It was recently revealed by Bob Nightengale in a USA Today report that the Los Angeles Angels are willing to trade 3x MVP Award Winner Mike Trout if he requests to be traded.
There are many teams willing to trade away top prospects for the chance of acquiring Mike Trout, such as the Yankees and Phillies as front-runners. According to Jon Heyman, it seems Trout could want to stick with the Angels, showing no signs he would want to join another team.
Mike Trout currently has seven years left on his $426.5 Million contract with an annual salary of $35,450,000 remaining. With long-term team control, if healthy, any team could have a long playoff window with the veteran who has only played in three postseason games, in which they lost all three to the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 ALDS.
Mike Trout leaving Angels is likely best option available for both sides
Trout may not want to leave the Los Angeles Angels, but it would be best for both parties. Trout would be able to compete on a playoff team, and the Angels would be able to clear salary while also acquiring many prospects who could help speed up the team's rebuild. The Angels could be hinting that they want to get Trout off the books, but he has full control over the situation with a full no-trade clause, meaning he would have to approve any trades.
While he has been hurt on and off the past 4 seasons, any team would be lucky to acquire Mike Trout with his offensive abilities still being at an All-Star level.
In 2023, he has played in 82 games while suffering from several injuries. In those 82 games, he has hit 18 home runs and brought in 44 RBI with an average of .263 and OBP of .367. He also holds an OPS+ of 129. While this is his worst full season, he is still 29 percent better than the average batter.
Trout has played 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He owns a house and has started a family in California. It seems unlikely that he wants to join another team based on the recent reports, but if he does, it wouldn't be a huge shock if it were a California team where he can continue to build his family.
