One of the hot topics around the MLB is whether or not the Los Angeles Angels should trade Mike Trout. But what would it take to get the Angels to bite on a trade?
I’m sure you’ve heard the “rumors” about Mike Trout being traded. It isn’t so much that the Angels are asking around, but it’s that people think they should. Crazy, right? Well, when you think about it, it really isn’t.
We can all agree that the Halos won’t be good for a while. They have a below average major league team. No pitching, aside from Garrett Richards, who’s hurt. They have Jered Weaver, who can barely throw 80 MPH anymore. Aside from Trout and Pujols, they don’t have much offense.
More from MLB News
- MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves still on top with major shifting below them
- Caesars MLB Promo Code: Two Shots at Picking the World Series Winner!
- MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves still on top amid a big shake-up in top 10
- DraftKings MLB Promo: Bet $5 on an Anytime Home Run, Win $150 Bonus GUARANTEED
- MLB Power Rankings: After MLB trade deadline, gap is closing on Atlanta Braves
That sounds awful, right? Well is gets worse. They have arguably the worst minor league system in the majors. Their number 1 ranked prospect isn’t even ranked in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects. Yikes. That can be fixed, though. How? By accumulating prospects. How can they do that? Trading Mike Trout.
It’s crazy, but it makes sense. They’re wasting his prime. He is arguably the best player in baseball, depending if you’re Team Harper or Team Trout, and the Angels are awful. That being said, trading the best player in baseball demands a lot. Not many teams have the prospects and players to make the deal, and if they did, they probably wouldn’t want to give them up. But what if they did? It’s always fun to dream.
Los Angeles Dodgers
This was the obvious pick. The Dodgers are loaded, and they could use the help. Yes, Corey Seager is going to be a star. Yasiel Puig shows flashes. However, they can’t ride Clayton Kershaw all the time. I mean, they are playing Howie Kenrick in the outfield. They could use the help.
The trade:
Angels give: Mike Trout.
Dodgers give: Julio Urias, Jose De Leon, Frankie Montas, Enrique Hernandez, Joc Pederson, and Walker Buehler.
You may be wondering how Seager wasn’t in that list. Well, that’s just the one guy the Dodgers couldn’t give up. The Angels need pitching, and the Dodgers have plenty of young pitching. Grant Holmes could be added to the list instead of Buehler, but you have to think the Dodgers would have to keep someone. Pederson gives the Angels some of the raw power they will miss from Trout, and Hernandez is a solid option who would probably start in Anaheim.
Boston Red Sox
Yeah, they’re loaded too. They’ve got good depth, and just what they need is more offense. They don’t really need another outfielder, but who doesn’t need Trout? Plus, they’re one of the deepest teams in the majors, and they have some good young talent.
The trade:
Angels give: Mike Trout
Red Sox give: Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi, Henry Owens, Jackie Bradley, Jr., Clay Buchholz, and Brock Holt.
Moncada and Benintendi are going to be stars. There is no doubt about it. They’re both killing it in the minors, with Benintendi being promoted recently. Owens could be a solid number 2 starter, if he pans out, which has been tough for him. Buchholz was just thrown in there because it seems like the Sox just want to be done with him. There isn’t much to say about Bradley, other than that he is white hot right now. Holt, when he gets hot, is a great asset because he can play anywhere. The Angels would be very happy with that deal.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians really need outfield help. I mean 35 year old Rajai Davis is starting for them. So is Lonnie Chisenhall. Their farm system isn’t awful, it’s about middle of the road. They have some good talent, and a lot of it is in the majors. They could still use that big outfielder, though, because Michael Brantley is always hurt.
The trade:
Angels give: Mike Trout
Indians give: Bradley Zimmer, Clint Frazier, Brady Aiken, Danny Salazar, and Cody Anderson.
The Angels get two great young outfielders, in Zimmer and Frazier, who could be a nice replacement for Trout. Aiken is a stud. He was once the first overall pick, but an injury forced him to eventually not sign. He later had Tommy John and was selected 17th overall in the 2015 draft. Salazar has been pitching great, and could provide a good 1 and 2 with Aiken. Cody Anderson pitched well last year, but has been pretty awful this year, and is just a throw in for this trade. He could provide an okay number 3 for the Angels.
Chicago Cubs
This one was so fun to think about. The Cubs are loaded, in the majors and minors. They’re so deep, and they have some amazing talent. They might have been the most fun team to watch last year, and that was due to all of the young talent they had. They just signed Jason Heyward, so they will still have a great young player even after the trade.
The trade:
Angels give: Mike Trout
Cubs give: Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora, Ian Happ, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Duane Underwood, and Dylan Cease.
See, this is really fun to think about. All the young studs, minus Bryant because that’s just too much for the Cubs to give up. But you say what Schwarber could do last year in the playoffs, 40 homers isn’t really out of the question. Happ is a stud young second baseman, and Baez and Soler have shown signs. Underwood and Cease were added to this because the Angels desperately need pitching.
Next: What's wrong with Matt Harvey?
Yeah, none of these are likely to happen. Trout is too valuable to the Angels, and the packages are just too much for the other teams. It’s still fun to dream about, though. Everyone loves a good blockbuster trade. Any of these trades would be bigger than blockbuster, though. I don’t even know what you would call these.