Los Angeles Angels: What Would a Mike Trout Trade Look Like?

Could the Los Angeles Angels actually trade Mike Trout? What could the club net in return? How does Shohei Ohtani factor into a Mike Trout trade?

The Los Angeles Angels would shock the baseball world if they chose to trade Mike Trout, but the club could be forced to start thinking about life without their superstar. The recent news of Shohei Ohtani‘s recommendation for Tommy-John surgery has had fans and writers bustling with ideas of how the Angels should shape their future, including the possibility of trading Mike Trout.

Trout, who is 27-years-old, has two years left on his current contract. I personally think that the Angels would be foolish to trade Trout. He is the best player on the planet and is currently in the prime of his career. While they are a team in need of a roster revamp, building a farm system is arguably easier than finding the next generational type talent.

Mike Trout is a player that defines more than just a team, but a generation of ballplayers as well. Over his eight seasons in the big leagues, Trout has made the All-Star Team seven times, won five Silver Slugger Awards, two MVPs and was named the 2012 Rookie of the Year. Most players don’t rack up this much hardware over a 20-year career, let alone in their first eight seasons.

The slugger is on pace to put up historical career numbers. Trout has produced 36 home runs, 98 RBIs, 181 hits and a slash line of .307/.416/.572 over a 162 game average so far in his career.

Even though it is hard to imagine Trout in any other uniform, this move may be something that the Angels should consider, as their future plans may change if Shohei Ohtani is set to miss most of 2019.