Why this Angels trade deadline circus should finally push Mike Trout over the edge

Bullet point summary by AI

• Mike Trout remains committed to a franchise that has not seen the playoffs in a decade.
• The Angels recent deadline moves highlight ongoing struggles that contrast sharply with the player’s historic achievements.
• Loyalty versus opportunity creates a narrative that tests the very definition of a champion’s legacy.

We are far past the idea of Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout being the living embodiment of the “Squidward looking outside” meme. 

Not only is Trout staying with the dreadful Angels, but he just watched them trade outfielder Jo Adell and starting pitcher Jose Soriano. You can’t even call it second verse, same as the first, because the Angels haven’t had a winning season since 2015. 

But when the inevitable “winners and losers” columns drop, don’t bother putting Trout into the latter grouping. He’s seemingly been content there for years, even if he’ll occasionally try convincing fans and the media that he’s incredibly frustrated with the organization’s lack of direction. 

Mike Trout should regret his commitment to the Angels

Arguably the most irritating part about Trout’s career is how he’s repeatedly said he doesn’t want to be traded. We live in a time where each league has six playoff teams. Why wouldn’t you want to join a contender when you’ve essentially achieved all that you realistically can do in Anaheim?

Byron Buxton also publicly reiterated he wants to play his entire career in Minnesota, but he’s at least been on three playoff teams. Trout’s only postseason action came in the 2014 ALDS. 

On the one hand, Trout should be commended for his loyalty. He arguably knew what he was getting into when he signed that 12-year contract back in 2019, and adding a full no-trade clause was the safest move, at least for him personally. 

It’s nonetheless disappointing that Trout has never advocated for himself the way that Myles Garrett did. Both are future Hall of Famers and among the greatest players in their sports’ modern eras. But Garrett had experienced enough losing in Cleveland and wanted a fresh start. 

Why Mike Trout should ask for a trade this offseason

Trout has not — and likely will not — ever taken that approach. The Angels are at risk of their first 100-loss season in franchise history, and the three-time MVP simply goes about his business. Not even Angels fans going back to the Rod Carew era would’ve blamed Trout if he’d requested a trade after the All-Star Game. 

The possibility of a lockout should have only motivated Trout to seek a trade. The canceled 1994 season might have cost Don Mattingly his only chance at a championship, and he played his final game one year later. Trout is only getting older, and at age 34, he made his first All-Star team in three years. The fall-off is coming, whether Trout wants to admit it or not. He might as well join a contender while he’s still productive enough to make an impact.

Who knows what the next move is for the Angels? Zach Neto and Reid Detmers both survived the latest purge, but they’ll be floated as offseason trade chips. Nolan Schanuel might appeal to a contender as a buy-high hitter with several years of team control left. 

And in the end, Trout will eventually be surrounded by new faces about to learn a brutal reality: the Angels, so long as they are owned by Arte Moreno, will never find themselves realistically competing for the postseason. 

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