The Los Angeles Angels are, once again, one of baseball’s most fascinating teams headed into the offseason. Here’s their wish list, including Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout plans.
Evaluate a potential Mike Trout trade
After the season, Mike Trout is expected to sit down with Angels ownership and the front office to get an update on the Angels’ long-term outlook.
Such a meeting is not uncommon between a star player and his team. But Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that if Trout asks the Angels to be traded, that they are expected to explore a potential deal. But I simply don’t see it.
There are too many factors that make a trade unlikely. For one, Trout’s contract. He’s scheduled to earn $34.45 million per season from 2024 through 2030 before becoming a free agent in 2031. He has a full no-trade clause and can dictate where he would end up. It limits a potential field of suitors that was already limited because of 1) his contract and 2) the package that it will take to acquire Trout from the Angels.
Despite Trout being 32 and having an extensive recent injury history, he remains one of the best players in baseball. The Angels will not give him up easily. And considering that he’s one of the most loyal players in the game, it’s almost unimaginable that he’d ask the team for a trade.
Grading the likelihood of a trade: 1/10.
Evaluate futures of Phil Nevin, Perry Minasian
The first order of business for the Angels is figuring out the futures of manager Phil Nevin and general manager Perry Minasian.
Right now, it would appear that the Angels will have a new manager for the 2024 season. The future of Minasian is more uncertain – he’s done a good job in Anaheim considering the circumstances he’s faced with – and it’s viewed as a coin flip whether he will be back in 2024.
If the Angels do move on from Nevin, as expected, it will be curious to see the type of manager the team can attract. They appear headed for a multi-year rebuild and if they fail to re-sign Ohtani, could be among the worst teams in the American League next year. Meaning that it could prove difficult to hire a top managerial candidate, forcing the team to hire a young, up-and-coming option instead.
The same can be said for the general manager spot if the Angels do move on from Minasian, especially with team owner Arte Moreno having a significant influence in baseball operations.
Grading the likelihood the Angels fire Nevin: 8/10.
Grading the likelihood the Angels fire Minasian: 5/10.