For years, the baseball world has watched Mike Trout sit in Anaheim while the Los Angeles Angels cycle through seasons that never really go anywhere. Now, in mid-May 2026, all the conversation around him is about how he is wasting the rest of his prime in LA. Because at this point, keeping Trout on a roster that feels stuck in the same place year after year doesn’t really feel sustainable anymore.
Trout has done everything you could possibly ask of him. Maybe even more than that. But the Angels are still continuously sitting near the bottom of the AL West. While they try to patch together something that never quite works. And even now, Trout is closer to the end of his career than the start and is still waiting to play meaningful baseball in October.
It’s Time to get Trout Out of LA
His resume is basically complete except for one thing that stands out more than anything else: postseason success. Three playoff games in his entire career, all back in 2014. Since then, it’s been year after year of elite production and unfortunate injuries without any real October baseball to show for it.
As mentioned, injuries have obviously played a part in the last few seasons, but when Trout is on the field, the level is still there. The power in his bat, strike zone control, is still elite, and the impact within the lineup is instantaneous. It is a real shame that one of the best players of this generation isn’t being watched in primetime.
Potential Suitors
There are a couple of potential suitors that make a ton of sense for Trout and his fit within the lineup.
First up, the Toronto Blue Jays: after falling short in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, adding Trout to a lineup that already features Vladimir Guerrero Jr. changes the entire shape of it. Pitchers don’t really get a break anywhere. The fit at Rogers Centre also makes sense, especially when you think about how his game might age in a more controlled offensive environment. Toronto has never really been shy about these types of swings either, especially over the last few seasons.
The New York Yankees
Secondly, this one has been floating around for years, and it still never really goes away. Trout and Aaron Judge in the same lineup is one of those ideas that almost feels too good to be true. The Yankees have the resources, and more importantly, the urgency. If there’s ever a stage built for a move like this, it’s still New York.
Lastly, Trout grew up in New Jersey, and that connection has always lingered in the background. The Phillies are already built to win and already play like a team that expects deep runs. Putting him next to Bryce Harper just sharpens everything about their top half. It’s not the loudest landing spot, but it might be one of the more natural ones and maybe the one that he wants to go to the most.
A Trout trade would still be one of the biggest moves baseball has seen in a long time. There’s no getting around that.
But it also feels like one of those situations where it eventually starts to make sense for everyone involved. The Angels can’t really sit in neutral forever, and Trout deserves a real shot at meaningful October baseball again. At some point, that has to matter more than keeping everything familiar.
Angels Should Trade Mike Trout to Give Him a Chance to Win