Is This The Year the Angels Finally Trade Mike Trout?

2026 is set to be a disaster for the Angels despite the fact franchise icon Mike Trout is having a solid resurgence. Speculation about a Mike Trout trade has swirled for years as the Angels losing has prevented one of the games brightest stars from playing in October.

So far the Angels have held onto their homegrown superstar but the circumstances are different this year. Is this the year Mike Trout finally dons another uniform?

Mike Trout is finally playing like Mike Trout again.

In recent years the Angels losing has been partially due to Mike Trout's injuries and underperformance. The Angels could not trade Trout because he was injured. For years the mantra has been that a healthy Trout would help get the Angels back on the winning track.

With an OPS+ of 168 in 2026, Trout is playing exactly like his normal self. For his career his OPS+ is 169. So Trout has more value now than he has in the last several years.

Beyond the bat there are other reasons to like Mike Trout. His sprint speed is back to levels not seen since before his knee injuries in 2023. He is drawing a ton of walks and hitting the ball harder than almost anybody in baseball.

What this all adds up to is Trout having more trade value than he has in several years. There has not been a better time for Trout to escape to a contender since 2022 and there is no guarantee the window will stay open much longer. If either side wants to move on, now is the time.

The Angels are going to set a franchise record for futility.

With the worst record in the American League, an atrocious bullpen, and a very difficult schedule in the month of May the Angels are certain to finally eclipse 100 losses in a season. Being buried in the standings before school lets out means anybody of value should be on the trading block.

Even of the Angels keep Trout, the losses will continue. Does he want to sit around and watch another year go by without playing in meaningful games? Only he knows. But with the specter of an impending lockout in 2027 Trout might be sacrificing two opportunities to win if he stays in Anaheim.

Ultimately, will Arte Moreno accept reality?

Despite the club assertions they want to compete, the organization is incapable of winning. Currently riding the Majors longerst post season drought the team shows no signs of competing in the near future.

Yes, the Angels wasted Mike Trout's prime. And, yes, Arte's tenure will be noted for having both Trout and Ohtani and failing to make a single post season. Everybody seems to accept these facts except the owner of the team.

Moreno has publicly stated he does not believe in rebuilding. Then again, he has also said fans don't care about winning. So at this point who knows what his real goal is?

The reality of the situation is the Angels may not have another opportunity to move Trout and his huge contract. In fact they will likely have to eat a significant portion of the contract just to move him. Arte has refused to absorb money when trading players in the past and kicking in money on Trout is likely a step too far for Moreno.

How would a Trout trade help the Angels?

The primary benefit would be payroll relief. Trout will still be owed about $165 million at this year's trade deadline. For a player who is now worth about 2-3 WAR per season Trout is overpaid. He has more than delivered for the franchise over the course of his contract but he is getting to the old and expensive part of his career.

Betwen losing their TV deal and general apathy towards the franchise, the Angels cash flow situation can not be great. Real cash payroll is down about $80 million from last year and the Angels are the worst team in baseball.

I will get into realistic trade scenarios in the future, but a haul of top notch prospects is not headed to Anaheim unless Moreno absorbs the majority of the contract. But if the Angels unload half of Trout's contract and pick up some lottery tickets they can use those funds to lock in extensions for the next wave of young players.

Will they trade Trout?

Ultimately I expect Trout to finish his career as an Angel. In the grand scheme of things it would be great to see Trout play meaningful baseball although it would hurt to see him leave. It would also give the Angels some prospects and spending money to help rebuild the team.

But Trout's value to the organization is huge. From a business standpoint Arte makes money when fans pay to watch Trout play. Paying money so he can play in another uniform, even if that benefits the Angels, is going to be too big of an ask. After all, if Arte was able to identify ways to improve the franchise long term the team would not be headed for 100 plus losses.

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