1. Mike Trout plays his last game with the Los Angeles Angels
It seems crazy to even think about. Trout is the game’s best player and won’t even turn 26 until August. How can the Halos even think about trading such a talent?
.@MikeTrout knows best. pic.twitter.com/KDu1GtjV8T
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) February 6, 2017
The answer is simple. Trout is really the only good thing this team has going for it.
Trading Trout would be painful. But if the Angels really want to improve and become a consistent playoff contender in the near future, it’s 100-percent necessary.
Los Angeles may have the worst overall situation in baseball. In terms of Major League talent, only a few teams are worse. In terms of what’s coming up from the farm system, nobody is worse. That’s a bad combination and it has to change.
Other than Trout, the Halos really have only a few players that would be appealing to a contender. Those guys would land some decent pieces but nothing that would move the needle too much. Additionally, trading players like Kole Calhoun, Andrelton Simmons, Matt Shoemaker and Garrett Richards would only make Trout’s situation in Anaheim worse.
If the Angels decide to pull the trigger on a Trout trade, they could get potentially 4-5 top tier prospects that could form a nucleus for the future. They need to do that. Otherwise, the fans in Anaheim will get to see a lot of Trout surrounded by mediocre (or worse) talent for a long time.
A trade could happen around the trade deadline, but the best time would probably be after the season. No matter what, the 2017 season should be Trout’s last in an Angel uniform. As the team struggles through another year, expect the front office to realize that.