Born in Vineland, New Jersey, the then-27-year-old Mike Trout signed a 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019 worth a whopping $426 million. With three American League MVP awards prior to his contract signing, ten All-Star appearances, and two American League Hank Aaron awards, this contract was only fitting for Trout. Today, without any doubt, Trout is among the greatest outfielders in the league. As a result, when the Angels superstar decided to sign up for the WBC last July, the fate of the USA team completely transformed with a sudden shift in tide and multiple stars flocking in to join the squad.

Mike Trout recruited MLB stars to play in World Baseball Classic

In 2017, Mike Trout opted out of the WBC. However, his dream of representing his country in the WBC never diminished, especially after the United States of America lifted the prestigious title in 2017. Tony Reagins, who drafted Trout for the Angels in 2011, recruited Trout for the 2023 WBC last July.

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Consequently, alongside GM Reagins, Trout and his clout managed to prepare a powerful team with the likes of superstars from across the league.

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The USA’s baseball team includes superstars at every position, including the likes of Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, and Paul Goldschmidt, amongst many other stars.

Who was recruited to team USA by Mike Trout?

Undoubtedly, it was Trout who was instrumental in preparing a team of such caliber. As narrated by GM Reagins, the entire narrative of the tournament changed once Trout’s signing became official.

Reagins spoke about multiple-time All-Stars in Goldschmidt, Arenado, and Alonso reaching out to him and said, “Once that happened, the interest in the whole tournament changed. Once he [Trout] was on board, then you had players reaching out to him, agents and players reaching out to me. Nolan Arenado got my cell and called me: ‘I want in.’ Paul Goldschmidt was not far behind, and Pete Alonso was like, ‘I don’t care what I have to do, I’ll do whatever you need me to, I want to be a part of it.’”

None of the recruitments were difficult once Trout’s addition to the squad became headlines. Slowly, the lineup started stacking up like an All-Star roster. Next in line was the 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts. While talking about his entry into the squad, he spoke about Mike Trout texting him, and things simply falling into place.

Betts said, “Mike texted me, and he didn’t have to pull too much. When the opportunity came, I told my wife I probably would like to play, at least do it once, to say I’ve done it. It’s something that you’ll always remember for the rest of your life.”

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Moreover, Trout’s popularity almost brought seven-time All-Star and two-time AL MVP Bryce Harper to the squad. However, due to an elbow injury, Bryce Harper, who had asked Trout to move to the Phillies in 2020, had to opt out of the WBC.

Skills of all the players recruited by Mike trout

Suddenly, the hype around the upcoming WBC increased exponentially. At the 2022 All-Star, Trout caught the attention of multiple stars ahead of the WBC. Trout lauded, “At the All-Star Game last year when the news kind of broke about it, guys were coming up to me asking, and I was just relaying the message.”

Barring the bullpen and rotation, which is not the strongest, the USA offense houses amongst the greatest position stars from MLB. Mookie Betts at right field, Kyle Tucker at left, and Trout himself at center fill the outfield.

The infield includes Goldschmidt, Arenado, Trea Turner, and Jeff McNeil with J. T. Realmuto catching. And notably, it was Trout who was majorly instrumental in the preparation of a potentially WBC-winning lineup.

Are there any bad sides to this recruitment?

While the recruitment seems pretty comprehensive and informed, there are clear gaps in the defense. Moreover, with injury concerns, multiple MLB franchises were reluctant to send their players to the WBC.

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The World Baseball Classic, as it stands, is like a double-edged sword for various players. On one side is the pride of representing your country on the global scale, while on the other side lies the dilemma of hurting yourself while playing the WBC and remaining injured for Major League Baseball and doing injustice to the franchise that pays you in massive money bags.

What do you think about the USA team in the World Baseball Classic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!