Angels’ Mike Trout linked to surprise AL Central team in potential trade deadline move originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Mike Trout is in his 16th season with the Los Angeles Angels. During that time, the AL West club has made the postseason just once.
For the most part, baseball fans have been stripped of the opportunity to watch one of the best position players of all-time play meaningful games.
The main thing stopping Trout from departing the Angels is his unwavering loyalty to the organization and a no-trade clause in his contract.
“I’ll be honest: It’s nearly impossible to find a Trout trade that actually makes sense, no matter how badly everyone wants it to now that he’s playing like his old self again,” FanSided’s Chris Landers wrote Monday. “Even if he were willing to waive his full no-trade clause — and he’s given no indication that that’s the case — he’s about to turn 35, and he has four more years on his massive contract. It’s not clear just what value the Angels would get in return, and is that really worth the PR hit?”
Angels fans would be devastated if Trout decided to move on. But if Trout wants to compete for a contending organization before he retires, now may be the best time to make a decision.
“If Los Angeles does move on from the face of their franchise … I guess I could maybe see it for Detroit? The Tigers definitely need a center fielder, given Parker Meadows’ continued struggles to stay healthy and effective, and if they’re not retaining [Tarik] Skubal, there should be some payroll flexibility to burn,” Landers added. “I wouldn’t necessarily advise burning it in this way, but with the way Trout’s hitting right now, there are worse ideas.”
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A trade to the Tigers wouldn’t be the worst fit for Trout, whose 34 walks lead the Majors. His power stroke has helped him connect for 10 home runs already, and his .955 OPS ranks sixth in the AL.
Detroit could insert Trout as its full-time DH for the next four years, and losing Skubal to free agency might not hurt as badly.
Landers’ trade idea is a long shot, but there’s a suitable fit for Trout in Detroit.
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