The Philadelphia Phillies have recently been urged to trade for one of the greatest players in MLB history this offseason.
Phillies yearn for a Mike Trout deal per report
Word on the block is that the Phillies have a strong desire for Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout to join their team, even despite his reported unwillingness to depart from L.A., as FanSided’s Nick Villano revealed on Tuesday (h/t Peter Chawaga of The Sporting News):
“The Phillies want Mike Trout to come home as bad as anyone. Trout grew up in South Jersey, which is basically just East Philadelphia. Trout has said he doesn’t want to be traded, but moving home could change his mind. It’s very much a hypothetical, but the timing hasn’t felt as right as it does right now,” Villano wrote.
Trout could force his way to the Phillies for 2025 season
Trout is a native of Vineland, New Jersey, which is just 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia. Having grown up a Philadelphia sports fan, the Phillies want the generational talent to bring his services to their ball club in front of the Philadelphia fanbase.
Just before Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge rose to prominence as the faces of the big leagues, those titles once belonged to Trout and Phillies superstar Bryce Harper. The two combined to win five MVPs in an eight-year span between 2014 and 2021. The thought of the Phillies pairing the two could be a colossal union.
Trout is worth investing in despite recent injury-riddled seasons
While Harper is clearly still in his prime, his 33-year-old contemporary only appeared in 29 games in 2024, and his efficiency took a major hit as he slashed .220/.325/.541.
Trout was last an All-Star in 2023, but even in that season, he only played 82 games. His last truly dominant season was in 2022, when he hit 40 home runs and delivered 80 RBIs while posting an OPS of .900 or greater (.990) for the 11th straight season up until that point. Trout earned his ninth Silver Slugger Award that year as well as an All-MLB First-Team nod.
The Phillies have a need for an impactful bat in their lineup. That’s a large reason why they are looking to move third baseman Alec Bohm despite him being a first-time All-Star in 2024, and are also shopping outfielders Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh. If the opportunity presents itself, Trout would be a great player to take a risk on and invest in, as his boom potential outweighs his injury scares and could be the difference between the Phillies hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy next fall or not.