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Mike Trout Trade Landing Spots Wish List to Rescue Him From Angels
Mike Trout has spent his career being too good for the Los Angeles Angels. So when even a hint of a trade is whispered, hope of him escaping springs eternal.
It so happens there's a little of that going on right now. One executive name-checked Trout as a trade candidate to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. And if you Google "Mike Trout trade," a number of recent opinion pieces pop up.
The timing is no accident. After some lean years, the three-time MVP is in the middle of a renaissance with a 1.000 OPS and 11 home runs in 2026. True to form, though, the Angels are putting Trout's excellence to waste amid a 14-23 start.
None of this should be taken as an excuse to actually expect the 34-year-old center fielder to get traded.
Angels owner Arte Moreno is as stubborn as they come. Trout is owed $35.45 million annually through 2030, and he's been reluctant to force a trade. Even if a team wanted to take on his contract and give him a shot at expanding his playoff portfolio beyond three games, it's not a given that he would waive his no-trade rights.
But since there's nothing wrong with wanting the best for someone, it's perfectly OK to root for Trout to get traded. And we're going to do exactly that by crafting a wish list for his five ideal landing spots.
First, though, we must nod at some unlikely destinations and honorable mentions.
Sorry, Center Field Is Taken
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Atlanta Braves
Michael Harris II was in danger of falling off the radar for a minute there, but the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year has been on fire ever since last year's All-Star break. And besides, the Braves need arms more than they need another bat.
Chicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong's bat has a lot of holes in it, but it would be hard to justify moving his glove out of center field even for someone like Trout. It would also be weird if the Cubs did that so soon after inking PCA to a $115 million extension.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Andy Pages is breaking out, and… well, there's history between these two clubs that suggests Arte Moreno would never allow Trout to be fitted for Dodger Blue.
Seattle Mariners
This is another no-brainer "No way!" Even if the Mariners didn't have Julio Rodríguez in center field, the Angels surely wouldn't ship Trout to an AL West rival.
Good Uses of That No-Trade Clause
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Boston Red Sox
Given Boston's need for a middle-of-the-order bat, they would have been an interesting fit for Trout back on Opening Day. But now that they're crumbling in real time, he should want nothing to do with them.
Houston Astros
Once again, the AL West caveat applies. To boot, to willingly join up with the Astros now would be akin to climbing aboard the Titanic as the band plays on.
New York Mets
Surprise, surprise. Luis Robert Jr. is hurt again. Yet the Mets are even worse off than the Red Sox, and evidence is mounting that even Steve Cohen's billions can't buy a magic touch.
San Francisco Giants
Buster Posey pulled off a trade for Rafael Devers just last year, so you never know. But that trade is already trending toward being an all-time blunder, and it's part of the reason the Giants are fighting to stay out of last place.
Fair for Him to Have Doubts
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Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians always find a way to stick around in the AL playoff picture, and who doesn't want to see a Trout-José Ramírez team-up?
But even if the Guardians were miraculously able to take on his contract, would Trout really want to hitch his wagon to a franchise known for operating with minimal payrolls?
Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart are already a dynamic duo. If the Reds added Trout to make it a dynamic trio, they could hope to be a lot more than an upstart contender.
Like their Ohio neighbors, though, the Reds are not known for spending big bucks. And unlike the Guardians, the Reds haven't won a playoff series since 1995.
Kansas City Royals
Trout and Bobby Witt Jr., with Salvador Perez, Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone as supporting stars? Yeah, that sounds like a good time.
The Royals, however, are not having a good time at 17-19. And this is with a maxed-out payroll, which makes one fear for what kind of cutting could be in order if this year doesn't pan out.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Bucs have a winning record that feels legit, and it has a lot to do with an impressive group of homegrown and newcomer stars. And yes, Trout would be an upgrade over Oneil Cruz in center field.
It's too bad that Pirates owner Bob Nutting is synonymous with cheapness. If Trout boarded this ship, he'd have every reason to suspect it wouldn't be long before Paul Skenes would have to leave.
Now We're (Almost) Talking
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Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks went to the World Series three years ago, and many of the players who made that happen are still around and still very much kicking.
And yet, the Snakes have taken up a seemingly permanent position as the NL West's No. 3 contender. If Trout is going to greenlight a trade, he can and should want to do better.
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore's offense is outstanding on paper. Add Trout to the mix alongside Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso, and then they would really have something.
But is this window closing? It sure feels like it's closing. Since peaking with 101 wins in 2023, the Orioles are still struggling against a pattern of diminishing returns.
Milwaukee Brewers
Death, taxes and the Brewers sticking in the NL playoff picture despite modest payrolls and an ever-rotating cast of characters. If nothing else, they'd offer Trout reliable… well, "reliable reliability" is the only way to put it.
But even if they could take on his contract, he'd have to expect the character rotation to then become even more extreme. That would put the club's reliability to the test.
Athletics and Texas Rangers
Surprise! It's a two-for-one AL West special. Both could use Trout in center field, and it so happens that both are in the running for the division title.
Yet the AL West caveat once again applies, and then there's the question of whether the time is right to embrace either franchise. The Rangers are now three years removed from winning the World Series. The A's are still two years out from moving to Las Vegas and (fingers crossed) finally having some money to play with.
5. Detroit Tigers
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Record: 18-19
CF Stats: .671 OPS, 3 HR, -0.1 WAR
Why It Should Happen
See those center field numbers? They're bad, and that's a darn shame.
If the Tigers had an actual offensive threat out in center field, they'd have a really fun outfield between that guy and Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter. And in theory, Trout is the best "that guy" the Tigers can hope for this summer.
