With the Los Angeles Angels nowhere close to playoff contention, it’s long overdue for them to trade franchise icon Mike Trout.
Since Mike Trout turned professional in 2011, the Angels have only made the postseason once. That was back in 2014, where they were swept out of the ALDS by the Kansas City Royals.
Wednesday’s 2-0 loss dropped the Angels to 29-45 on the year, 11.5 games out of the final wild card spot in the American League. Owner Arte Moreno inexcusably refused to trade two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani last year, and he wound up losing the two-time AL MVP for nothing in free agency to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There’s no way the Angels can make a similar mistake by holding onto Mike Trout for the remainder of his prime. There are only so many teams that would a) have interest in Trout and b) willingly take on what remains of that massive $426.5 million contract.
One team that makes perfect sense for Trout is his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies. At 49-25, Bryce Harper and company are starting to run away with the NL East division crown.
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The Angels would have to eat some of the money, but it’s necessary to complete a trade that could kick-start the inevitable rebuild. For the Phillies, a future Hall of Famer with plenty of good baseball left could be the difference in a championship puzzle.
What Phillies Should Offer For Mike Trout
The Phillies would be doing a favor for the Angels by taking on most of Trout’s contract, so LA’s asking price shouldn’t be too drastic.
Philadelphia should offer star outfielder Brandon Marsh and prospects Andrew Painter (RHP), Mick Abel (RHP), and Justin Crawford (infielder). MLB Pipeline ranks all of those prospects in the top-five of the Phillies system.
It’s a worthwhile price for a Philly team with a high payroll, plenty of financial resources and a lengthy championship window. A team with Trout, Harper, Nick Castellanos and Zack Wheeler would be the team to beat in the NL, putting Philly that much closer to their first world title since 2008.
