The Los Angeles Angels are starting over with a new manager in Kurt Suzuki. It's a one-year contract, which doesn't exactly establish confidence in the Angels' ability to stabilize as an organization. That renews questions about Mike Trout's future in Anaheim.
At this point, the contract is viewed less as a luxury cost and more as a toxic asset. He's due over $37 million annually through 2030, with a full no-trade clause. He's 34 and he finished last season with a .797 OPS and 121 OPS+. Trout is still an excellent hitter, but his superstar status is fading. A grave history of injuries, paired with last season's switch to DH, caps his value well below his salary.
But it's Mike Trout. He's an all-time legend and he can still absolutely move the needle for a contender. Here are the handful of teams capable of taking on all of Trout's baggage.
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6. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are never short on cash, even if Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman like to speak as if the Yankees are scrounging for pennies. Both Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham are free agents, which opens up a glaring hole in the outfield.
Trout's bat would flourish in this supercharged Yankees lineup, but there are a few too many complications to project the Yankees with any confidence. First, Aaron Judge is stuck in right field and Giancarlo Stanton is stuck in the DH spot. That means Trout would essentially need to move to left or center, which puts an increased tax on his body. That's a huge risk relative to the cost.
On the other hand, he's still Mike Trout, and the Yankees need to put in the work to catch Toronto and stave off Boston in the AL East. Very few free agent bats are as potent as Trout. If the Yankees can't re-sign Bellinger or come out ahead in the Kyle Tucker negotiations, Trout quickly becomes one of their best — or at least, their highest-upside — options. Never say never.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays can slide Mike Trout into right field rather easily. Addison Barger can move over to third base, which becomes especially unproblematic if Bo Bichette departs and leaves a vacancy in the infield. Nathan Lukes isn't a set-in-stone, everyday outfielder either.
That said, Trout spent the majority of last season in the DH slot for a reason. It's the best way to preserve a 34-year-old who has eclipsed 400 at-bats just twice in the last five years. George Springer tends to soak up those reps in Toronto. Trout is a much better defender than Springer, but the risk of taxing Trout as a full-time outfielder in 2026 is substantial.
All that said, Toronto has the spending power and the competitive appetite to at least consider Trout, should he give the Angels his blessing to move on. Trout has significant control over where he ends up in this hypothetical world and the reigning AL champs are as desirable a landing spot as you'll find.
4. San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are officially big game hunters, as Buster Posey's savvy personality and ownership's increasingly blank checks put San Francisco in the mix for most available superstars. The Rafael Devers trade was a show of intent. The Giants are in active pursuit of the Dodgers atop the division.
This fit largely depends on how confident the Giants are in Devers as a full-time first baseman. Trout is best suited to DH these days and he's under contract through 2030. It's a lot of money to pay for a second designated hitter type. Devers was more or less fine at first base in limited exposure last season, but the 29-year-old is historically a major weak point on defense. We shall see how long that arrangement holds.
If Devers can spent the next half-decade at first base, Trout profiles as an expensive but effective DH. He can still move into the outfield and give the Giants plus defense in spurts, if needed. Offensively, Trout moves the needle in a big way, and he's sure to consider a simple move up the coast if his Angels tenure comes to an end.
3. New York Mets
Steve Cohen is the richest owner in baseball and puts the New York Mets in these conversations almost without fail. Trout can slide right into the DH role while also giving New York much-needed outfield depth. It's a tremendous fit on paper, especially if Pete Alonso leaves. The Mets need someone to protect Juan Soto in the lineup.
And yet, Soto might be the biggest complicating factor. Soto is only 26, but he's not going to last in right field much longer at his current rate. Soto was more or less the worst defensive right fielder in the National League last season, notching -12 outs above average. He is allegedly committed to improving, but he's not functionally athletic in a way that promotes quality defense in the corner outfield. He doesn't cover ground quickly and while the arm is solid, he's not packing an outlier-strong canon.
Soto's future is probably at the DH spot. How soon that happens, exactly, remains unclear. It could be next season. It could be in five years. It depends on how long Carlos Mendoza can stomach the costly errors and maddening limitations. Trout is a better defender, but aformentioned injury concerns and age don't make Trout an ideal candidate to take over those reps. The Mets would need to be truly confident in Soto's ability to meaningfully improve on defense — or in Trout's ability to stay healthy, which, yeah.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Angels probably resist any overture to reunite Trout and Shohei Ohtani across town, but at the end of the day, how many teams are actually equipped to take on Trout's exorbitant salary? The Los Angeles Dodgers have the deepest farm system in MLB and when it comes to finding a team Trout would waive his no-trade clause for, the Dodgers have to rank at or near the top.
Ironically enough, Ohtani could be the driving force behind this trade and the reason it doesn't happen. Ohtani sucks up DH reps. He'd probably make a fine outfielder, but the Dodgers aren't going to bridge that gap at this stage of Ohtani's career. That means Trout would need to plant his flag in right field and stay there into his late 30s. Defensively, he's more than capable. It's just a question of whether or not L.A. can justify the injury risk.
The Dodgers do need help in the outfield. It was one of their few genuine weak points offensively last season. Trout batting cleanup behind Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman is a hell of a concept, and financially, few teams are more reckless with their spending. If any organization can take the plunge on Trout's contract and just see if he's durable enough in the outfield, it's the Dodgers. And if any team can survive Trout's inevitable, extended absence due to injury, it's also the Dodgers.
1. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are Trout's hometown team and the team most frequently connected to him as a hypothetical landing spot. That's not to say Dave Dombrowski actually bites the bullet if the opportunity arises, especially given Trout's age and the exorbitant nature of his contract relative to his producton in 2025. But it's definitely a fit, and Trout is almost certain to embrace Philadelphia as a landing spot.
This works out cleanly if Kyle Schwarber leaves in free agency and opens up the DH spot. The Phillies need help in the outfield and Trout is a major defensive upgrade over Nick Castellanos, but Philadelphia probably prefers to protect Trout from himself. If Schwarber leaves and Trout doesn't need to field much at all, his bat becomes awfully intriguing as a Schwarber replacement.
Last season was a mixed bag for Trout offensively, but when right, he's going to generate more consistent contact to all fields than Schwarber. He's not going to hit as many home runs or draw as many walks, but he can give the Phillies a dependable power source and render smart swing decisions in the heart of the lineup. Plus, there are strong destiny vibes here. If Trout is going to rejuvenate his career in a new city, could it really happen anywhere else? That's not serious analysis, but there's a reason Phillies fans have been daydreaming of Trout for years. He'd become an immediate fan favorite as an established local hero.