Mike Trout has built a Hall of Fame-worthy career in his now 14 seasons in the majors. But for all the MVPs (three) and All-Star teams (11), the 32-year-old has advanced to the playoffs once and won zero playoff games.

The outlook for the Arte Moreno-owned franchise is not any better now. How could it be when the team was 17 games behind in the AL West last season and lost Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason?

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Mike Trout

Will Mike Trout play his entire career with the Los Angeles Angels?AP

RESTORING THE GLORY

With seven years remaining on Trout’s 12-year, $426,500 million contract, questions are mounting about his future in Los Angeles and how much longer he is willing to keep losing. Trout has told reporters he has not considered forcing his way out of Los Angeles, and a snippet from ESPN MLB reporter Alden Gonzalez’s story sheds more light on why, even if he ever wanted to leave, he is not inclined to play for the Yankees despite growing up in Vineland and having a house in Bridgeton.

Trout grew up idolizing Derek Jeter, the iconic New York Yankees shortstop who famously wore only one uniform. When Trout signed his record-breaking, $426.5 million extension in the spring of 2019, he said following in Jeter’s footsteps was “something — obviously not totally, but something in the back of my mind.”

Those who know Trout have noted over the years that there’s a certain comfort that comes with separating his home life in the Northeast from his baseball life in Southern California, adding that he seems disinterested in the hoopla that would come with playing for the Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies.

Trout is a loyal and optimistic guy, and he cares about what is best for his family, telling Gonzalez that he and his wife, Jess, are in this together.

In 17 games, Trout, who has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons, has batted .284/.360/.672 with a league-leading seven home runs and three steals, notable considering he amassed six steals the previous four combined seasons.

The Angels are 8-9, second in the AL East.