With Arte Moreno selling the Angels, could future Hall of Famer Mike Trout finally be available for trade? If so, the Braves make sense.
Trout deserves to play for a true contender, and the Angels have never been that. Yet, the only way he’ll be available for a trade is if the next owner who buys the team opts to strip it of its resources and start over.
This is fully possible, and it wouldn’t be the first time. An ownership group in flux just led to a Juan Soto trade to the Padres. Who’s to say Trout and Shohei Ohtani wouldn’t be next?
Trout, given his contract and newfound chronic back problems, is the riskier asset at this point in his career. While still a capable hitter, it’s fair to wonder if Trout’s best days are behind him, especially given he just passed the 30-year mark.
Braves: What would it cost to trade for Mike Trout?
Much of Atlanta’s core is already under contract and/or off-limits via trade. The Braves just signed Michael Harris II to a long-term extension. He’s not going anywhere, and was arguably their most intriguing young player at the time.
The Braves’ farm system, on the surface, isn’t all that attractive. But they do have a number of young players already contributing at the MLB level. Given Trout’s contract — and the fact that in this hypothetical scenario, said new ownership group would want to shed that money — perhaps Atlanta could get him for less than his overall value.
Braves Get
OF, Mike Trout
Angels Get
SS, Vaughn Grissom
RHP, Spencer Strider
RHP, Ian Anderson
OF, Jesse Franklin V
If this feels a little lite for Trout, it’s because it very well may be. It depends on if the Braves are willing to take on his full salary for the remainder of his contract.
Grissom is the top prospect remaining in the Braves system. He’s been tabbed by some as a logical replacement for Dansby Swanson should he leave in free agency. In this trade, Atlanta would make re-signing Swanson a top priority, and ship Grissom as a result.
Strider is the best young pitcher on the pitching staff, and it’s not even close. He could be a future top-end starter for a team in Anaheim that desperately needs young pitching talent. Adding Ian Anderson — another young, potential top-end starter who needs some retooling– is just icing on top. Jesse Franklin V is the Braves best remaining outfield prospect and could feasibly be a depth replacement for Trout somewhere down the line.
It’s a moderate trade package for a player with plenty of questions marks. Trout’s contract, as well as his long-term health, are a risk for the Braves to take on. Their ownership group would have to sign on beforehand, of course, but an outfield group of Acuña, Harris II and Trout is hard to turn down.
