MLB Rumors: Cubs-Ohtani match, Mike Trout trade hurdles, Yankees copying Braves

MLB rumors: What stands in the way of a hypothetical Mike Trout trade?

This lede sounds absolutely ridiculous at first glance — but stick with me on this.

During this season, the Los Angeles Angels explored Shohei Ohtani trade options but ultimately decided to hold onto him. This offseason could be the beginning of a dark, dark time in the Angels organization. There’s potential that Ohtani, Lucas Giolito, Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk, among others, could walk in free agency. This would leave them with one Top 100 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and a depleted MLB roster.

With Mike Trout signed for the next seven seasons and at age 31, his trade value will slowly begin to go down as the days go by. So, should the Angels explore trading him? What is stopping them?

Well, there are a few things actually. The first one is Trout himself. He has a full no-trade clause, meaning he could shut down any deal without question.

Then, if he is willing to be moved, problems arise with his age, injury history, and his massive contract. How much would a team be willing to give up for a player they’re going to owe over $200 million to, who hasn’t played 130+ games in a year since 2019?

Now, mind you, Trout is still one of the best players in the game and in the history of the game, when he’s healthy. When he’s on the field, not many teams would mind paying him his full contract. The trade is highly unlikely at this point, but it’s still fun to think about.