Mike Trout has spent his entire major league career with the Los Angeles Angels, and one of the biggest changes in franchise history has given the longtime superstar a renewed sense of optimism.
The Angels are heading toward new ownership, with Stan Kroenke purchasing the franchise from longtime owner Arte Moreno in a deal reportedly valuing the club at $4 billion.
For Trout, the change represents an opportunity for the organization to reset after years of disappointing results.
The three-time American League MVP remains committed to Los Angeles, with his contract running through the 2030 season. Rather than making him reconsider his future with the club, the ownership transition appears to have increased his enthusiasm about what could come next.
There is plenty behind that optimism.
Kroenke has assembled one of the most extensive sports portfolios in the world, with organizations that have enjoyed championship success across multiple leagues. His holdings include the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids and Arsenal.
That track record arrives at an important moment for the Angels.
Los Angeles has endured an extended stretch without meaningful October baseball, reaching the postseason only once since 2010. The club has now recorded 11 consecutive losing seasons, a remarkable drought considering its roster once featured Trout and Shohei Ohtani at the same time.
Frustration among the fan base has become increasingly visible. During the 2026 season, supporters at Angel Stadium repeatedly called for Moreno to sell the franchise as the team struggled through another difficult campaign.
Changes had already begun inside the organization before the ownership announcement.
General manager John Mozeliak has been reshaping baseball operations since taking charge, making roster moves, changing members of the coaching staff and restructuring parts of the front office. The arrival of a new ownership group could accelerate that process, although it also creates questions about who will ultimately oversee the club’s baseball operations.
Kroenke’s group is not expected to formally assume control until the first quarter of 2027, meaning the Angels will operate through a transition period before the new regime can fully establish its direction.
Players are already trying to determine what that future might look like.
Trout and shortstop Zach Neto contacted members of the Rams to learn more about Kroenke’s approach as an owner. The feedback they received suggested a willingness to provide players and organizations with the resources required to compete.
For a franchise that has spent more than a decade searching for a way back into contention, that possibility alone provides something that has been in short supply around Anaheim.
Optimism.
The ownership change will not instantly repair the Angels’ roster or erase years of losing. But for Trout, his teammates and a fan base hungry for a contender, it offers something nearly as important: a chance to start again.
