief that this team can do something special.
“We’ve said it since spring training; we’re going to shock a lot of people,” shortstop Zach Neto said. “That’s not about proving people wrong, it’s just what we believe in. That we’re going to make it to the playoffs.”
Interim manager Ray Montgomery echoed the sentiment, praising the group’s chemistry and work ethic. “This is the best group that we’ve had in terms of camaraderie and the way guys interact,” he said.
Despite being in the thick of the Wild Card race, predictive models remain skeptical. FanGraphs gives the Angels just a 5.2% chance to reach the postseason, citing their negative run differential and the crowded field of contenders.
But sometimes, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Jansen spoke to the emotional side of the push. “I believe Mike Trout should play in the postseason. He deserves that,” he said. “If some days you feel like you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for Mike, do it for the others. Do it for the fans.”
For a franchise that hasn’t tasted playoff baseball since 2014, the next three weeks could define not just the season, but the future. The Angels might not have a perfect team, but they’ve got belief — and, as Trout made clear, that might be enough to convince their front office to make one more push.
