Angels are approaching a Mike Trout reckoning with MLB lockout on the horizon

The Los Angeles Angels are coming off yet another lost season, though they made some important steps toward the future with impressive performances during the draft and at the trade deadline. It's clear that, regardless of who is running the front office or dugout, 2027 should mark the beginning of a new era in Anaheim.

Of course, to move on to to something new, you need to leave something behind. Mike Trout has been a ubiquitous part of this franchise since he debuted back in 2011, though the only thing more persistent than the 12-time All-Star has been the trade rumors surrounding him due to the Halos' struggles year after year.

To this point, the Angels have resisted any overtures for Trout, though if that's ever going to change, it'll be this offseason. With a new ownership group coming in and a lockout getting closer by the day, the organization needs to make a final decision about whether or not they want to keep the future Hall of Famer for the remainder of his career.

Angels' sense of urgency with Mike Trout must be at an all-time high ahead of lockout

There's been nothing to indicate that the MLBPA is going to accept a Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal that introduces a salary cap to the sport, but the longer the work stoppage goes on this winter, the more likely that serious economic changes are coming to baseball.

Even if there is no cap, it would behoove teams to start clearing up their long-term payroll to avoid any harsher penalties wrought by a new CBA. With four years and roughly $148.5 million remaining on Trout's contract, now is the time to move him; once the lockout begins on Dec. 1, the chance to offload that much money might disappear forever.

It's also important to point out the context surrounding Trout himself right now. He's coming off his best (and healthiest) campaign in years, hitting .242/.382/.421 with 22 homers and 11 steals across 142 games. That marked the first time since 2018 that he appeared in at least 140 contests, and his 129 wRC+ and 3.3 fWAR were his best totals in a season where he played at least 100 games since 2022.

He's also made it clear he's willing to move back to the outfield corners after spending most of 2026 in center, which should broaden his appeal on the trade market. Enough to convince another team to soak up most of his remaining salary? That remains to be seen.

It's entirely plausible that the Angels ultimately decide to ride it out with Trout in the hopes that they can finally get him back to the postseason before he hangs up his cleats for good. But if a new ownership group is having second thoughts about paying a past-his-prime star top-shelf money, they've got a little under two months to figure out the best path forward.

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