MLB Rumors: Phillies dream blockbuster trade target officially off the table

The implicit narrative behind a trade that lands the Philadelphia Phillies Mike Trout is hard to ignore. Trout is a Philly kid, claiming South Jersey as his hometown. He'd be an immediately popular addition to Philly sports lore.

Plus, he's even played with Phillies star Bryce Harper before in the Arizona Fall League, before both players became MLB superstars on separate big league teams.

And with the Los Angeles Angels in flux, Shohei Ohtani likely to depart the team via free agency, it would seem reasonable to expect the Angels might trade Mike Trout this season.

The reasoning may add up, but it doesn't make it reality.

Angels unlikely to trade Mike Trout, killing Phillies dream trade... For now

Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that general manager Perry Minasian has said Mike Trout will not be traded this offseason.

Key words? This offseason.

Certainly, a Mike Trout is not off the table forever. It's something that the Angels could pursue and look into further down the road. With seven years left on his deal before he becomes a free agent again, there is plenty of time for the appetite in Los Angeles to change on such a transaction.

The fact is the Angels are entering a new era, and with plenty of time before Trout's contract runs out, they should see how the next era of the team envelops before they necessarily move off on Trout.

But the real question may come down to whether the Phillies have interest and fit at the same time that the Angels are looking to sell. Then, a factor to get through is the contract length and size, and how feasible it is to even acquire such a behemoth in a trade.

A Phillies trade still could happen before Trout hangs it up, but don't expect it within the next few months.