The people who run this organization certainly aren’t answering those questions. But that doesn’t mean the questions don’t exist.

With that in mind, I attempted to answer as many of your questions as possible. This mailbag addresses Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Ron Washington, Arte Moreno and much more.

Trout has not commented on Ohtani’s departure. How do you think Trout feels about him leaving, and do you think he is rethinking his no-trade clause? — Mika Y.

I too have noticed this, and was curious about his thought process behind not saying anything. It is worth noting that Trout’s social media output is pretty limited. That said, he did congratulate Ohtani on his MVP weeks before he signed with the Dodgers.

One of the more interesting subplots of Ohtani’s departure is the role he’s taken on in Los Angeles. He’s been actively meeting with and recruiting players they hoped to sign and extend. He’s taking on a proactive role in the roster building. That is not something we saw him do with the Angels. And, more importantly, the Angels don’t utilize Trout that way.

Trout is hugely popular among his peers and is the kind of superstar everyone wants to call a teammate. Why hasn’t he been more front and center? I plan to ask him in spring.

In the meantime, I think that observation and your question are somewhat connected. Trout is the all-time greatest Angels player ever. But that doesn’t necessarily make him a front-facing spokesman at all times.

As for his no-trade clause, Angels GM Perry Minasian said he won’t be traded. So the point is moot. Whether Trout is confident in the Angels’ future is another question — one that only he knows the answer to.

What are the chances Rendon will play 130-plus solid games in 2024? I just have to believe he will get hit by a pitch or pull a muscle while making an error at third. Hopefully, he can stay healthy playing some significant DH. — Phil K.

You make a good point about the DH. It should help Trout. It should help Rendon. The one minuscule silver lining of Ohtani leaving is that added flexibility.

All that said, it’s hard to envision Rendon playing 130 games. I could be wrong. But you have to take the track record into account — he simply has not stayed on the field for years now.

Just last week, he went on a podcast and said the season was too many games. These types of comments are a silly look, considering he’s played 200 games total in four years with the Angels.

He’s injury-prone. I think the Angels would also be silly to bank on him being productive when he is on the field. Rendon had a .678 OPS last season with a massive power dip and significant defensive issues.

It was a small sample size, yes. The team, however, would be derelict in its duty if it didn’t have a strong insurance option for Rendon this season.

Given the current state of the Angels’ pitching, who is your eight-man bullpen going into the year? Please consider options, handedness and development to make it as real as possible.  — Dominic S.

The eight I’d pick right now would be:

• Carlos Estévez
• Luis Garcia
• Ben Joyce
• Adam Cimber
• José Soriano
• Zach Plesac
• José Suarez
• Adam Kolarek

This would give the Angels two lefties (Kolarek and Suarez), two long men (Plesac and Suarez), a few flamethrowers (Estévez, Garcia and Joyce), and a side-armer (Cimber). Plesac, Soriano and Joyce all have options. And Kolarek can likely be passed through waivers, given his guaranteed contract.

The other contenders would be Andrew Wantz, Jimmy Herget, Kenny Rosenberg, Kolton Ingram, Jack Kochanowicz, Kelvin Caceres, Davis Daniel, Victor Mederos and José Marte.

The biggest wild card would be Sam Bachman. The Angels have talked about building him up as a starter, but he could still be a relief option.

Credit where credit is due, because loving the Angels can be hard. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Why does it have to hurt so much? — Esai L.

I give so much credit to Angels fans. Not just the ones that show up because of the fireworks or the bobbleheads, but the ones who truly give a hoot.

The reason why I think it hurts so much isn’t simply the losing. It’s that feeling that so many fans express to me. They feel like they care more about winning than the team’s owner does. And it’s an empty feeling, knowing you can’t help but pour everything into this team without certainty the owner will reciprocate that devotion.

Being a sports fan can be hard. The Angels make it harder than it needs to be.

Can’t we go after Trevor Bauer? — James B.

I don’t think the Angels are going to sign Bauer. I’m not going to get into the minutiae of Bauer’s entire situation, but I don’t think they’d want to risk the distraction or any potential frustration in the clubhouse. Could be wrong, but that’s my read on the situation.

If you had to convince a person who’s not already an Angels fan to follow the club in 2024, what reasons would you provide? — Jarek B.

I genuinely believe that Logan O’Hoppe is a potential superstar. This will be a massive year for him. If healthy, he’ll establish himself as one of the best catchers in the game.

Outside of that? I think Washington’s impact on the club will be interesting to watch. I’ll be curious to see if Trout can recapture what made him so great, or if he continues to struggle relative to his expectations.

Lastly, the starting rotation fascinates me. Are Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Griffin Canning a legit core for a major-league rotation? This would be a great year to prove that.

How is it possible that some fans of the Angels get upset when you criticize ownership? — Gary R.

It’s not my place to tell anyone how to support their team. If they want to see the good in how Angels ownership operates, I encourage it because the whole experience of being a fan should be about that freedom.

That said, I do think it’s important for fans to be informed with facts. All my opinions about ownership are based on facts and reporting that I’ve shared with the audience. The facts spell out why they’re failing, and there’s no denying it.

Estévez was downright unreliable after the All-Star break. His control was shaky and he served up way too many fat pitches. Does Angels’ management still see him as the designated closer? — Steven H.

From July 25 through the remainder of the season, Estévez allowed 24 runs (18 earned) in 22 1/3 innings. The Angels rode him, and he probably got a little gassed.

This has to be a factor in how the team operates this season. I expect he’ll be the closer, or at least the first option to get saves. However, I think Ben Joyce could be a wild card to land this role at some point. He has the stuff. But does he have the control and consistency?

Will Moreno be putting the team back on the market any time soon? — David C.

I got many versions of this same question. The answer is that I don’t know. I’m not sure how many would know this besides Moreno. When he put the team on the market the first time, barely anyone with the organization was given more than a day’s heads up. When he pulled it off the market, it was also sudden.

What I will say is that Moreno is 77 years old. He has no succession plan to keep the team in his family. The Angels also do not have a land deal in place, with a lease set to expire in 2029 (it can be extended through 2038). These things will come to a head at some point.

All of the off-field chaos and on-field struggles have highlighted his shortcomings as an owner. At some point, something has to give.

Tough decisions may be coming when it comes to Jo Adell. (Joe Camporeale / USA Today)

What do you think the Angels will do with Jo Adell? — Anonymous

This is an inflection point moment for Adell, and Mickey Moniak as well. Moniak had a productive 2023 season, which puts him in a very strong position to be a regular in 2024. Adell was good in Triple A last season but played just 17 games with the Angels. He continues to strike out in about 40 percent of his plate appearances.

Both Adell and Moniak no longer have options. That means the team will have to make a potentially tough decision. If they add an outfielder before the start of the season, it’s hard to envision Adell staying on the team. But with his tools, at just 24 years old, it’s hard to give up on him.

As of right now, the outfield will consist of Trout, Taylor Ward, Moniak and Adell.

Do you think it’s time to move Trout to left field, and do you think Washington would be able to convince Trout to make the move? — Ryan E.

Yes, and I’m not sure. Trout is a very good defensive center fielder. But at this point, with his injuries and the length of his deal, this has to become a serious conversation at some point soon. Having him play a less laborious position helps everyone.

Which free agents are in play? — Christopher R.

The Angels have seriously considered signing top-tier free agents this offseason. Why haven’t those signings materialized yet? That, I’m not sure. Maybe players don’t want to sign here. Maybe the Angels’ budget is limited. The Angels are not transparent on this front.

That said, I do expect the Angels roster will look different before this whole thing is said and done. The question is just how much are the Angels willing to spend.

Here are 10 free agents I think make sense for the team, along with their projected salary, per FanGraphs.

• Blake Snell (5 years, $125 million)
• Tommy Pham (1 year, $8 million)
• Justin Turner (1 year, $12 million)
• Hector Neris (2 years, $16 million)
• Joey Votto (N/A)
• Tim Anderson (1 year, $8 million)
• Michael Lorenzen (2 years, $20 million)
• Jorge Soler (3 years, $48 million)
• Matt Moore (1 year, $7 million)
• Adam Duvall (1 year, $8 million)

What is your projected number of wins? — Ursula D.

I’ll go with 73-89, as things stand. For a third straight year. The Angels always have a good enough team on paper to make you think they’ll have a shot. This team is no different. But there are reasons why they never live up to that potential, and until they prove me wrong, I’m not going to predict them to be successful.

The Angels seem to be in a limbo state between going young and holding onto/obtaining older, established players. If they are smart and go young and hold onto their prospects is there any chance they may compete for a playoff spot in the next couple of years? — Steve M.

The issue with the Angels is they never have a concrete plan. I always point out how they never share their plans. But really, they don’t have any. They might have short-term strategies, but never a long-term plan.

Another issue with the Angels is that, yes, in theory, it makes some sense to go young. But they took all the wrong steps at the deadline last year. They’ve made no effort to build up young players this offseason.

Lastly, the Angels should be a big-market team. Someone was willing to spend $3 billion for this franchise when it was up for sale — a record. People see the big market potential in Anaheim. They just don’t operate that way.

Are there any prospects left in the system to look forward to bringing up? If so, who? — Andrew F.

Outfielder Nelson Rada and pitcher Caden Dana are the two most highly touted prospects, and for good reason. After that, the list is pretty thin.

What differences in play style should we expect under Washington? — Andrew F.

The one I’m most curious about is running. The Angels were not an aggressive baserunning team last year. They were last in the American League in stolen bases. Washington has pledged to change that mindset. But do they have the personnel to do that? It will be interesting to see.

Is Nolan Schanuel a lock to play first base on opening day? — Marvin W.

A lock? No. If the team makes an acquisition, it could change the equation. For right now, he’s penciled in there. The team could theoretically use Brandon Drury at first, Luis Rengifo at second, Zach Neto at short and Rendon at third base.

The Angels should do whatever is best for Schanuel’s development. He seems like a well-rounded person who can handle the big leagues. But he also hasn’t had to deal with the ups and downs that much, as of yet.

I have a non-Angels question. What is the backstory behind your Twitter profile picture of you wearing that hat? I’ve always wondered for whatever reason. — Nicholas C.

Two of my closest friends got married in 2021. I officiated the wedding. It’s not a part of the story necessarily, but I’ll brag that I did not ruin their special day. Anyway, their wedding fell on the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day of two other friends. So we celebrated their b-days and I wore that hat. Not that crazy, but there’s the story.

(Top photo: Harry How / Getty Images)