Angels urged to make bold Mike Trout decision by MLB trade deadline

The Los Angeles Angels are, once again, heading towards the bottom of the league through the first few months of the season.

With how things are going, the Angels are almost surely going to be sellers at the trade deadline. The only question will be how far this team goes in the seller's market.

Amid a looming sale at the deadline, ESPN's Jeff Passan is urging the Angels to make a bold decision on Mike Trout. While Passan isn't even directly saying the Angels need to trade Trout, he believes they should make him available for trade offers this season.

Angels should make Mike Trout available for trade this year

"Mike Trout should be available," Passan writes, "but there's no indication owner Arte Moreno has relented on his unwillingness to move his franchise player."

Trout is a future Hall of Famer, and he's having a resurgent 2026 season. At 34 years old, and after a few rough years, Trout has bounced back to an All-Star level.

Through 62 games and 280 plate appearances, Trout has 2.7 bWAR with 47 runs scored, 52 hits, 10 doubles, 14 homers, 31 RBIs, five stolen bases, 60 walks (most in MLB), and a .240 batting average with an .890 OPS.

Trading Trout would be a very bold decision from the front office and Moreno, but this year might finally be the time to do it.

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His bounce-back this season finally gives the Angels a chance to receive a strong package in return for the future Hall of Famer. While trading him would sting, they finally have the chance to get back something decent for him.

He's struggled the last couple of seasons, failing to play significant time, and even when he does, he's not reached 3.0 bWAR in a season since 2022.

Now, Trout's back to All-Star level, and if there were ever a time to trade him and get out of his contract, it's now. Of course, Trout has final say over any trade, and it's hard to imagine Moreno willingly trading Trout.

But, Passan believes the Angels should make Trout available for trade, just in case someone like Dave Dombrowski of the Philadelphia Phillies makes an offer that's hard to refuse.

More MLB news:

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• Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
• Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GM
• Yankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution
• Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius