3 Phillies players the LA Angels should demand in a Mike Trout trade

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The Los Angeles Angels are headed for their eighth straight losing season and their ninth straight with no playoffs. Their failure to field a winning team for almost a decade now has caused some serious rumors to swirl, mainly around the franchise's two best players in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.

Ohtani's situation is a bit more dire for the Angels as he's set to hit free agency and can be in another team's uniform if he chooses in just a matter of months. Trout on the other hand, is under contract, so the Angels do have more control with his situation.

Current rumors suggest that the Angels are willing to move Mike Trout if he requests a trade. It's unlikely that a trade would actually go down, but according to Robert Murray of FanSided, the obvious fit would be Philadelphia. If an unlikely trade to the Phillies were to go down, the Angels would need at least one of these three players in return to make a trade worth their while.

1) Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh

Well, this is awkward. If Mike Trout wants the Phillies, and the Phillies want Trout, the Angels should be asking for Brandon Marsh in return. Yes, it is their former player who didn't perform with the team prior to becoming a Phillie, but no, that shouldn't matter. Marsh was traded at the deadline in 2022 in the deal that got the Angels Logan O'Hoppe. It's looked like a win-win so far.

Marsh has broken out as a member of the Phillies. He swung a hot bat after they acquired him last season, had a couple of big hits in the postseason, and has had an awesome year for them this season.

Marsh is slashing .286/.377/.464 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI in 119 games this season. He's tied for 12th among all outfielders with a 121 WRC+. He's ahead of established stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., George Springer, and Kyle Schwarber. Pretty impressive.

We all know Marsh plays a very capable outfield defensively and has a ton of speed. If the Angels were to lose Trout, replacing him with a 25-year-old who has really come into his own wouldn't be the worst thing.

2) Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott

Another young MLB player should be on Perry Minasian's wishlist. Assuming Ohtani leaves and Trout wants out because of that, this should be the time the Angels focus on a rebuild. Acquiring a young player or two would help with that, and Bryson Stott would be a nice player to build around.

Stott started off slowly in his rookie year but finished strong, and has seen his success carry over into 2023. He's played every day at second base, missing just eight games all season, and has slashed .287/.335/.431 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI. He's tacked on 30 doubles and has stolen 28 bags in 30 tries.

Stott has been worth 3.7 fWAR this season which ranks third among all MLB second baseman, only behind Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve. He's doing this as a 25-year-old in just his second MLB season. Pretty impressive stuff.

The Angels do have Brandon Drury at second base for now, but Drury has the ability to play third base for when Anthony Rendon is on the IL, and the Angels could also look to trade him in an attempt to get even younger. Stott alongside Zach Neto in the middle infield would give the Angels one of the better young middle infields in the game.

3) Phillies prospect Mick Abel

Let's say the Phillies refuse to trade one of their young, controllable players. The Angels still have plenty of prospects to choose from. It's highly unlikely the Phillies would consider moving their top prospect Andrew Painter in a Trout trade even with him undergoing Tommy John Surgery, but I don't think it's an impossibility that Dave Dombrowski considers moving their second-best prospect in Mick Abel.

The right-hander has spent the entire season pitching for AA Reading and has had a decent year, posting a 4.21 ERA in 21 starts and 103.2 innings pitched. He's struck out 118 batters which is a very encouraging number, but the walks are quite high as well as he's issued 59 free passes (5.1 BB/9).

Abel has an electric fastball that ranges in the mid-upper 90's, and his best secondary pitch is a slider. Command can be an issue at times as he's walked at least two in 19 of his 21 starts, but if he's able to improve on that, there's a chance he can develop into the frontline starter the Angels have been missing. He certainly has the stuff for it.

Abel is just 22 years old and has stayed healthy throughout the entire season in AA. He's the Phillies number two prospect and is ranked 45th on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list. Trading your franchise icon for a prospect in return is certainly risky, but Abel's upside makes it a bit easier.

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