Should the Phillies trade for Mike Trout?
The Los Angeles Dodgers recently signed Shohei Ohtani, raising doubts about the Los Angeles Angels’ future. October will mark Ohtani’s first opportunity to play in a major league game, but Mike Trout, the star of the Angels, is still stuck in Anaheim with a team that simply cannot seem to figure things out. Like with other players, Trout is coveted by many fans to be in the postseason. According to Talkin’ Baseball, All-Star pitcher Chris Bassitt recently acknowledged that he wanted to see Trout traded. He even mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies as a possible suitor for the three-time MVP.
When Chris Rose asked Bassitt if he would prefer to see Trout traded, he replied, “Yeah, without a doubt.” “I wish I could see him with Philadelphia.” Since that’s sort of his hometown, I know that. From a fan’s perspective alone, I believe Trout and (Bryce) Harper together in Philadelphia would be the pinnacle of baseball.
“I’d prefer not to confront them. With (Kyle) Schwarber and all those guys, I’ll tell you that. However, Trout is among the top five players of all time in my opinion. I saw him playing for a team that continues to play well into October. That’s what he deserves. The baseball world deserves that, not just him.”
Future of Mike Trout with the Angels
Trout ultimately made the choice to sign the long-term contract extension with the Angels. He has only participated in three postseason games overall in his illustrious career.
Trout is only thirty-two years old. He still has time to begin consistently making it to the postseason. With the right team, he could even be able to win one or two World Series, if not more.
If there were to be a trade, the Phillies would be a logical place to land. However, Trout’s Angels have stated that they will not be trading him this offseason.
Regretfully, the Angels have failed to construct a competitive team centered around one of the greatest players in baseball history. Without saying, it was a great move to sign Shohei Ohtani. In the past, the Halos have tried to acquire skilled position players.
Over the years, though, their inconsistent play has been caused by their inability to produce strong starting pitching. Furthermore, the Angels have been unable to add trustworthy arms through free agency.
As a result, despite having a roster that included Trout and Ohtani, they have not made it to the postseason since 2014.
Maybe the Phillies will ask about trading for Mike Trout. Trout would be able to play for a competitive ball club, but they would be taking on an eye-opening salary in exchange.
And that’s something that every baseball fan would want to see, as Bassitt pointed out.