Mike Trout's response to Angels fire sale raises serious questions about his mentality

If the Los Angeles Angels organization can be credited for anything from the recent MLB trade deadline, it's seeing the writing on the wall and committing to a rebuild rather than trying to squeeze any life out of what has been one of the worst teams in the majors all season.

However, as much as great front offices should be given credit for making such an admission, great players should not. Bryce Harper, for instance, was not shy ahead of the deadline about his desires to see his Philadelphia Phillies make additions, albeit to a team that was clearly much more competitive than what could be found in Anaheim.

Yet Mike Trout, the Halos' star player and a three-time AL MVP, seems to have fallen right in line with interim GM John Mozeliak, resigning himself to the reality of the Angels' sorry state, and his place within it, rather than dreaming any bigger for his team or even his own career.

Mike Trout content with Angels' sell-off

Speaking with USA Today Sports after the deadline, Trout reflected on the Angels' business with a positivity that raises questions about the seriousness of his winning mentality.

"Obviously, what was happening the last few years wasn't working," Trout admitted. That much was clear for all to see.

But rather than push for any new pieces around him — or for that matter request a trade to a contender, such as his hometown Phillies, that would demand a monumental haul back to the rebuilding Angels — Trout instead seemed content with Arjun Nimmala and the other new faces in the L.A. farm system.

"If you look where the team is, I think it's the right move," Trout said of the decision to be sellers.

Trout could decide to retire today, and nobody would question his status as one of the most talented baseball players of his generation. But talent without winning is potential, not greatness, and Trout's reaction to the events of the past week cast doubt on whether he is truly pursuing the latter or merely content with the former.

The center fielder does have an infamous no-trade clause written into his contract, so the biggest, and perhaps only, obstacle to a blockbuster Trout deal would be Trout himself. If three MVPs and 12 All-Stars are good enough for him, he can rest assured knowing he's not at any risk of adding a championship ring to his collection as things stand.