3 hours ago 1

'No possibility' of Angels trading Mike Trout after injuries and decline

The Los Angeles Angels have had one of the best players in baseball on their team for years. However, they have failed to build a contender around him.

Mike Trout has been with the Angels since 2011. The Angels even had Trout and Shohei Ohtani for years, but did not do much winning. Now, Trout is 33, his numbers have declined and injuries are a real concern. Trading him would make sense, but the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher suggested there is no chance of the team trading him.

"No, there is no possibility of trading Trout," wrote Fletcher. "He’s 33 and has been injured for most of the past four years. He’s still got more than $200 million left on his deal, which runs through 2030. His numbers have also declined, even when he’s been healthy. And beyond all of that, he has a full no-trade clause and has given zero indication that he’s interested in being traded."

Trout is slashing .231/.354/.443 this year, and has already missed time with an injury. He has not played in at least 100 games in four of the last five seasons. His numbers have clearly declined this year, but he was an All-Star as recently as 2023, and his .798 OPS is still respectable.

Trout is a three-time MVP, 11-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger and future Hall of Famer. He is the active leader in WAR with 86.6, but his contract makes him next to impossible to trade.

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He has five years left on his 12-year, $426 million deal. As Fletcher mentioned, his no-trade clause is another hurdle to clear. Trout has remained loyal to the Angels, and they are still in the wild card race this year. Perhaps he can start to play like an All-Star again and help get the team into October.