Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels superstar outfielder Mike Trout expressed concern Friday about taking part in the 2020 MLB season amid the coronavirus pandemic because his wife, Jessica Trout, is pregnant with the couple's first child.

"Honestly, I still don't feel that comfortable. It's gonna be tough," Trout told reporters. "I've got to be really cautious these next couple weeks. I don't want to test positive. I don't want to bring it back to my wife. It's a tough situation we're in."

In March, Trout announced their baby boy is expected in August:

The 28-year-old New Jersey native is MLB's gold standard. He's won the American League MVP Award three times, including in 2019, and he's earned eight consecutive All-Star nods since becoming a full-time player for the Angels in 2012.

His 72.7 WAR in that time is an astonishing 25.6 wins higher than any other hitter over that same span, per FanGraphs.

The Angels have qualified for the playoffs just once during his tenure despite his individual dominance, however, and they were immediately swept by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 ALDS.

They signed third baseman Anthony Rendon, a key cog in the Washington Nationals' 2019 championship team, to a seven-year, $245 million contract in free agency. They also added Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy to bolster their starting rotation, a frequent weak spot in recent years.

A deeper rotation paired with an offense headlined by Trout, Rendon, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols gives the Angels serious sleeper potential ahead of the shortened 60-game regular season.

L.A.'s outlook would significantly change if the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year opted out of the season.

Brian Goodwin would shift to center field with David Fletcher and Michael Hermosillo getting more playing time in the corner outfield spots. Jo Adell, the team's 21-year-old top prospect, could also be called out of the player pool in hopes of providing a spark in that scenario.

Trout hasn't made a final decision about his participation with play set to begin July 23 or 24, though.

"My mindset is to play but it's a tough situation," he said. "I've got to play it by ear."

His comments come amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide. MLB will attempt to play games at home stadiums around the country rather than try the "bubble" approach being utilized by the NBA and NHL for their restarts.

Losing the sport's best player would be a major blow to MLB's effort to crown a legitimate World Series champion in 2020.

Los Angeles Angels employees in the Dominican Republic were informed the club would no longer pay for their services last month as Major League Baseball owners continue to find ways to cut costs with the 2020 season on hold. 

Now those employees are being paid again—but not by the team. Instead veteran first baseman Albert Pujols stepped up to foot the bill for the furloughed staffers. Pujols will cover the $180,000 they were supposed to receive, according to Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times. 

The Angels made headlines for being one of the most aggressive clubs when it came to cutting costs during the pandemic. 

In addition to the Dominican Republic employees, the team furloughed 17 area scouts as well as the majority of the player development and minor league staff, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. 

Pujols decided to take care of as many of the staffers in his native country as he could. As Torres notes, there is no timeline for the resumption of activities or a sense of when the furloughs will end. 

Major League Baseball continues to negotiate with the MLB Players Association on a deal to begin an abbreviated 2020 season, yet the sides haven't come close to reaching a deal as of Thursday. 

Pujols wasn't going to sit by and wait for the two sides to work out it. According to Torres, he asked general manager Billy Eppler how much it would cost to covers the salaries of employees in the D.R. and quickly worked to get money flowing to them again.

The 40-year-old earned $28 million last year and has two seasons left on a 10-year, $240 million deal with the American League West club. 

In the meantime, the team has set up a $1 million employee assistance fund to aid those who currently lost their jobs or were furloughed because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on baseball. 

There will be a VIP experience with Albert Pujols at Angel Stadium awaiting the winner of Pujols' All In Challenge auction once Major League Baseball returns.

The auction closed at $50,000 Thursday night after beginning at $7,500 and attracting 28 bids.

According to Fanatics' official website, this is what the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer offered:

"Go to a Los Angeles Angels game and watch in style when you win 6 seats in the Diamond Club box and Batting Practice passes to get the up-close experience before the game. Albert Pujols is inviting you to a personal, behind-the-scenes tour of Angel Stadium, after which you and five (5) guests will watch the game in the Diamond Club box that features cushioned, spacious seating, in-seat service and access to the Diamond Club Restaurant & Lounge.

"After the game, you'll join Albert Pujols for dinner at the high-end Mastro's Steakhouse where you'll get the chance to talk with the 3-time NL MVP himself. Along with the luxury game-day treatment, you'll also get to take home game-used items to add to your official collection."

Pujols went All In on Tuesday:

Pujols began his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. He immediately made his mark on the major leagues by earning Rookie of the Year. St. Louis won two World Series titles (2006, '11) with Pujols at the core. The six-time Silver Slugger left the Cards to sign a 10-year, $254 million contract with the Angels in December 2011.

Pujols hit .244/.305/.430 for 23 home runs and 93 RBI across 131 games last season, including a historic solo shot in May 2019:

Pujols returned to Busch Stadium for the first time since signing with the Angels last July:

The All In Challenge was launched by Fanatics founder Michael Rubin on April 14 with the goal to feed those in need during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic:

The initiative has raised over $52 million to be split between Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America's Food Fund, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America.

