Mike Trout trade would be foolish move for Angels

Would the Angels, faced with a swollen payroll and deflated farm system, consider trading the former AL MVP?

A quick check of the calendar tells us it’s the first week of May. In other words, it’s prime time for fans and journalists alike to overreact to what they’ve seen through 30 or so games in the Major League Baseball season.

Take, for instance, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Halos enter play Friday night with a 13-15 record, four games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West. It’s hardly an insurmountable advantage, but the Angels’ mediocre in-season performance, combined with modest preseason expectations and the loss of staff ace Garrett Richards, has sparked a previously unthinkable debate — would the Angels actually trade stud outfielder Mike Trout?

David Schoenfield addressed this question in earnest in his ESPN.com piece on Friday and even handpicked a few potential landing spots for Trout. Schoenfield also cited Dave Cameron, whose FanGraphs post dives deeper into the Angels’ woes. Schoenfield concludes:

"“The Angels will have to consider the idea, although I’d hate to be the general manager burdened with the task of obtaining fair value for Mike Trout.”"

So, what’s our take on all of this? It’s a fun theoretical to play around with, but at the end of the day, you simply can’t trade a generational player like Trout.

Trout will turn 25 years old this August, and he’s already compiled a list of accolades that most players can only dream about — four-time All-Star, 2014 AL MVP (and three-time runner-up), four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Hank Aaron Award winner, AL Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star Game MVP. He’s also led the AL in RBIs (2014) and stolen bases (2012).

Trout is one of the faces of the sport and generally considered one of its best talents, along with players like Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw. But the versatile Trout is widely regarded as the most complete player in the majors, and the stats back that up — he led the league in wins above replacement (WAR) in each of his first full three seasons.

Trout’s contract runs through the 2020 season, but as Schoenfield points out, his salary will increase from $16 million this year to $34 million in 2018. Money alone shouldn’t determine Trout’s fate, but it happens all the time in professional sports. Any deal for Trout would net a king’s ransom, but unless that package includes proven major leaguers, minor-league prospects are no guarantee either.

It’s simply too soon and, quite frankly, too silly to seriously entertain the thought of a Trout trade. But Angels fans would be wise to enjoy him while they can … just in case!