The Los Angeles Angels have been a picture of poor management for several years. Mike Trout, Major League Baseball's biggest star for the last decade has been gifted a playoff series just once in his career.
Now, with Shohei Ohtani alongside the future Hall of Famer from Millville, NJ, the Angels are still perennial basement dwellers. Their record sits at 52-70, good for fourth place in the American League West and 14 games back of the nearest playoff spot.
When owners sell a team change quickly follows. Sometimes that change comes in the form of a new stadium, perhaps a move to a new city or a new nickname. Whatever the change is, many new owners wish to make their mark on the team.
Whoever buys the Angels may wish to make their mark by selling off some star players and rebuilding the team from the ground up. Of course, the Angels' most valuable asset is Trout.
Prior to the 2019 season Trout signed a 12-year, $426 million contract with a full no-trade clause. He'll have to make the decision to be traded, it's not up to the Angels brass given he has the option to decline any move.
Trout has indicated on multiple occasions he wishes to stay in LA, so why would he all of a sudden be willing to make a move to Chicago?
For one, Trout has put up with a lot of mediocre baseball over the last decade. He may no longer be willing to endure an even worse team on the field. He'd be helping his boyhood club out by making a move, it would speed up the Angels rebuild and Trout would likely have a pick of what city he'd move to.
The Cubs are in a rebuild themselves, albeit one far closer to the light at the end of the tunnel than the Angels'. Chicago is one of the nation's biggest markets and the Cubs have one of baseball's most passionate fan bases in a historic stadium.
The Cubs have three top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. In acquiring Trout they would have to surrender all three of those players and likely some Major League talent too.
Nevertheless, the Cubs have the market, the team and the prospect capital to trade him. If the Angels do intend on trading Mike Trout, add the Cubs to the list of serious contenders.
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