The Los Angeles Angels will furlough 17 area scouts who have evaluated draft-eligible prospects in the United States, Canada and Mexico effective June 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

"Their furloughs were part of sweeping reductions in every division of the franchise’s operation except the major-league coaching staff, but club officials declined to reveal the exact percentage of non-playing employees who will be furloughed," Rosenthal wrote.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic had reported last Monday that the team planned to furlough the "majority of the club’s player-development staff, minor-league coordinators and minor-league coaches" beginning June 1.

"We, like businesses throughout the United States, are making difficult decisions to protect our long-term stability," Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey said last Monday in a statement (h/t Ardaya).

The news comes weeks before the 2020 MLB draft, which will be held virtually from June 10-11. Scouting director Matt Swanson will run the team's draft alongside five regional supervisors and four cross-checkers, but that nine-person group will be furloughed on June 16, according to Rosenthal.

The Angels plan to donate $1 million to the Angels Employees Assistance Fund, which will give grants to furloughed employees, per Ardaya and Rosenthal. Those workers will still have benefits through the year.

The news comes as MLB teams announce furloughs and pay cuts leaguewide with the start of the MLB season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no concrete timetable for a resumption of play.

On Friday, the San Francisco Giants' plans to furlough 60 part-time staff members were revealed, per Henry Shulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. All full-time staff would be paid through September, but workers making over $75,000 will take pay cuts.

Rosenthal also reported on the Milwaukee Brewers' plans, which involve keeping the baseball operations staff on board through 2020. The team is not planning on furloughing any employees, but top executives will take pay cuts.

Per the Associated Press, the Cubs do not plan to furlough employees but are instituting pay cuts. The Pittsburgh Pirates are furloughing some business operations employees but no one on the baseball operations side.

The Angels' decisions amid the pandemic appear more severe than other teams, however, especially given the timing around the draft. Rosenthal had more:

"Other teams, including several in seemingly weaker financial positions than the Angels, are making greater commitments to keeping staffers employed, according to sources and published reports. The Phillies announced they will retain all of their employees through October; The Giants and Blue Jays made the same pledge through Oct. 1; and the Brewers ensured their baseball-operations staff will stay intact for the entire season.

"The Twins, Cardinals and White Sox are retaining all of their employees through June 30. The Pirates are holding off on furloughs in baseball operations for the foreseeable future. The Tigers and Rockies have signaled they will continue paying staffers for as long as possible without setting specific end dates."

Rosenthal spoke with other general managers and executives on the Angels' situation.

"Every situation is different," one MLB GM said. "But this one seems pretty darn cold."

"You just crushed the enthusiasm of an entire staff,” a rival scouting executive told Rosenthal. "You took a passion job and turned it into a regular job. None of these guys took the job for the money."

The Angels are valued at $1.975 billion, per Forbes.

Mike Trout didn't sign a $1 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels until 2014. His MLB rookie card nearly cost that much alone Wednesday. 

Trout's autographed Bowman Draft Chrome Prospect card sold for a record $900,000 via Goldin Auctions, which was the highest price for a modern-day baseball card, per the Action Network's Darren Rovell. It also tied the record for the most expensive modern card ever, as a Michael Jordan-LeBron James trading card sold for $900,000 in February.

Through nine MLB seasons, Trout has been named an All-Star eight times, an AL MVP three times and a Silver Slugger seven times. He won Rookie of the Year in 2012 while leading the American League in stolen bases (49) and hitting 30 home runs. 

Arguably the best all-around baseball player since Mickey Mantle, Trout has entertained MLB fans for the last decade and is showing no signs of slowing down. 

In the meantime, the value of his rookie card continues to skyrocket. 

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is open to continuing his playing career beyond the expiration of his current contract. 

According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Pujols said that playing beyond 2021 remains a distinct possibility despite the fact that it's the final year on his deal:

"I don't think about it that way. It's my last year under contract, but that doesn't mean I can't keep playing. I haven't closed that door. I'm taking it day by day, year by year, but you haven't heard from my mouth that I'm going to retire next year, or that it's going to be my last year, or that I'm going to keep playing. I haven't said any of that. When that time comes, we'll see. Just because you have one year left on your contract doesn't mean it's your last year. It could be, but it could not be. God hasn't put that in my heart yet."

Pujols, who is now 40, spent the first 11 years of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals before signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels in 2011. He is scheduled to earn $29 million this season and $30 million in 2021. 

The 2020 MLB regular season had been scheduled to begin in late March, but play was put on hold before Opening Day due to the coronavirus pandemic. MLB is still working toward having a season in 2020 and weighing several options, all of which would likely result in teams playing less than the scheduled 162 games.

Pujols is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in MLB history with 10 All-Star nods, three MVP awards, two World Series titles, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Slugger awards, a Rookie of the Year award and a batting title to his credit.

For his career, Pujols owns a batting average of .300 to go along with 656 home runs, 2,075 RBI, 3,202 hits and 1,828 runs scored.