Trout would otherwise be the big bopper this lineup needs behind table-setters Kevin McGonigle and Gleyber Torres. And assuming Tarik Skubal gets healthy in time to reform a 1-2 punch with Framber Valdez, said lineup wouldn't even need to do much in a potential playoff run.
Further, Trout could be confident that the Tigers' window will stay open beyond 2026. Even if they lose Skubal as a free agent, Trout could still bank on a $200 million payroll and reinforcements from an elite farm system.
How Would This Even Work?
The best possible model for a Trout trade is the one that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants last June. It was part bad contract swap and part prospect exchange.
There are only so many ways the Angels and Tigers could replicate that, but the Angels taking on Javier Báez and the $43.3 million he's owed through 2027 would be a good start. The Angels could also push for one of Detroit's better prospects, such as Max Clark, Bryce Rainer or Josue Briceño.
4. San Diego Padres
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Record: 21-14
CF Stats: .649 OPS, 4 HR, 0.6 WAR
Why It Should Happen
Given Arte Moreno's apparent dislike for the Dodgers, how funny would it be if he permitted Trout to be dealt to their biggest rival in the NL West?
That would be good stuff, alright. And assuming the Padres would be fine with moving the struggling Jackson Merrill off center field, it would be a pathway to a dangerous lineup.
There would be Trout alongside Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., both of whom are better than they have shown in 2026. Tatis, in particular, should soon go off after hitting all of zero home runs thus far.
True, the Padres have largely lost their appetite for big contracts and have really drained their farm system in recent years. But from Trout's standpoint, perhaps the incoming new owners would have the resources and appetite to fix both problems.
How Would This Even Work?
Yeah, this is the hard part. Because unless the Angels have only an outdated report on Ethan Salas to work off of, it's doubtful that they would see much in San Diego's farm system worth their time.
As such, the more realistic solution to the Merrill conundrum might be including him in the trade. His stock is way down since 2024, but he's still only 23 years old and talented enough to turn his 10-year, $156 million contract into a steal.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
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Record: 16-20
CF Stats: .736 OPS, 5 HR, 0.6 WAR
Why It Should Happen
That the Blue Jays fell two outs shy of winning the World Series last year is what fans would like to forget. It's also why Toronto is a good place for Trout.
The Blue Jays do have Daulton Varsho in center field, but moving him to left or right would be an easy call if it meant having Trout in the everyday lineup. Because frankly, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto need help.
Even if the rest of the lineup would still have a certain thinness to it, having those three would ensure a rock-solid middle. And with Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage in the rotation and Louis Varland in the bullpen, Trout could be confident that the pitching staff would be ready to take on October.
Long-term, Trout would arrive in Toronto knowing that Guerrero and Cease aren't going anywhere. And after last year, he could also be confident in the Blue Jays' newfound reputation as a franchise that knows what it's doing.
How Would This Even Work?
The bad contract swap element of a deal between these two teams is almost too easy. José Berríos seems to have worn out his welcome in Toronto, so any excuse to move the $62.4 million he's owed through 2028 is not to be passed up.
Toronto's farm system, meanwhile, is on the weak side but not without blue-chip types. After Yesavage, the best ones the Angels could push for include JoJo Parker and Arjun Nimmala.
2. New York Yankees
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Record: 25-11
CF Stats: .673 OPS, 6 HR, 0.4 WAR
Why It Should Happen
Trout and Aaron Judge as teammates on the Yankees? There's actually an alternate timeline out there where that has been the case for a decade.
In the here and now, a trade is the only way Trout and Judge are going to combine their six total MVPs. And beyond being a fun idea, you could even say that it's less a bonus and more a necessity for the Bronx Bombers.
Trent Grisham has fallen back to earth after his out-of-nowhere star turn in 2025. The lineup feels a lot thinner as a result, with only Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice standing out on any given day.
The Yankees otherwise have the best pitching staff of 2026 so far, which is merely the latest in a long line of solid contention backbones. Trout is surely no more blind than anyone else to the fact that this franchise last had a losing season in 1992.
How Would This Even Work?
Given the Yankees' resources, there wouldn't necessarily have to be a bad contract swap element in a Trout trade. But since Keith Law of The Athletic mentioned it first, how about an agreement that sends Giancarlo Stanton back to Anaheim?
It's impact prospects the Yankees lack, but the Angels could angle for Carlos Lagrange or fellow flamethrower Elmer Rodriguez. Spencer Jones could go as well, because why not?
1. Philadelphia Phillies
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Record: 16-20
CF Stats: .692 OPS, 0 HR, -0.2 WAR
Why It Should Happen
Trout as a fit for the Phillies, you say? Well, clearly it's true what they say about how there are no new ideas.
We all know the story here. Trout grew up about an hour from Philadelphia in Millville, New Jersey, and the Eagles might be the only thing he loves as much as the weather. It's also as if the Phillies have been keeping center field open for him.
Just as Trout has never won a World Series, neither has Bryce Harper. The two of them teaming up to chase one together is straight out of an over-the-top fan fiction. That Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner would also be there is a bonus.
As bad as the Phillies were early on, they're now 7-1 under Don Mattingly. A turn like that was probably inevitable, and it's largely being driven by a starting rotation that is meant to carry the team for years to come still.
How Would This Even Work?
With Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker still on the payroll but off the roster, the Phillies don't have any clear candidates for a bad contract swap. As such, probably the only way this works is if the Angels eat a bunch of money for the sake of buying a prospect or two.
Justin Crawford would be a sensible target for them, as they could plug him right into center field. There's also Gage Wood, a first-rounder from last year with a big-time fastball.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
