Trout guarantees eventual WBC run: 'Certainly sometime in my career'

Mike Trout isn't saying never.

The Los Angeles Angels' superstar center fielder won't be with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic in March, making it the second edition of the tournament the 25-year-old has elected to skip during his six-year career.

Trout, though, may consider participating in 2021.

"It's a fun thing for the country," he told Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com on Friday. "It happens again in four years? Maybe next time I'll do it."

After coming off a stellar Rookie of the Year campaign in 2012 in which he slashed .326/.399/.564 with 30 home runs in 139 games for the Angels, Trout chose not to join the national side at the tournament in order to focus on spring training.

For this year's tournament, officials declined to even name him on the team's preliminary roster, but with capable "replacements" such as Adam Jones, Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, and Andrew McCutchen manning the U.S. outfield, the reigning American League MVP admitted he'll be following along closely.

"They're going to be good for sure. I'm definitely going to watch it," Trout said. "Certainly sometime in my career, I'm going to do it."