Braves: 3 players who would have to be in any Mike Trout trade package
By Tim Boyle
Any trade between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels involving Mike Trout will have to include these three players, too.
The Los Angeles Angels could have a new owner next season. Even if Arte Moreno doesn’t sell the team, he could sell some players. Mike Trout is one of the two superstars on the roster teams like the Atlanta Braves could be calling about. Shohei Ohtani is the other but we’ll save a discussion about him for another day.
When Trout signed his massive extension with the Angels a few seasons ago, the team had already built a reputation that wasn’t so favorable. They weren’t winning consistently enough while employing the best player in the game. Many times they were active in the offseason only to see their wounds hold them back.
The trend continues into 2022 while teams like the Braves thrive with a solid young core. From those young pieces, the Braves have a chance to land an absolute stud to put into their outfield next season. In any massive Mike Trout trade, we’d have to expect at least these three to be included.
1) The Braves would have to include Ian Anderson in a Mike Trout trade
Parting with Ian Anderson in a blockbuster trade for Mike Trout wouldn’t be as painful for Braves fans this year as it may have been only a few months ago. The young Atlanta starter has struggled mightily in 2022 and isn’t headed in the direction many believed he would be. Anderson has gone from a rotation mainstay to young trade bait the team can use to add a veteran.
While his future could still be bright, the Braves can deal with losing him if it brings back the talent Trout brings to the field. He already helped them win one championship. Maybe his next task is to help them win a second as a proxy after getting traded away.
The Angels would want Anderson for some obvious reasons. Years of control at an affordable price make him someone they can build with. The Angels have failed many times at building a respectable pitching staff. Anderson could be one of those younger pieces they can have a little more patience with.
Because he has pitched well in the past, the Angels should make him one of the main pieces in a Trout trade. He is, however, hardly the end of what they should be searching for.