"A lot of people lost jobs" - When Mike Trout reflected on the gravity of Astros' sign stealing scandal

Mike Trout has been a part of Major League Baseball since 2011, playing for the Los Angeles Angels.

In his 13-year career, he has witnessed numerous unforgettable moments, including Miguel Cabrera's triple crown win, the Chicago Cubs' first World Series win in over a century, and the rise of Shohei Ohtani. However, one incident that he doesn't have fond memories of is the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal of 2017.

The then-25-year-old said it was “tough” for him to accept what the Astros did.

"It's sad for baseball. It's tough,” Trout said during an interview in 2020 (via Sports Illustrated). "They cheated. I don't agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys' careers have been affected, a lot of people lost jobs. It was tough.

"I lost some respect for some guys,” he added.

The Angels didn’t qualify for the postseason that year, so Trout didn’t have to face the Astros. However, being in the same division, the two teams have to lock horns nearly 20 times a season.

In 2017, the Houston Astros won 101 games. They had some of the best players during that period, including Justin Verlander, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and Teoscar Hernandez.

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Mike Trout's future with the Los Angeles Angels

The times seem tough for Mike Trout right now. The 32-year-old lost the WBC final in 2023, the Angles didn't make the postseason, and he had to witness Shohei Ohtani join city-rivals, the LA Dodgers.

While the Dodgers have already spent over a billion dollars to get Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels have not made any major headlines yet.

Trout has a contract that runs until 2031, which means that he will remain an Angel entering his age-38 season. But the Angels need to start winning and at least qualify for the postseason.

If the Angels keep failing to make the postseason year after year, a Mike Trout trade won't be impossible.