Mike Trout has spent his entire MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels, despite the fact that he hasn’t appeared in the playoffs in more than a decade.
The persistent struggles of the Angels often bring Trout into trade rumors, and that’s true yet again now that they’re looking at a change in ownership.
Arte Moreno is on his way out, and Stan Kroenke has bought the club. While that likely is a good move for the Angels’ long-term viability, it also raises the question of what the next order of business could be in Anaheim.
One approach would be to move Trout and look toward the next generation. Trout is still a solid ballplayer, but he has declined from the days when he was one of the best players in baseball.
And if Trout went on the trade block, the marquee franchises might line up to get him. That includes the New York Yankees.
Mike Trout Trade to the Yankees?
Conor Liguori of The Sporting News broke down the possibility of such a deal in a new article on Wednesday.
“In all likelihood, Kroenke will be looking to turn the Angels into a contender as quickly as possible,” Liguori writes. “Los Angeles is on its way to a 12th consecutive season without a postseason berth. However, the Angels could finally decide to enter a full rebuild instead of just trudging along year after year. That could mean revamping the farm system by trading the organization’s top players, including Trout.”
Liguori then cites an article by FanSided’s Jake Elman, in which Elman writes, “The three-time MVP recently celebrated his 35th birthday and only has one career playoff appearance. He’s more than earned the right to at least play for a World Series contender.”
Elman notes that to make the financial situation work, the Yankees would probably have to trade or release Giancarlo Stanton. Given that Stanton can’t stay healthy, a release seems more likely there than anything else.
Trout would then join a big outfield with the likes of Aaron Judge, Spencer Jones and Cody Bellinger putting together what looks like a basketball lineup.
The three-time MVP Trout is hitting .239 in the 2026 season with an .800 OPS. He has 21 doubles and 20 home runs in 120 games. He’s also a perfect 11-for-11 stealing bases.
One Problem With a Mike Trout Trade
There’s just one real obstacle standing in the way of a Trout trade for the Yankees: Trout has a no-trade clause.
He’s in total control of where he might get dealt, and if Trout didn’t want to play for the Yankees, it wouldn’t matter whether the Angels wanted to trade him there.
Given that Trout is from New Jersey, the Yanks might qualify as one of the pseudo-local teams that he’d most consider.
Still, if Trout hasn’t requested a trade all these years, maybe he’s never going to get moved. He’s not a bad guy to keep around as the Angels move to a new era, even if the contention timelines don’t quite align.
The Yankees would surely listen, though, if Trout started to be shopped.
This Is How the Yankees Can Trade for Mike Trout