Phillies' Blockbuster Trade Rumor for One Particular Star Must Stop

The Philadelphia Phillies definitely need to add some pieces between now and the MLB trade deadline, and perhaps their most glaring weakness is their outfield.

The Phillies put together a patchwork outfield during the offseason, signing Adolis Garcia to a one-year deal and electing to roll with rookie Justin Crawford in center field.

Needless to say, neither move has worked out for Philadelphia.

Garcia posted a .599 OPS before going down for the season with a shoulder injury last month, and Crawford has been an absolute adventure.

Brandon Marsh has been absolutely terrific in left field and was just named an All-Star for the first time, but otherwise, the Phillies' outfield has been awful.

Philadelphia is widely expected to swing a trade for an outfielder before Aug. 3, and one name that regularly been floated as a possibility is Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout.

Trout has seen a resurgence this season, as he is slashing .234/.394/.472 with 17 home runs and 36 RBI over 335 plate appearances. But with the Angels out of contention, trade speculation has swirled around the three-time MVP.

But do the Phillies actually make sense as a destination?

From a need perspective, of course. Even is his older, lesser state, Trout would represent a significant upgrade over what Philadelphia currently has in center field. At least offensively, anyway.

The Phillies' offense has been sorely lacking outside of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Marsh this year, so the club could really use Trout's bat.

But overall, Trout really doesn't make much sense for Philly.

First and foremost, the 34-year-old has a no-trade clause and has shown absolutely zero desire to leave Los Angeles. So even if the Angels did try to move him to Philadelphia, Trout could just block the deal.

Second, have you seen Trout's contract?

The Phillies have been monitoring their payroll pretty closely lately, and Trout would cause it to balloon even further.

Thanks to the 12-year, $426.5 million extension Trout signed with the Halos back in March 2019, the Vineland, N.J. native — who grew up rooting for the Phillies — is under wraps through 2030 at $37.2 million per year.

For an aging, declining player who played in 100 games just twice the last seven years and is currently on the injured list once again due to a hamstring injury, that is an albatross, to say the least.

Philadelphia is already paying Harper big money through 2031. It has Trea Turner under contract at $27.2 million annually through 2033. It just re-signed Schwarber and J.T. Realmuo and also handed extensions to Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez.

The Phillies have a whole lot of money tied up, and they really can't afford to dole out nearly $40 million a year to someone who has trouble even being available.

Trout is a huge name, and his presence — when healthy — would make Philadelphia better. But he just isn't a very realistic target for the Phils.

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