As the Los Angeles Dodgers focus on upgrading their starting rotation and signing Shohei Ohtani this offseason, one report about their interest in trading with the Los Angeles Angels for Mike Trout created a lot of buzz.
Although a trade for Trout is unlikely, the possibility of Trout playing in L.A. and joining Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and potentially Ohtani was still intriguing to think about. That vision may have been what fueled the Dodgers to check in on his availability.
The report also said the Dodgers would be willing to part with top prospects to get the deal done, but it was still difficult to imagine it coming to fruition.
More water was thrown on the fire when Angels general manager Perry Minasian stated that Trout will be with the Angels in 2024, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
Angels GM Perry Minasian reiterates that Mike Trout will be playing for the Angels in 2024 after several large market teams privately inquired about his availability.
Of course, general managers and executives often lie to get opposing teams to make better offers or to help control the market. A notable case is when former Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi said Dee Gordon was the team’s second baseman before trading him shortly thereafter.
Still, even if Trout is available, the notion that Angels owner Arte Moreno would be willing to trade him is difficult to envision, and especially not to the Dodgers. Those odds are even further decreased if the Dodgers end up with Ohtani.
Trout still has seven years and $206 million remaining on his current deal, which is a significant amount when paired up with his actual on-field status. That deal keeps him under contract through the 2030 season, when he will be 38.
Although Trout still is one of the most talented players in baseball when healthy, the key issue is he hasn’t been healthy. The 32-year-old has played in just 237 games over the past three seasons, which is fewer than half of the Angels games over that time.
Trout managed to put up a 3.0 WAR season in just 82 games, putting him on pace for superstar production once again by hitting .263/.367/.490 with 18 home runs, 54 runs scored and 44 RBI, but being on pace is far different from actually reaching those results.
Does Mike Trout have a no-trade clause?
When Trout signed his 12-year, $426.5 million extension in March 2019, it was both the richest contract in MLB and the largest contract in North American Sports history. It has since been exceeded in the NFL with Patrick Mahomes signing a 10-year, $450 million contract in 2020.
In addition to the financials of the deal, the Angels provided Trout with a full no-trade clause, meaning he could block a deal to any organization the Angels attempt to trade with.
Trout conceivably would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Dodgers, but it’s a minor obstacle nonetheless. He could also use that leverage to force his way to his preferred team, as was the case with Justin Verlander earlier this season.
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