Pujols isn't the same player he once was, and he is especially limited in the field and as a baserunner, but he still put up solid numbers last season with a .244 batting average, 23 homers and 93 RBI.

If Pujols continues to play beyond his current deal, he has a chance to move even further up some of the MLB all-time lists. He is already 15th in hits, sixth in home runs and tied for fourth in RBI.

Pujols is four home runs behind Willie Mays for fifth place on the all-time list, 44 away from becoming one of only four players to hit at least 700 and 106 away from tying Barry Bonds' all-time record of 762.

In terms of RBI, Pujols is already one of five players with at least 2,000, is only 11 behind Alex Rodriguez for third and 222 behind Hank Aaron for the all-time record.

Pujols may have to play for a few more years in order to challenge the home run and RBI records, but if he does decide to keep going, he could still interest some American League teams as a potential option at designated hitter given his ability to hit for power and drive in runs even at an advanced playing age.  

Mike Trout continues to support frontline coronavirus pandemic workers. 

Earlier this month, Trout video-conferenced with the Anaheim Police Department and sent meals to the medical workers at Inspira Medical Center in his native New Jersey. On Thursday, he sent pizza and soda to the entire staff at the ShopRite grocery store in his hometown of Millville, New Jersey. 

There was enough to feed 90 employees, according to Tom McGurk at the Vineland Daily Journal. 

"(Trout's) a good guy who cares about his community," an anonymous employee told McGurk. "Last week, his mom was in here, bought gift cards and was handing them out to customers in the parking lot. I don't know how many pizzas were delivered, but there were quite a few boxes and they were the party-sized ones. We were very surprised."

Despite living across the country, Trout has done his best to maintain a strong relationship with his old stomping grounds. 

Aside from his frequent appearances at Philadelphia Eagles games during the season, Trout returns to his former high school each year to hand out his number to the next player who gets to wear it. 

As the best player in baseball awaits the return of MLB, he's not sitting idly by. Instead, he continues to spread as much good as he can across both his hometown and his adopted city. 

Most importantly, he seems to be making sure all frontline employees across multiple industries are getting their due.

With a short list of former teammates that includes Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Robinson Cano, Omar Vizquel and Ichiro, CC Sabathia saw a lot over his 19 MLB seasons. 

According to him, though, none of them compared to Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani. On his R2C2 is UNINTERRUPTED podcast, the 2007 Cy Young winner said Ohtani is the most talented player he's ever seen:

"I keep saying this, and people always laugh when I say it, he the best baseball player I've ever seen in my life," Sabathia said. "Are you kidding me? Motherf--ker can hit a ball 900 feet and throw 99 off the mound. Who else can do that? Who else is doing that, bro? There's nobody else doing that at the big league level."

Sabathia went on to say he's glad Ohtani picked the Angels organization because a team like the New York Yankees would have made him pick pitching or hitting. The Angels have allowed Ohtani to follow his two-way desires, though he missed all of the 2019 season on the mound because of Tommy John surgery.

It's hard to argue with Sabathia's logic in some sense. There aren't many players who are able to do both but, in many cases, that could be because they're not given the freedom to do so. Baseball turns high-level players into specialists starting in high school; there are probably several position players who can top 90 on the radar gun.

The Los Angeles Angels paid approximately $1.2 million to their game-day employees, who are unable to work at Angel Stadium while the Major League Baseball season is suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported the news, noting the total payment was split among approximately 1,800 employees who could receive more in the future depending on how long the season is delayed. 

Team spokesperson Marie Garvey addressed the act of goodwill in a statement:

"We understand the important contribution that all ballpark workers play in creating a memorable experience at Angel Stadium and have invested over $1 million to provide financial resources during this unprecedented time. Our organization took an inclusive approach and Angels ballpark employees received a one-time distribution this week."

Fletcher noted MLB announced in March that every team would provide at least $1 million to game-day employees while there are no games.

On Friday, the Angels announced star player Shohei Ohtani donated to the Japan Mask Project to assist in making medical supplies available to medical workers.

"I'm sure it's hard for everyone, but many people, including the healthcare workers, are working hard right now to solve this," Ohtani said. "I'm hoping that this will help them. I think we can support each other through this, with kindness, appreciation and the thought to help one another."

This was shaping up to be a season of transition and optimism for the Angels before the hiatus.

They hired Joe Maddon, who led the Chicago Cubs to the 2016 World Series title, as manager and added slugger Anthony Rendon to a lineup already featuring Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton and Ohtani, among others.

If there is a 2020 season, Los Angeles figures to be a threat in the American League West.

Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout is not idly waiting for Major League Baseball's 2020 Opening Day.

The reigning American League MVP and his wife, Jessica Tara Trout, treated the staff at Inspira Elmer ER in his home state of New Jersey to pizza and soda while medical workers nationwide continue to battle COVID-19:

Trout previously encouraged the Anaheim Police Department:

The Angels have been aiding in relief efforts in several ways:

MLB was meant to start its 2020 season March 26, but Opening Day was postponed March 12 and has yet to be rescheduled.