A generational talent in baseball has not seen postseason success in his 15-year-long MLB career. At 34, Mike Trout is still on the hunt for a World Series ring as the Los Angeles Angels continue to fall short of October baseball. During the high-scoring Monday matchup against the New York Yankees, Trout put on a dominant show even though the Angels lost, 11-10. Trout’s performance prompted an analyst to demand his trade, which made the Angels fans push back in return.

Angels’ veteran Mike Trout is off to a good start this season. He is hitting at an average of .224, with 4 home runs, 12 RBIs, and .883 OPS. Trout shone against the Yankees as he drove 2 home runs and 5 RBIs in two out of his 5 at-bats. While Aaron Judge’s double homers contributed to the Yankees’ win, Trout’s home runs ultimately turned futile. In the aftermath of the Angels’ loss, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith demanded that Trout be traded to a better team.

“Can we call Mike Trout out? This is one of the greatest talents we have ever seen in the history of baseball,” stated Smith on First Take. “Yo, Mike Trout, we love you, man! We can’t get enough of watching you when you’re healthy, which seems to be rare these days. Can you demand a trade?”

Trout has been with the Angels since his MLB debut in 2011, when he was 19 years old. However, his prolific career is still limited to only three postseason games, all during the 2014 ALDS. Even that was not a win, as the Kansas City Royals swept the Angels. Trout also became the AL MVP that season.

Since then, October baseball has not been on the cards for Trout and his franchise.

Smith went on to express his frustration about the Angels’ less-than-impressive performance over the last decade, and how Trout is not benefiting from it.

“The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have not made the postseason since 2014. They haven’t had a winning record since 2015. So you ain’t been in a postseason in the last 11 seasons, and you haven’t had a winning record for the last 10,” Smith highlighted on First Take.

The Angels finished last season at the bottom of the AL West with a 72-90 record. The last time they had a winning record was in 2015, when they were 85-77. This season, the Angels are already trailing 8-9, though it’s only April.

Moreover, the Angels failed to turn their fate around, even with a phenomenon like Shohei Ohtani on their roster for six seasons. Ohtani left the Angels for the Dodgers and won two World Series rings. Smith thinks Trout also should take the Ohtani route.

“At some point, Mike Trout, the Angels ain’t doing nothing for you,” emphasized Smith via First Take. “Shohei Ohtani came after him and left before him…Could you demand a trade, please? Can we get some plays where we see the greatness of Mike Trout playing in October? Cause it ain’t gonna be with the Angels.”

As the analyst pushed for an end to Mike Trout’s tenure with the Angels, Los Angeles fans expressed their displeasure with Smith.

Angels’ fans react to Mike Trout’s trade demand

The Los Angeles Angels’ fans don’t want to see Mike Trout going anywhere, and have pushed back strongly against Smith’s notion.

“Shut up, Stephen…Stay In Yo Lane!” warned one fan, while another scorned, “This guy should not be talking about baseball anymore. Just stop.” The 58-year-old veteran American television personality, Stephen A. Smith, is known for his basketball analyses. He appears frequently as ESPN’s NBA analyst on SportsCenter, NBA Countdown, and other NBA broadcasts. Hence, Angels’ fans want him to stick to basketball only.

“No team is gonna take on his contract,” noted one user. Trout signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension with the Angels in 2019 that will keep him in the franchise through 2030. Moreover, the contract has no opt-out clauses, which means that he can’t choose to leave and become a free agent before 2031. However, Trout holds a full no-trade clause, which gives him complete control over his future. If he decides to move on and demands a trade, he can waive off the clause and approve a move to any team.

Another user joked, “Real reason Mike Trout doesn’t demand a trade is because the faster his season ends the faster he gets to go watch Eagles play. He dgaf about winning lol.” Trout is a well-known Philadelphia Eagles fan. Growing up in Millville, New Jersey, Trout has been a Philadelphia fan throughout his life, including the Phillies. Trout has been spotted in multiple Eagles and Phillies games over the years.

“He can’t demand a trade when he gets hurt every 10 games. lol you do not watch the games @stephenasmith,” remarked a user, pointing out Trout’s injury history. Mike Trout has an extensive list of injuries that have limited his playing time. His major setbacks include a thumb ligament tear in 2017, a calf strain in 2021, upper back issues in 2022 that are potentially recurring, a broken hamate bone in 2023, followed by a torn meniscus in 2024.

He also had a meniscus re-tear scare that landed him in the IL last season. He is currently suffering from a bruised hand after being hit by Mariners’ reliever Casey Legumina’s pitch on April 5. However, he has returned to the lineup after missing one game.

“Trout is an angel for life,” wrote one fan. Another fan blasted Smith with a loyalty lesson, commenting, “You ever heard of loyalty, something you clearly don’t know about.” As the fans emphasized, Trout has pledged his loyalty to the Angels. The player himself has expressed his preference for winning a championship in Anaheim over leaving, which he dubbed as an easy way out.

With the current contract in place, Mike Trout is surely not ditching the Angels anytime soon, but for his sake, we hope the Angels will see the postseason soon.