With Mike Trout's now-former teammate Shohei Ohtani suiting up for MLB's other Los Angeles team, one current MLB player believes Trout deserves his own change of scenery.
During an appearance on the "Chris Rose Sports" podcast, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt said he wants to see Trout on the Philadelphia Phillies.
"I would love to see him in Philly," Bassitt said. "I know that's kind of his hometown. I just think Trout in Philly would be apex. Him and [Bryce] Harper — the fans' standpoint of it — I wouldn't want to face them .... But Trout arguably is one of the top five best players in my opinion ever, position-wise. I got to see him on a team that's playing deep into October. He deserves that, the baseball world deserves that. Everyone deserves to see him go deep into a playoff run."
Even though Trout would never admit this himself, Bassitt is certainly right that Trout — whose hometown of Millville, New Jersey, is less than an hour's drive away from Philadelphia — deserves better than what the Angels have provided him across his 13 seasons with the team.
Plus, with Ohtani now having jumped ship, the Angels don't appear to be playoff — let alone World Series — contenders next season, or in the near future.
Of course, it's much easier to wax poetic about Trout being traded than it is for a trade to actually take place. For one, Angels general manager Perry Minasian guaranteed two weeks ago that Trout won't be traded this offseason. In addition, it would be tough for Philadelphia to take on Trout's gigantic, $426.5 million deal that runs through 2030 without parting ways with some of their own highly paid superstars, such as Harper and Trea Turner.
Although the Phillies haven't won a World Series with their current crop of players, the team producing two consecutive NLCS appearances has proved that it's close to getting there. Therefore, perhaps it doesn't make sense for them to blow up their current roster in order to secure Trout.
Then again, considering that the 32-year-old Trout is an 11-time All-Star, a nine-time Silver Slugger, a three-time MVP and already arguably one of the best players in the history of baseball, perhaps the Phillies should do anything necessary to sign him.
Not only would baseball fans love to see Trout perform in the postseason, but Trout would surely love the opportunity, too.
