As the Los Angeles Angels appear to be headed for a rebuild, it had been suggested that they might trade Mike Trout. On Tuesday morning, Angels GM Perry Minasian spoke to the media and shut down those rumors.
“Mike Trout is not getting traded,” Minasian said. “100 percent.”
There was no concrete reporting suggesting that Trout would be traded, just speculation. That came from the fact that the Angels have not really been good over the past couple of seasons. It’s also evident that Shohei Ohtani could be headed elsewhere. The Angels have not had a winning season since 2015 and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2014. Despite having arguably two of the best players in baseball in their lineup over the past six years.
It’s clear that the Angels are not looking to trade Mike Trout or head to a rebuild. Minisian stated last month that the team would be aggressive in the offseason. The transactions made may or may not lure Ohtani back to Anaheim. Even if it doesn’t, they are looking to be competitive in a stacked AL West. The Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners were all competitive last season. Those AL West foes all fought for a playoff spot until the very last day. No matter what transactions they decide to do, trading Trout wouldn’t make sense if the Angels plan to win in the short term.
If and when, the Angels decide to eventually move Trout there will be challenges doing so. He has a full no-trade clause and would have to give the green light on any trade proposal. In September, Trout stated that he intended to play for the Angels in 2024 and the team has concurred that sentiment.
The former MVP may also not have the best trade value at the moment. He has dealt with several injuries over the past several seasons. Reasonably so, health might be becoming a concern for the 32-year-old. Especially at the price that he would cost and at the price of his hefty contract.
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