Mike Trout to Philly? Phillies rumored to target Angels superstar in massive offseason shakeup for 2025 title push
It has been another difficult year for Mike Trout, who played just one month of the season before going down with a knee injury at the back end of April. The Los Angeles Angels superstar subsequently underwent two surgeries, which curtailed his season prematurely.
However, as per Kerry Miller of the Bleacher Report, the Philadelphia Phillies might pull off a surprising move to sign the three-time MVP in the offseason.
The Phillies were one of the top contenders for the National League pennant and duly seized the NL East division title by a comfortable margin. However, they made a swift exit from the playoffs, losing 3-1 to the New York Mets in the Division Series. The much-vaunted Phillies lineup was undone by the Mets, which termed their campaign a failure despite a strong showing in the regular season.
In an article for the Bleacher Report, Kerry Miller wrote that the Los Angeles Angels might be interested in trading Mike Trout this offseason. He feels the Phillies will look to bolster the offensive production from their outfielders, and the Angels superstar could be the missing piece to their batting lineup to elevate the team to the next level.
"The Angels would need to eat a lot of Trout's remaining contract in any trade negotiation, and especially in one with Philadelphia, which is already staring down the barrel of a roughly $275M payroll in 2025," Miller wrote.
"If, however, Los Angeles retains the entirety of Trout's 2025 salary before letting Philly begin to pay its share in 2026 once JT Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber come off the books, the Phillies would be quite interested in adding the 11-time All-Star in hopes of addressing the fact that they pinch-hit for an outfielder six times in a postseason run that lasted just four games," he added.
Mike Trout played just 29 games for the Angels this year and has lasted until the end of the regular season in only one of the past four campaigns.
"Maybe Mike Trout is finally fed up with rehabbing through losing seasons": Kerry Miller
Mike Trout is the second-highest paid member of the Los Angeles Angels roster, behind third baseman, Anthony Rendon, with a $37.1 million annual salary. Yet Trout has only made one postseason appearance with the Angels despite playing 14 seasons for them.
"Maybe nothing has changed and Trout — enjoying both his Octobers off and a medical staff that cannot do anything to keep him or Anthony Rendon healthy — remains more than happy to spend the next six years with the Halos," Kerry Miller wrote.
"Or maybe he's finally fed up with rehabbing through losing seasons and is ready for a fresh start with a team that might actually win a ring before he retires," he added.
The Angels signed Trout to a 12-year, 426.5 million contract extension before the start of the 2019 season, which keeps him at the ballclub until 2030.