Angels Insider Provides Major Update on Mike Trout Trade Rumors

The 33-year-old outfielder has battled countless injuries to come back relatively healthy this year. While his statistical numbers aren't exactly Trout-like in nature (.230 batting average), all of the advanced analytics tell a different story.

Trout ranks above the 90th percentile in a handful of categories — including xwOBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard-hit percentage, LA sweet-spot percentage, chase percentage, and walk percentage.

Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register riffed on whether the Angels could actually think about trading their franchise player to another organization. Succinctly and directly, Fletcher essentially squashed any fantasy where Trout ends up elsewhere.

"No, there is no possibility of trading Trout. He’s 33 and has been injured for most of the past four years. He’s still got more than $200 million left on his deal, which runs through 2030. His numbers have also declined, even when he’s been healthy. And beyond all of that, he has a full no-trade clause and has given zero indication that he’s interested in being traded. I’m sure people will continue to ask this question, but unless something changes dramatically, the answer will be the same."

The full no-trade clause does limit what the Angels can do in this instance. Trades can be discussed with other teams, though they'd have to be run through Trout before advancing any further than that.

There's nothing wrong with keeping the veteran on the ballclub from the standpoint he's still one of the most respected players in the sport. Trout's bat speed and ability to hit the ball hard has not diminished.

As he gets further and further away from some of the more debilitating injuries he's endured, there's quite possibly a world where he still hits at a very high clip as he ages into the late stages of his career.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.