It's time for the Los Angeles Angels to trade Mike Trout.
The Halos entered the 2022 season with lofty expectations. Many believed this was the year they finally would turn the corner. The AL West was destined to be a competitive division with the Angels, Astros, and Mariners leading the way. But as of this article's publication, the Angels sit in fourth place and are 17 games behind first place Houston.
But Mike Trout is still playing an elite brand of baseball. The future Hall of Famer is slashing .273/.374/.619 with a .993 OPS and 23 home runs. Despite those numbers, frustration is still mounting in Anaheim.
Trout previously signed a massive 12-year, $426.5 million dollar deal with the Angels. His contract features a no-trade clause. So trading that contract along with a no-trade clause may not be easy. But there would be no shortage of interest on the trade block since this is Mike Trout we are talking about.
Without further ado, here are 3 reasons the Angels must trade Mike Trout ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
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3 reasons Angels must trade Mike Trout ahead of 2022 MLB trade deadline
Negative growth of MLB
The NBA consistently has their stars in the postseason. The same can be said for the NFL. Imagine if LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Tom Brady only had one postseason series on their resumes?
But Mike Trout has just one single playoff series under his belt. And that came back in 2014. MLB attempts to market stars on winning teams. However, Trout is marketable because of his pure talent. But the majority of fans don't get to watch him play on national TV very often due to the Angels' struggles.
LA needs to cut the cord for the sake of MLB.
Trout has displayed signs of frustration
I will admit, this is more speculation than anything. But there have been a number of times this season Trout has appeared to be frustrated on the field as the team crumbles around him.
Here are a few examples of Trout looking frustrated this year.
Again, there isn't confirmation that Trout wants out of Anaheim. But he hasn't displayed this kind of attitude in the past. One has to wonder if Mike Trout is ready to move on and join a winning franchise.
Angels need to rebuild
The Angels have been marred in mediocrity for many years now. They never seem to be at the very bottom of the league, so they never get the first overall pick. The Halos are just good enough to finish third or fourth in the AL West.
But this team isn't getting better. If Los Angeles can't add the necessary pitching depth to build a winner, then it is time to tear it down and restart. The Angels would get a haul back for Trout. And they could also trade players such as Noah Syndergaard, Jared Walsh, and even Shohei Ohtani down the road. They would get enough prospect talent back to build a legitimate contender within a few years.
Final thoughts
The Angels can still realistically turn things around in 2022. But the odds of that happening are decreasing every day. They keep falling further in the AL West. LA is finding ways to lose games despite the superstar contributions of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
It's time to stop letting Mike Trout's once-in-a-generation talent go to waste.