Speaking out about consistent trade rumors as the Los Angeles Angels repeatedly disappoint on the field, Mike Trout shut down the idea that he’d ask for a trade while acknowledging that one is always possible.
“On the trade front — he said he’s happy being in Anaheim right now,” The Athletic’s Sam Blum reported. “But left open the possibility that he’d be open to (a) trade down the line.”
With Angels owner Arte Moreno recently downplaying the notion that he’d spend money on major free agent acquisitions this offseason unless they would “substantially change the team,” and Trout due to earn an average of $35.6 million every year until 2030, it’s not difficult to imagine that his time with the Angels may soon end.
Projecting the most likely trade suitors for Trout for FanSided, Christopher Kline predicted the Los Angeles Dodgers could “furnish the Angels with a suitable compensatory package” in exchange for Trout.
“It’s almost too easy,” Kline wrote of the potential trade. “He wouldn’t have to leave Anaheim. It’s a simple commute, across town, on a team destined to win a ton of games. It’s past time for Trout to win in the playoffs, which is presumably his primary goal in the event of a trade. The Dodgers assure him the best opportunity to do so.”
Adding Mike Trout Could Give the Los Angeles Dodgers an Unparalleled Batting Order
After signing Trout’s former teammate Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting, $700 million deal this offseason, the Dodgers are set to have one of the most formidable batting orders in MLB. Ohtani will likely bat second, sandwiched by star sluggers Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Arriving with the Dodgers, Trout might join Ohtani somewhere in the middle of that sandwich. To kick off the 2023 season, Trout batted second and Ohtani third for the Angels, though the two switched off between those spots when they were both healthy.
Either way, four of the best hitters in baseball would be at the top of the order for the Dodgers, with a fearsome group rounding out the remaining spots as well.
“The Dodgers would match the Braves and Phillies for power, and then some,” Kline noted. “I’m not sure any pitching staff can credibly claim to have the solution for Los Angeles’ offense at that point.”
Perhaps the only solution would be hoping the offense succumbs to its frequent injury history. Ohtani is coming off of an elbow procedure that will keep him off the mound in 2024. Trout’s formidable career has been riddled with injury problems, and it’s hard to imagine him lasting an entire season in full health.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Can Part With Prospect Depth to Add Mike Trout
Even after a blockbuster offseason, the Dodgers have one of the most highly-ranked farm systems in MLB.
As a result, they can compile an attractive package for any trade candidate, including Trout. Earlier in the offseason, Héctor Gómez of Spanish-language outlet Periódica Hoy reported that the Dodgers were “willing to give up their best prospects in exchange for landing Trout.”
As of the 2023 rankings, that would include Dalton Rushing, a plus-power catcher and first baseman; Diego Cartaya, another plus-power catcher; Nick Frasso, a right-handed pitcher with an explosive fastball; Gavin Stone, a right-handed pitcher with a plus changeup; and Jackson Ferris, a left-handed pitcher with a three-plus-pitch arsenal.
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