Mike Trout likely isn't going anywhere, but that hasn't stopped him from finding some humor in the trade chatter.
The Angels marquee five-tool player has been the topic of trade speculation due to the myriad injuries his team has and their struggles early on in the 2016 season.
As expected, Angels general manager Billy Eppler isn't entertaining the thought of a deal, despite the fact that Los Angeles' farm system could use some big pieces. Everyone has heard about the trade talk, even Trout himself, as the 2014 AL MVP actually had a lighthearted conversation with Eppler about it.
"We more joked about it," Eppler said during an appearance on ESPN's Baseball Tonight podcast (via NJ.com). "There was no discussion."
Eppler noted that the exchange was very pleasant as he and Trout engaged in a back-and-forth on the matter.
"There was a casual exchange that we had in the clubhouse," Eppler said. "It was more done in a joking manner. He was like, 'Hey, am I getting moved?!' and I was like, 'Not a chance, brother! You ain't going anywhere.'"
The general manager, who used to serve as a scout for the Yankees, a rumored Trout destination, added he was sincere in his feeling that he won't trade Trout anytime soon.
"And I feel that way," he said. "There's no way we're going to part ways with Mike. He's just too much of an impactful player. He means too much to this clubhouse, community, organization. This guy embodies so much more than what you see when it's lights, camera, action. He's the epitome of what good people are. He's blessed, obviously, with a ton of athletic ability, but it translates into more than what we see on the playing field."
There were also rumors the Angels could deal Trout to the Cubs, but Eppler recently revealed that he hasn't taken any calls on a potential trade for the slugger.
Los Angeles (21-26) is just five games under .500 despite its many injuries, and sits 7.5 games back in the division, which is led by Seattle (28-18).
Trout, 24, is hitting .318 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs entering Thursday and ranks third in the AL in on-base percentage (.475), fourth in walks (27, tied) and fifth in OPS (.962).
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