The Phillies’ search for a right-handed bat has only gotten more urgent, but Mike Trout is not walking through that door.
Philadelphia already had a hole in right field on its trade deadline wish list, and that need grew after Adolis Garcia suffered a season-ending lat injury and Johan Rojas was also hurt. The club is now looking for an everyday right fielder, which is why Trout’s name has naturally surfaced among fans.
The fit is easy to imagine. Trout is back to looking like himself this season after a drop-off in 2025, and the hometown angle would make the idea even more tempting for Phillies supporters. He could help in a lineup that has leaned on right-handed hitters who have had trouble with the platoon advantage, and his .870 OPS against left-handed pitching would slot in nicely.
But the Angels shut the door fast.
As shared by Jim Bowden of The Athletic on X, he asked Los Angeles general manager John Mozeliak if he would trade Trout to Philadelphia ahead of the deadline. Mozeliak’s answer was blunt: “NO!”
That leaves little room for interpretation. The Phillies may want Trout, but the Angels are not moving him before this year’s deadline.
Trout’s value is as high as it has been in years. He already has a 2.9 bWAR, which matches his season-long total from 2023, the last time he made the All-Star team. Through 75 games and 340 plate appearances in 2026, he has posted a .234/.394/.480 slash line with an OPS+ of 147.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, is stuck at the bottom. The Angels entered play on July 9 with 37 victories, the fewest in MLB.
Trout has not asked out and, according to the source material, loves playing for the Angels. Still, the longer this goes on, the more the idea of a future move will linger. For now, though, the Phillies’ dream of landing him is over - at least for this deadline.
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