The Los Angeles Angels are wrapping up another disappointing season that will end without a playoff appearance despite having two of the best players in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.
The Angels hovered around .500 for most of the year and opted to be buyers at the trade deadline, acquiring the likes of Lucas Giolito, C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk, among others.
As the team continued to play poorly into August, the Angels allowed Giolito and four other players to be claimed on waivers. Meanwhile, Ohtani and Trout have both been limited or sidelined altogether for most of the second half.
The Angels will have decisions to make on both players this offseason, including potentially trading Trout if he requests to be moved, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
The Los Angeles Angels, perhaps for the first time, are open to trading All-Star outfielder Mike Trout if he indicates to them that he wants out. Trout has exclusive no-trade rights and said recently that he wants to have a private conversation with the front office and ownership about their direction.
Trout has been part of the Angels since being selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. He quickly emerged into superstardom and signed a historic contract extension with the club prior to the 2019 season.
While Trout has been loyal to the Angels, he has only made it to the postseason once — all the way back in 2014. The 32-year-old is in his prime and may want to play on a team with World Series aspirations if the Angels can’t assure him they will be a contender.
The Angels’ offseason moves will likely hinge on Ohtani’s free agency and whether he remains in Anaheim. If the two-way star signs elsewhere, it could spell the end of Trout’s tenure with the only organization he has known.
Angels don’t ‘have the pulse’ of Shohei Ohtani and his future plans
Despite his latest elbow injury, Ohtani figures to have a robust market this offseason. As he goes over his options, the Angels are said to not have an inside track on his future plans.
