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Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Philadelphia Phillies?

The Los Angeles Angels could be under new ownership soon. Could their marquee player look to jump ship?

Author:
Alex Carr
Aug 23, 2022 2:33 PM EDT

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Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno announced during a press conference on Tuesday that he and his family were going to begin exploring selling the team.

This comes as somewhat of a shock to the baseball world, as the Angels' problem over the last seven-or-so years hasn't stemmed from a lack of desire to spend money. Quite the contrary in fact, as it is often joked that the team's pockets are too loose.

The Angels have endured a litany of bad contracts over the last decade-plus: Albert Pujols' mega-deal and Justin Upton's disastrous acquisition come to mind, and their signing of Anthony Redon seems to be trending in a similar direction. Los Angeles even signed closer Raisel Iglesias to a four-year deal this offseason, only to ship him off to the Atlanta Braves prior to the 2022 trade deadline.

All of this coincided with the Angels somewhat lucking into two of the greatest players of the modern generation. Shohei Ohtani has emerged as the second coming of Babe Ruth, and the Halos managed to lock up Mike Trout, perhaps the greatest player of all time, to a 12-year, $426.5 million extension.

When the Washington Nationals failed to meet Juan Soto's contract demands this season, and had also announced that their team would be changing ownership in the near future, Soto made it clear that he wanted out. Out he went, as the Nationals dealt him to the San Diego Padres, and the superstar swapped coasts.

Trout obviously already has his long-term extension, but can't be happy as the captain aboard a sinking ship. With Ohtani halfway out the door, and the Angels weak and uninspiring talent pipeline showing very little hope for the future, Trout could request a trade in the coming seasons: and he has all of the leverage. With a full no-trade clause in his contract, Trout could essentially orchestrate the entire trade to his demands.

With the direction the team is trending, they'd already explored trading Ohtani this past trade deadline. They couldn't find a match, but will almost certainly revisit the idea this coming offseason. Could they explore the same with Trout?

Across his 12-year career, Trout has only seen the postseason once. Now 30 years of age, the once-wunderkind would surely love to join a team with some semblance of a shot at winning something of significance. Surely, he wouldn't say no to doing so with his hometown team.

It's no secret, the Phillies need a center fielder, and while Trout isn't the defender he used to be, he can surely cover the position as well (if not better) than any of the internal options that the Phillies have on hand. An outfield alignment of Kyle Schwarber, Mike Trout, and Bryce Harper would be enough to make any Philadelphia fan giddy, including Trout himself.

The kid from New Jersey is often seen repping his Philadelphia pride, and would have the chance to be closer to family, friends, and the teams he loves so much.

What once seemed a farfetched pipe dream could now conceivably become a reality. The sale of the Los Angeles Angels could very well be the first domino to fall in a Rube Goldberg-like whirlwind: one that ends with Mike Trout in red pinstripes for the remainder of his career.