MLB insider reveals firm Mike Trout trade update for Angels originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Angels are likely to be one of the clearest sellers at the 2026 MLB trade deadline among all teams around baseball.
They are sporting the worst record in the league and are far from being a contender for the postseason, let alone the World Series. Selling is an obvious outcome this year for the Angels, but most of the questions, of course, will be about Mike Trout.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today revealed a significant trade update on Trout that should finally clear the air on whether Trout is actually available for trade this season or not.
MLB insider reveals what should be the final Mike Trout trade update for Angels
“No, Trout will not be traded,” Nightengale writes. “He has zero interest in waiving his no-trade clause. The reality is that with about $160 million remaining on his contract through 2030, no team would even touch him unless the Angels ate nearly three-quarters of the contract. And that’s not happening.”
While there surely would be plenty of fanbases that dream about their team acquiring Mike Trout at the 2026 trade deadline, like the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees, the odds of a trade are essentially zero.
Unlike most players, Trout has a full no-trade clause, meaning the only way he could be traded is if he accepted an offer to head to another team.
MORE: Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
And Nightengale is reporting that Trout has no such intention, meaning that any trade inquiries on Trout are dead on arrival.
Teams seeking a right-handed slugger like Trout will have to look elsewhere, as the Angels veteran and future Hall of Famer looks more likely to finish his career with the Angels on his $26.5 million deal in 2030 than he is to head elsewhere.
At 34 years old, Trout is having a resurgent 2026 season, as he has 13 homers with 2.2 bWAR and an .896 OPS. It might not be as good as his prime, but it’s more than enough to be considered an All-Star, which he hasn’t done since 2023.
And as much as teams would love to acquire Trout now that he’s playing better, this update from Nightengale effectively confirms that Trout is going nowhere now or in the future.
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