Should the Angels trade Mike Trout?

[Donacion]

Saw an article on ESPN asking that question. It sure looks like the Angels are in trouble. They have 45 year old Albert Pujols owed 140 million. No pitching anywhere. No obvious trade bait that I can see other than Calhoun and a universally panned farm system. I've seen the Salt Lake AAA team not good. Should the Angels start over and trade Mike Trout. Regardless of what they do they need some fresh eyes looking at how to fix this.

[Yah Mule]

I wouldn't trade Mike Trout. I would resist the next urge to trade my two best minor league arms for a SS with a career OPS+ of 83, though.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Very, very few Angels players have love for Mike Sciosia. Former players felt/feel lucky to get away from him and the Angels.
If the Angels are going to start re-structuring, it has to start there.
Sciosia had a "Him or me" moment with the Angels owner concerning General Manager, Jerry DiPoto.
The owner backed the wrong horse.

[CA Dreamin]

If you trade Trout watch the attendance tank. The fans love him. The Angels management needs to stop making such bad deals. Bet they wish the still had Newcomb in their organization! They need to bite the bullet and build a solid minor league system. Maybe that will convince Trout to stay when his contract ends after 2020.

[Deadheadz]

.
As soon as I heard about Richards and Heaney my first thought was Angels as would be sellers.

But where I thought the trade would come is Pujols to a team that needs 1B help, Astros or maybe...the Cards?
Would St Louis take him back if the Angels paid half the freight?


.

[DOUGHBOYS]

.
As soon as I heard about Richards and Heaney my first thought was Angels as would be sellers.

But where I thought the trade would come is Pujols to a team that needs 1B help, Astros or maybe...the Cards?
Would St Louis take him back if the Angels paid half the freight?

The Astros have AJ Reed.

Pujols has burnt STL bridges

Currently, it's a dead contract.....unless tied in with Trout or Calhoun....but even that's moot because I believe he has a no-trade Santa Clause.

Edit- Just checked. Full no-trade Santa Clause indeed.

[Bronx Yankees]

No way Angels trade Trout. He is a once in a generation type player. There is virtually no one they can trade for, or draft, that would be his equivalent, or anything close thereto. I agree they need to rebuild, but will be hamstrung by some horrible contacts (Pujols, Hamilton). Get Huston Street healthy and unload him. Explore Calhoun's market value. Same with Hector Santiago. I think a big contract or two may come off the books at end of season (C.J. Wilson). With Richards and possibly Heaney needing TJS, they realistically should be targeting 2018 to become competitive again. I agree it may be time for a managerial change, but the front office has entered into some terrible contracts, especially Pujols, Hamilton and Wilson. We'll see about the Simmons trade, but I liked that one for the Angels when they made it. I'd try my damnedest to get that guy to hit, but he is young and already a great SS and so even if he never becomes a very good hitter, you have a great, young, middle-of-the-field defense with Trout and Simmons to rebuild around. It is never easy to rebuild when you have large, horrible contracts on the books, but Trout is young and he is the guy you rebuild around. Trade him, and you may never see his likes again for decades.

Mike

[knuckleheads]

Mike Trout should not be traded, ever. He alone is a reason to go the ballpark. It is a reason other players will sign FA contracts with the Angels. His bargain contract is what makes Pujols contract okay for the next five years, because Trout is worth his contract and Pujols' added together.

[TOXIC ASSETS]

No player is untradeable. None.
Wayne Gretzky, the greatest NHL player of all time - was traded.

In baseball, the following guys were traded in the prime of their career
Reggie Jackson
Tom Seaver
Frank Robinson
Rogers Hornsby
Ricky Henderson
Mike Piazza


But if you do trade him, you better get a boatload of good prospects in return. Obviously.

[DOUGHBOYS]

The Angels have made their bed and have to lie in in it. They tried the 'win now' approach with those large contracts. Now, their system is empty. Their staff is shot. Their lineup, shoddy.
The answer is not to trade Trout.
Their answer is to start on another course of action.
The Cubs course of action was to build offense through trades and their minor league system while acquiring their pitching.
The Phils course of action was to focus on young pitching, hoping for offense.
The Braves stockpiling quantity in betting on the come.

What is the best plan for the Angels?
As Mike suggested, they need to build around Trout, Simmons, Calhoun, CJ Cron, and even Pujols who they're stuck with.
They need to fire Mike Sciosia.
Come up with a formula besides handing out large contracts to one or two players hoping it changes a team of 25.
Unlike the teams noted above, the Angels can start that process with arguably the best player in baseball.

[headhunters]

the cubs don't have any everyday players they drafted and developed- except bryant- and that is huge. the trades? man if i was a gm and theo called me i would just hang up.

[DOUGHBOYS]

the cubs don't have any everyday players they drafted and developed- except bryant- and that is huge. the trades? man if i was a gm and theo called me i would just hang up.

Are you saying nice things about the Cubs and their organization, Mike?
Gekko may be right, the end is coming!

[Donnie Baseball]

Despite their wives' friendship,Sciosio needs to be fired. He is terrible and overrated. I would think everyone is tradeable except Trout even if it means eating a couple more big salaries. Then Artie needs to pony up for a few key free agents like J Upton or Cespedes. Oh,wait a minute. I guess he missed that window. i guess Nava and Gentry might work in LF. Then,finally, pray that sometime before the end of Trout's contract, they can become a contender.

[Yah Mule]

No way Angels trade Trout. He is a once in a generation type player. There is virtually no one they can trade for, or draft, that would be his equivalent, or anything close thereto. I agree they need to rebuild, but will be hamstrung by some horrible contacts (Pujols, Hamilton). Get Huston Street healthy and unload him. Explore Calhoun's market value. Same with Hector Santiago. I think a big contract or two may come off the books at end of season (C.J. Wilson). With Richards and possibly Heaney needing TJS, they realistically should be targeting 2018 to become competitive again. I agree it may be time for a managerial change, but the front office has entered into some terrible contracts, especially Pujols, Hamilton and Wilson. We'll see about the Simmons trade, but I liked that one for the Angels when they made it. I'd try my damnedest to get that guy to hit, but he is young and already a great SS and so even if he never becomes a very good hitter, you have a great, young, middle-of-the-field defense with Trout and Simmons to rebuild around. It is never easy to rebuild when you have large, horrible contracts on the books, but Trout is young and he is the guy you rebuild around. Trade him, and you may never see his likes again for decades.

Mike

Andrelton Simmons has value, but shipping away virtually the only genuine MLB prospects in the system (who aren't really young guys that are mostly projection at this point) for him was a rash decision, IMO.