Report: Angels would entertain Trout trade if he asks out

The Los Angeles Angels could be in for a franchise-altering offseason.

With Shohei Ohtani set to become a free agent, the club is open to moving outfielder Mike Trout in the event he requests a trade, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

Selected by the Angels with the 25th pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Trout has spent his entire 13-year career in Anaheim. He's won three AL MVP awards but has only appeared in three postseason games and none since 2014.

Trout signed a 12-year, $430-million extension in 2019. He's signed through 2030 and is still owed roughly $260 million as of the start of next season.

The 32-year-old has a full no-trade clause in his contract. He said earlier in September that he needs to speak with the front office this winter in order to get a sense of where the franchise is headed.

"There are going to be some conversations in the winter, for sure," Trout said last week. "Just to see the direction of everything and what the plan is."

The Angels signed a number of free agents to short-term deals last offseason in order to try to reach the playoffs with Ohtani and Trout. The team also traded several of its top prospects at the deadline in order to chase a playoff spot but fell well out of the race after going 8-19 in August. That led the club to place six players on waivers in an attempt to get under the luxury-tax threshold heading into the offseason. Being under the luxury tax would enable the Angels to secure a higher draft pick as compensation should Ohtani sign elsewhere.

Trout remains one of MLB's biggest stars; however, injuries in recent years significantly impacted his ability to stay on the field. He's missed 62 games this season, and he's appeared in 140 or more games just once over the last seven years. Still, he's hit .283/.382/.579 with 66 home runs, 50 doubles, and 142 RBIs in 237 games since 2021.