The St. Louis Cardinals are the Perfect Trade Destination for Mike Trout

The St. Louis Cardinals are in the midst of an intense playoff push. Between fighting for the NL Central crown and positioning themselves as a true contender amongst the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves, the club is in a great position for 2022 and beyond.

The Cardinals have gotten to their position of strength through a mixture of savvy trades and a strong pipeline of prospects. St. Louis is one of the few teams in baseball who has been able to acquire multiple superstars (Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado) while avoiding parting with top prospects. Because of that, guys like Goldschmidt and Arenado are being supplemented by young guns like Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman, and company.

Believe it or not, St. Louis may be in line for another superstar in the near future, one that could transform this organization’s destiny: Mike Trout.

Could the Cardinals acquire Mike Trout if Angels want to trade him?

The Los Angeles Angels are on the brink of a complete rebuild. Much like the Washington Nationals were this summer, they are a club who has experienced a steep decline, has a superstar nearing free agency (Shohei Ohtani), and are now facing an ownership transition. Angels’ owner Arte Moreno is now exploring a sale of the club, which puts the futures of both Ohtani and Trout in question.

Washington was forced to make a decision on Juan Soto this summer due to that very dilemma. New ownership groups are not going to want to be marked by trading away or losing generational stars, and the same will probably be true of the Angels. It would be surprising to see the Angels hold onto Ohtani past the 2023 trade deadline, but now a Trout trade appears to be a very real possibility.

Although Trout is a surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer, his large contract, recent injury history, and age will make him more affordable than Ohtani and the recently traded Juan Soto. With a future as bleak as the Angels, drastic measures will need to be taken into consideration for the long-term health of the organization, including a Trout deal.

They sit in a similar position as the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks did when they made their generational stars available for trade. St. Louis was there to poach those players when the time came, and the same should be expected for when Trout inevitably becomes available.

Here is why the Angels will explore a Trout trade and what makes St. Louis the perfect fit for the superstar.