No player is unsellable, not even the aging, broken Mike Trout, signed until 2030. But with Trout’s latest injury, the terrifying thought that he will spend the rest of his career with the Los Angeles Angels is becoming more and more real.
Trout, who turns 33 on Aug. 7, is expected to miss at least eight to 12 weeks while recovering from surgery to repair a meniscal tear in his left knee. He is guaranteed $35.45 million this season and each of the next six. Even if he returned on, say, August 1 and finished his career on a scorching streak, what team would trust him enough this offseason to take most or all of the remaining $212.7 million? From 2021-2023, Trout missed more games than he played. Given that it has historically been a tardy healer, it is not on track to reverse this trend in 2024.
The trout trade, of course, was far from ever taking place. To the dismay of many opposing fans, the three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star steadfastly refuses to be invited to Anaheim, maintaining that he wants to spend his entire career with one team, like his childhood idol, Derek Jeter, and win with the Angels.
At the beginning of spring training, Trout said he was “pushing, pushing, pushing” for upper management to add free agents, perhaps a sign of his growing impatience. Well, his fuse had to be shorter. He waited too long.
In order for the trading scenario to become realistic, it was necessary:
• Angels stink again, which was almost certain.
• Trout to A) return to near MVP form, which was at least likely to happen before he injured his knee; and B) request a trade, which even Angels fans would understand considering he has never won a postseason game or even appeared in the playoffs since 2014.
• Angels owner Arte Moreno demonstrated a willingness not only to honor Trout’s wishes, but also to include significant cash in the deal, which… never happened.
As we recall, Moreno repeatedly refused to agree to a Shohei Ohtani trade, even though it would mean a gigantic profit that could revive his pathetic franchise. He then refused to match the Los Angeles Dodgers’ $700 million offer to Ohtani with a $680 million deferral, a deal that could have very well paid off. Remember that Ohtani may not have taken the Angels’ money. But the only thing the Angels will return for him now is, yes, the 74th pick in the 2024 draft.
With a reduced annual salary – $15 million? $20 million? – some club might still want Trout. Over the past quarter-century, transactions involving enormous payouts have become increasingly common. Moreno made some money by sending the Up-to-date York Yankees over $28 million to get rid of Vernon Wells in March 2013 and $63 million to the Texas Rangers get rid of Josh Hamilton in April 2015. Wells was no longer a productive player. Hamilton angered Moreno by relapsing into substance abuse. Trout, on the other hand, is a model citizen and an elite player when fit, which is Moreno’s favorite.
In the case of Wells and Hamilton, the Angels received virtually nothing. In Trout’s case, Moreno would likely want six top-100 prospects, especially if he had to part with tens of millions to facilitate a deal. The actual commercial value of trout, even with a reduced financial commitment, would be much lower. Good luck with your interview with Moreno. He wouldn’t trade Ohtani if he had the opportunity more than once to make the same deal the Washington Nationals made with Juan Soto.
Now where are the Angels? I’m stuck with two players, Trout and Anthony Rendon, who collectively make almost $75 million a year after Rendon’s contract ends in 2026, and yet they can’t stay on the field. And this is where Trout’s tolerance for Moreno’s inconsistent management becomes less understandable. The team is a mess, has been a mess and will continue to be a mess for at least the next few years.
AthleteKeith Law ranked the Angels farm system 29th out of 30, ahead only of the Oakland A’s. Even if the Angels somehow turn things around before Trout’s contract expires, how functional will a player be in his 30s? His early thirties certainly didn’t go well.
During spring training, Trout told me he heard the noise, that he was cheerful with the Angels, didn’t want to win, and wouldn’t demand a trade. In an interview I did with him for Fox Sports, he said, “It drives me more.” He was convinced that he would get back into shape soon, saying that the thought of such a possibility gave him chills. And the way he played, 50 homers and 30 stolen base seasons – proof that he was still the GOAT, or at least one of the best current players – seemed well within his reach.
His seriousness remains one of his most endearing qualities. The suggestion that he doesn’t want to play in a more demanding market has always seemed unacceptable to those who know him best, who see how difficult he works, who witness his competitive drive. But Trout’s desire to succeed with the Angels rather than elsewhere seemed like a fanciful idea to most outsiders.
Armed with the full protection of the trade ban, he was able to make his way to the Philadelphia Phillies, the team closest to his hometown of Millville, Up-to-date Jersey. He could fit in with a club full of hungry stars – Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber , Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. And he could be praised for escaping a bad situation, not criticized for staying put.
It didn’t have to be the Phillies. It could have been virtually any competitor offering pay flexibility. And there was no need to come to the issue of trade. Trout signed two extensions with the Angels when he was eligible to become a free agent entering his age-26 and age-29 seasons. His loyalty was commendable. But right now he looks like the current equivalent of Ernie Banks, who holds the major league record for most games played in his career without making the playoffs (2,528).
Banks, playing in the pre-free agency era, never had the opportunity to choose another team. For most of his career, only the league champions made the playoffs, meeting in the World Series. He was a beloved character known as Mr. Cub. He created the Hall of Fame. But for many, something was always missing, some aspect of his legacy.
Trout is entering similar territory after his latest injury. More than ever, it seems he is destined to remain Mr. Angel. While his intentions may have been good, this is very gloomy.
(Photo: Paul Rutherford / Getty Images)
