While the Los Angeles Dodgers have been frequently linked to Shohei Ohtani this offseason, he may not be the only MVP-winning superstar from the Los Angeles Angels they are targeting.
Per Héctor Gómez of Z101 Digital, the Dodgers intend to be “very aggressive” in their pursuit of Ohtani and are “willing to give up their best prospects” in an attempt to acquire Mike Trout via trade.
The Ohtani part of Gómez’s report isn’t particularly surprising. They’ve been viewed as the favorite to sign the two-time American League MVP for as long as it’s been clear he wasn’t going to agree to an extension with the Angels.
All of the big-market teams that have shown a willingness to spend big money in the past are expected to have genuine interest in Ohtani, including the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.
Trout potentially being a trade candidate is a new wrinkle to this whole situation. It would probably be in the Angels’ best interest to at least consider moving him while his value is still relatively high.
The Angels have been unable to make the playoffs in six seasons with Trout and Ohtani together. Now, they are facing the strong possibility of losing Ohtani in free agency. Unless they have a plan to remake most of the roster this offseason, it’s hard to imagine them improving on their 73-89 record in 2023.
Trout’s stock is certainly going to be down due to questions about his durability. The 11-time All-Star has missed a total of 249 games over the past three seasons. He was still productive in the 80 games he played in 2023 with a .263/.367/.490 slash line, but his 131 OPS+ was the second-worst of his career after his first 40 games in 2011.
The Dodgers have five top-100 prospects and the sixth-best farm system in MLB, per MLB.com. By comparison, the Angels have one top-100 prospect and the No. 28 farm system.
Trout is under contract through the 2030 season with annual base salaries of $35.45 million. He does have a full no-trade clause, but a deal with the Dodgers wouldn’t seem to be a big deal since Dodger Stadium is only about 30 miles north of Angel Stadium.
Adding Trout’s salary and signing Ohtani to a potentially historic contract would significantly increase the Dodgers’ financial commitments, but they are currently projected to be spending $142.7 million on payroll in 2024.
The competitive balance tax is estimated to be $237 million next season. The Dodgers can add almost $95 million to their payroll this offseason and still be under that figure.
The Angels desperately need to change everything they’ve been doing for years to become relevant in the AL West. Dealing Trout to the Dodgers for a significant package of prospects would be a long overdue step in the rebuilding process for the franchise.
