Trout would be an instant fan favorite in Philly.

Now that Shohei Ohtani is officially a Los Angeles Dodger, the Angels have a lot of work to do this offseason. Owner Arte Moreno is loathe to consider “rebuilding,” but the sheer volume of roster holes will make it difficult for the Angels to contend.

A 73-win Angel team reeling from the loss of its superstar looks closer to the bottom of its division than the top. That’s only encouraged outsiders from saying the team should be looking to trade star outfielder Mike Trout.

The front office has already said Trout will not be traded this winter, but the narrative continues. Moving Trout might signal a rebuild, but it could also allow the Halos to move a large contract that could become more onerous over time. Trout is owed more than $248 million over the next seven seasons.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt would love to see the Angels move Trout this offseason. And if they do, he wants his hometown Philadelphia Phillies to be the ones to land him.

“I would love to see him in Philly. I know that’s kind of his hometown. I just think Trout in Philly would be apex. Him and 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.”

Chris Bassitt wants the Angels to trade Mike Trout to the Phillies pic.twitter.com/NDmyk1nktz

— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) December 18, 2023

 

Trout in a Phillies uniform would be special to watch for his hometown fans. He grew up in Millville, N.J., 45 miles south of Philadelphia, and still calls the area home in the offseason. He’s frequently spotted attending Eagles games every winter.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian has said unequivocally that he will not trade Trout. As long as that’s the case, the idea of Trout calling Citizens Bank Park home will remain just that: an