- Opening betting odds for Mike Trout’s next team favor the Philadelphia Phillies, acquiring the three-time American League MVP.
- After Shohei Ohtani left the Angels to sign a $700 million deal with the Dodgers, the Angels could contemplate entering a full rebuild.
- As of December 11, 2023, the Phillies have the fifth-best odds to win the 2024 World Series.
Is Shohei Ohtani the first domino to fall in Anaheim? Following Ohtani’s record-breaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, attention has shifted to what the Angels could do with star center fielder Mike Trout. According to BetOnline, at +300, the Philadelphia Phillies have the shortest odds to acquire Trout in a trade.
With that in mind, the Phillies have an implied probability of 25 percent to land Trout if he is traded. Following the Phillies, the Dodgers have the second-best odds of trading for Trout at +400. The San Francisco Giants and New York Mets are the next potential suitors for Trout, according to BetOnline’s +500 odds.
The New York Yankees do not have top odds, but at +600 are among the top five clubs. Yankees fans are dreaming of a scenario where they have Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Trout in the lineup. The most interesting team listed with high odds to trade for Trout is the Dodgers.
Could the Dodgers really poach both Ohtani and Trout from the Angels? If the Angels are interested in doing a complete rebuild, and the Dodgers give them the best offer, it’s within the realm of possibility. It wouldn’t go over well with Angels fans, but the odds suggest there is a 20 percent chance at +400.
Trout Has No-Trade Clause
Trout has made it clear that he is not interested in going elsewhere. In 2019, the three-time American League MVP signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract, with a no-trade clause to remain in Anaheim. At the time, it was the largest contract in MLB history. Ohtani’s contract will easily eclipse Trout’s record deal from four years ago.
For the Angels to trade Trout, he would have to waive his no-trade clause. Otherwise, the Angels will retain his services until 2030. Before re-signing with the Angels, he was free to go to any of the other 29 clubs in Major League Baseball.
Despite the Angels failing to reach the postseason multiple times, Trout remained committed to the club that drafted him with the 25th overall pick of the 2009 MLB Draft. However, the question remains of how much more patient Trout will be with the Angels.
If the Angels tank through the first half of 2023, while Trout is watching Ohtani and the Dodgers dominate the NL West, will he have a change of heart? There is no indication that Trout wants out, so it’s highly likely that he is waiving his no-trade clause in the foreseeable future.
Angels Not Trading Trout, According To GM
Per Angels’ GM Perry Minasian, the Angels are not shopping Trout to other clubs. Last week, Minasian made the comments at the MLB Winter Meetings. Minasian added that Trout is the only player on the Angels that is off-limits.
Minasian couldn’t trade Trout, even if he wanted to send him packing to another franchise. With what Trout has done for the organization, it’s highly unlikely that the Angels would willingly ask for Trout to waive his no-trade clause.
The only situation where Trout is leaving Anaheim is if he outright demands a trade. The 2024 or 2025 season might have to get quite ugly for Trout to reach that point. At the very least, Trout has likely accepted that this isn’t a World Series team in 2024.
Currently, the Angels are +8000 to win the 2024 World Series. There are only five teams in MLB that have worse odds than the Angels. Following the Ohtani trade, the Angels’ World Series odds regressed, while the Dodgers’ odds surged.
Before the trade, the Dodgers were co-favorites with the Atlanta Braves at +700. Now, at +550, the Dodgers are the lone favorites to win the 2024 World Series. If a trade to the Phillies does materialize, their current odds of +1100 would most certainly skyrocket near the top of the board at BetOnline.
