There's nothing like a small sample size early in the MLB season to completely warp fans' expectations. The Los Angeles Angels entered the campaign without much hope in the world. Now, after three games against the Houston Astros — L.A. went 2-1 with explosive offensive displays — the Angels feel like the Team of Destiny.
We all probably realize, on some level, that the Angels are too flawed to keep this up. But what about Mike Trout? After a decade of countless injury setbacks, Trout is healthy to begin the year and he looks an awful lot like himself. He went 5-for-9 in L.A.'s opening series, cranking two home runs. He struck out once. He walked six times. He has a 1.956 OPS and 477 OPS+. Probably not sustainable, but thrilling all the same. If the man can keep it up, all while playing quality defense in centerfield, the Angels may finally have an opportunity to trade Trout for actual value.
Here are a few suitors to keep in mind:
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates reportedly offered Kyle Schwarber four years and $125 million this offseason. He wound up back in Philly as expected, but it's clear the Bucs have a bit of cash to spend these days. Pittsburgh eventually added the likes of Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn, but after back-to-back losses to the Mets to start the year, it certainly can't hurt to add another bat. The Pirates can certainly use a defensive upgrade over Oneil Cruz in center field, too.
Trout's remaining contract comes out to roughly five years and $155.6 million. That's a bit more than the Schwarber contract, and it comes with significantly more downside risk tied to age and injury history. And yet, if he can improve Pittsburgh's porous defense at a critical position and give the Pirates that long-lost superstar bat in the middle of the order, they start to feel like a genuine threat in the National League. Especially when factoring in the inevitable Konnor Griffin call-up.
When healthy, Trout has consistently been the best positional player in baseball. We just haven't seen him operating anywhere close to full strength since the 2010s. Pittsburgh would need to hedge its bets and be realistic about the proposition at hand, but if Trout is available for anything less than Griffin, the upside probably justifies consideration, at the very least.
Houston Astros
The Astros boast an oversaturated infield and an undersaturated outfield at the moment. Joey Loperfido is off to a fast start, but it remains unclear how much Houston can expect offensively from the likes of Jake Meyers and Cam Smith. Given their lack of depth options, too — the Jose Altuve experiment failed in spectacular fashion a year ago — the Astros out to consider upgrades.
Trout is probably too expensive for the modern-day Astros front office, which famously dealt Kyle Tucker to cut costs. But then again, this is still a competitive, veteran roster up against a ticking clock. Trout comes with risk, but with five years left on his deal, it's no longer a toxic, catastrophic long-term commitment. It could be worth biting the bullet in hopes of one or two healthy Octobers.
The Astros can plug Trout somewhere between Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve, Yordan Álvarez and Carlos Correa in the linuep. You will struggle to find a more fearsome five-man run east of Hollywood. A Trout trade would establish the Astros as real contenders again.
New York Mets
The New York Mets' strange but fruitful offseason left them with an incredibly balanced and productive lineup. If there's an odd man out, it's probably Brett Baty, but he can play everywhere and he's coming off a productive 2025 campaign. Luis Robert Jr. probably shouldn't be fully trusted after two games, but he thwacked a walk-off home run on Saturday night and it feels like New York's center field woes are in the past.
Still, the Mets wield the power of the purse, as Steve Cohen is the richest owner in baseball and money, in theory, is no object. Do the Mets want to obligate significant resources to both Mike Trout and Juan Soto deep into their late 30s, both on staggered timelines? Probably not, but it would certainly boost their World Series odds on the heels of one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory.
Trout can step into the DH slot, where injury risks are mitigated. Or the Mets can stick him in a corner outfield spot and finally relegate Soto to DH, which is a move years in the making at this point. The Mets could certainly use the boost defensively — the left side of their defense with Soto in left and Bo Bichette at third is severely compromised at the moment — but even if he's exclusively there for offense, Trout raises the Mets' ceiling closer to the Dodgers than any other team.
Philadelphia Phillies
You can't write about potential Mike Trout destinations without mentioning the Philadelphia Phillies, who always seem to have a need in the outfield. The early returns on the Adolis García experiment aren't all negative, but it's hard to trust an aging veteran with strikeout problems, especially when he's coming off a sub-.700 OPS season. It's not like Brandon Marsh is a lock to spend the next decade in Philly's outfield either.
Trout is a hometown kid. He loves the Eagles and the Sixers. He grew up pulling for the Phillies. This would just feel natural. I am not sure fans who are used to rooting for Joel Embiid need the inherent instability of Mike Trout fandom in their lives, too, but he's hopefully fix a need and add the sort of middle-order power Philadelphia current lacks. Trea Turner, Mike Trout, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper is one hell of a four-man gauntlet. It helps Philly defensively, it addresses their poor production in the four-hole, and it proves how serious ownership and the front office are about building a winner.
Trout's five-year deal is not all that far removed from Philadelphia's reported seven-year, $200 million offer to Bo Bichette. Obviously Bichette is much younger, with far less serious health concerns. And yet, Trout is straight-up better when he's on the field and feeling like himself. This would put Philadelphia on the hook for Trout, Schwarber, Turner and Harper all in their late 30s, all at roughly the same time. I am not going to still here and downplay the risk. If the Phillies want to win a World Series before the window slams shut, however, Trout can can certainly help.