Another day, another blame game for the Los Angeles Angels. What shaped up to be their worst season ever in 2024, saw them drop a franchise-worst 99 games. This time, GM Perry Minasian is pointing fingers at two injured superstars, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, who, by the way, have a stellar deal in the entire lineup.

If you go back, the Angels shelled out $172.2 million on their roster for this season, and last year, they went all out with over $230 million. But things took a turn, and they had to scale back after star player Shohei Ohtani signed with the L.A. Dodgers.

Ohtani’s absence was felt the entire season. Plus, the sharp drop in payroll this season really stands out when you consider that Mike and Anthony barely made it onto the field. Combined, they didn’t even play 100 games. That’s a serious blow for the Angels. Plus, when Rendon was on the field, he didn’t exactly light it up. Minasian knows reinforcements are a must and has pinpointed key players such as Mike Trout who need to be better to help turn things around.

How does Perry Minasian feel about the franchise’s worst record?

MLB.com reported that Minasian, in his annual end-of-season press conference at Angel Stadium, said that for the 2025 season, the Angels really need their top players to step up from the injury setback. The Angels are trying to chalk up a plan to keep Trout on the field more in 2025. That might mean spending time in the outfield corners and DH’ing more often. However, Rendon is probably headed to a bench role despite being owed $38.5 million in both 2025 and 2026, considering his lackluster performance.

“We need them to be better. It’s not a lack of effort. It just is what it is, but they understand how important they are, and from a payroll standpoint, they take up a significant chunk of the payroll. So when your best players aren’t playing, it makes it more difficult.” Minasian, who signed a two-year extension in late August, said.

It’s tough when you think about the impact of Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon barely being on the field. They played 29 and 57 games, respectively. And looking at the numbers, it gets even more concerning. The Angels had $75.7 million, nearly 44% of their total payroll, sitting on the injured list for most of the season.

Hence, Perry Minasian is feeling the pressure; it’s not just about getting Trout and Rendon back on the field, they need to perform at their best. The GM pointed out, “There’s been significant money spent on the payroll, it comes back to the players we’re spending on. And we need our best players to play. They know that. With that being said, we definitely need more players.”

Owner Arte Moreno has yet to reveal to Minasian just how high the payroll will be for next season, but it is expected to increase. Adding to the team’s overall depth is of the highest priority, as they’re likely to add to the infield, outfield, and starting rotation this offseason. However, stats are concerning for Trout and Rendon in the 2024 season.

Trout batted .220 with a .867 OPS, which is pretty lackluster for someone of his talent. And Rendon? A .218 average with a .574 OPS and no home runs all season; that’s definitely not what anyone expected from these stars, especially with both players costing over $37 million each. But there is one positive thing that the GM pointed out about the season.

The team relied on youth this season and Minasian believed that it going to do good only for the team. Minasian only had good words to say for the club’s young core of Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, Jose Soriano, Jack Kochanowicz, and Ben Joyce to be optimistic about.

“It’s a frustrating year for all of us. I’ll be the first one to say that. But big picture, I’m really excited where this thing’s going. I’ve been in situations like this in other organizations where we’ve had tough seasons. But you can usually point to a season where things change, not necessarily in the win-loss column, but where players took huge leaps and caused a jump in wins and a jump to contention. We needed a young core to build around and we finally have it,” he noted. He also praised manager Ron Washington for helping the young players out.

Meanwhile, as the GM has laid the blame on injuries and the lack of production from Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon for this rough 2024 season, Mike Trout sees it differently on why things have gone south for the Angels.

Mike Trout shares his take on the season 2024

Mike Trout was never the one to voice complaints and has always uplifted his teammates. But as the losses pile up, the 33-year-old seems to have enough. The champ feels there is something else apart from his setbacks responsible for nine straight years of losing records. Trout has taken the bold step of calling out team owner Arte Moreno—a move that would have seemed unthinkable in the past. But with everything going south, Trout couldn’t help but say, “It’s all up to the owner. I think that’s where we’re at.”

So, is the team’s management really to blame for the fact that fans haven’t seen a postseason win in fifteen years? Maybe, but Mike Trout isn’t just pointing fingers—he’s got some advice too. He believes that a few key additions in the offseason could’ve turned things around. But that didn’t happen, and according to Ron Washington, it looks like there won’t be any new faces joining the team anytime soon, While it’s easy to see where Mike is coming from, there’s something a bit ironic about the whole situation.

The three-time MVP is calling for additions to the lineup, but here’s the kicker: he hasn’t managed to complete an entire season since 2019, thanks to his injury struggles. But let’s not dwell on the past—looking ahead, Minasian’s concerns are valid; they really need both Mike and Anthony healthy.

It wouldn’t be a shock to see Rendon take on a bench role next season, while Trout might spend more time as a designated hitter or in the corner outfield. With so much on his plate, the big question is: Will Trout find a way to stay fit?