Phillies get bad news on potential Mike Trout trade from Angels originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s an every-year occurrence at this rate that Philadelphia Phillies fans will realize their team needs more outfield help, and will turn to Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels as a possible trade target.
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However, with Trout’s no-trade clause and the four years left on his 12-year, $426.5 million contract, a trade is incredibly unlikely. But if Trout demands a trade, the Phillies make sense as a natural landing spot for the local superstar.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale poured cold water on those rumors during the 2026 season, as for another year, Trout doesn’t appear to have the intention of demanding a trade. Another year, and more bad news for the Phillies’ odds to land Trout.
“The reality, whether folks in Philadelphia or anywhere accept it or not, Trout and his family of four are quite comfortable in Southern California, and aren’t going anywhere,” Nightengale writes. “He’s not asking for a trade. Angels owner Arte Moreno has no interest in trading him.”
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Even though Phillies fans would love to see the future Hall of Famer come to Philadelphia to help their team become a World Series contender, a trade is incredibly unlikely.
Since Trout has full control of a trade, and he’s shown zero indication of wanting to leave the Angels, a trade is already off, regardless of how much a team, like the Phillies, might need and want Trout.
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“I’m going to keep those conversations, you know, in-house,” Trout said on his trade rumors this summer.
While Trout would be the perfect trade target for the Phillies, who desperately need a right-handed hitting outfielder, he’s not a likely trade target at all.
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Trout seemingly has no plans to demand a trade, and with the Angels unlikely to trade him now, especially considering they didn’t trade Shohei Ohtani a few years ago when that would’ve made perfect sense, a Trout trade seems close to impossible.
The Phillies fanbase will have to shift gears towards other outfield trade targets, with Minnesota Twins‘ Byron Buxton (who also has a no-trade clause) as arguably a better player to trade for right now than Trout.
