Mike Trout Checked with Rams Players About Stan Kroenke After Angels Sale amid Trade Speculation

Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout attempted to do some recon on Stan Kroenke following the franchise's proposed sale.

The Angels announced Tuesday that Kroenke is purchasing a controlling stake from Arte Moreno. Trout and teammate Zach Neto reached out to some players on the Los Angeles Rams, another team owned by Kroenke, to gain insight into how he runs things:

ESPN's Buster Olney posted that Kroenke's arrival, which is expected in early 2027, could have a significant impact on the Angels' on-field fortunes. That, in turn, could influence whether Trout finishes his career in L.A.:

"Trout always has the option to try to force his way off the Angels, and a new owner is more likely to consider that path than Moreno, who was never going to trade a future inner-circle Hall of Famer and the face of his franchise — and so that could now be a more viable option. If Trout stays — and that seems more likely — then the Angels are bound to be more effectively run going into the future. Let's put it more bluntly: It's impossible for Kroenke to run baseball operations worse than Morena has during Trout's career."

Moreno bought the Angels in 2003. He benefited from the general wave of positivity stemming from the franchise's 2002 World Series title. He also built goodwill by lowering prices for fans and investing big in the roster.

The good feelings dissipated over time.

Moreno has overseen a period in which the Angels reached the playoffs once since 2009. Their prolonged futility, despite having generational stars such as Trout and Shohei Ohtani, became a running joke among baseball fans.

It's tough to imagine the ownership situation getting worse, hence the excitement surrounding Kroenke.

The 79-year-old can also point to a track record of his teams winning championships. The Rams claimed a pair of titles, and the same goes for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Finals for the first time in 2023. The Arsenal men's team is the reigning Premier League champion, and the Arsenal Women were the European champions in 2024-25.

Of course, Kroenke probably remains persona non grata in the state of Missouri after orchestrating the Rams' move to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016.

That's unlikely to be a problem for the Angels. While they're overshadowed by their neighbors to the north, they're not leaving Anaheim anytime soon.

The Angels' on-field product should start to improve. As it relates to Trout, the question is whether that happens quickly enough to capitalize on his post-peak years when he remains a productive player.