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Manfred: Trout 'has to make a decision to engage' in building his brand

Stephen Brashear / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Mike Trout may be this generation's best baseball player, but he's hardly the face of the sport.

For several years, Trout's lack of prominence as a marketing tool has been scrutinized by fans and pundits alike. Many claim that his historic play with the Los Angeles Angels has flown under the radar compared to other, more visible stars such as Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge.

But Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred defended his league's marketing techniques on Tuesday, stating that Trout doesn't want to be involved in any large-scale campaigns.

"Mike has made decisions on what he wants to do, doesn't want to do, how he wants to spend his free time or not spend his free time," Manfred told Gabe Jacques of USA Today. "I think we could help him make his brand very big. But he has to make a decision to engage. It takes time and effort."

One other reason Trout may be getting overlooked is because his Angels have been less than successful on the field since his 2012 debut. His postseason career consists of three games in 2014, when he went 1-for-12 with three walks during an ALDS loss to the Kansas City Royals.

But, even though his team isn't helping, Trout is also a rather quiet person who doesn't appear to be interested in the spotlight when he's not playing. According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, the 26-year-old supposedly turned down an opportunity to be profiled by the famous news program "60 Minutes," though it's not clear when that offer was made.

While Trout has done some commercials in the past and does have his own shoe deal, he seems content to simply play baseball every day and let other stars get more of the exposure from a national standpoint.

"I try to do as much as I can, but keep it to a point where I can still play baseball," Trout said regarding his lack of marketing activities, according to Jacques. "Obviously you want to get out there, but you've got to pick and choose, for sure."

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