The Team That Traded Mike Trout
VATICAN CITY/TOKYO, Japan - In a league that is unforgiving of questionable trades, there is always risk involved in trading a player of the caliber of Mike Trout. When the Kaiju traded Carlos Correa for Trout, they were expecting to receive the best player of the last decade. Trout underperformed for the Kaiju, missing too many games in Season 7 and not getting on base enough in Season 8 (Trout's .298 OBP in Season 8 was by far the worst of his storied career).
Likewise, Zack Wheeler, joined the Angels for Season 8 via trade and failed to live up to expectations.
Over a couple of old fashioneds during the winter GM meetings, the front offices of the Vatican Angels and Tokyo Kaiju proposed an idea.
What if we gave both of these guys a change of scenery?
Negotiations, physicals, exams, medical records, tests, questions and all of the regular protocol followed as both GMs walked to the brink saying, "Can we really do this?"
What the Kaiju didn't know was the Wheeler had approached Angels management looking for a trade. What the Angels didn't know was that Trout had quietly asked for a trade as well. The fans in Tokyo never quite took to the legend, instead preferring their own home grown hero, Juan Soto.
Fast forward a few weeks after the initial handshake and both players agreed to move. Former division rivals had agreed to a deal and the players were packing up their belongings. Such is life in the SBa, one year you're in Tokyo, the next year you're living in Rome.
After the dust cleared, both GMs offered statements about the departing players, Ryan, from the Angels: "Zack Wheeler is an excellent pitcher and a wonderful person. When we acquired him a season ago, we were excited to have a pitcher we could rely on for multiple seasons to put up elite numbers in our park. I think Zack would be the first person to tell you that this season didn't quite look like he wanted. Struggled to get strikeouts at times, posted his highest ERA in the last few seasons, and of course the injuries keeping him from getting into a daily rhythm. He actually approached us about him being open to moving this offseason. Of course, we were hesitant, due to kind of performance we know he could pitch, but in some conversations with Kaiju front office a deal came up that we really just couldn't turn down. We fully appreciate the season Zack gave us, and we wish him nothing but the best as he looks to continue his career with the storied Kaiju franchise."
Josef, Kaiju GM had this to say about Trout: "We were thrilled when Mike joined the Kaiju 2 seasons ago. We wish him all the best in Vatican. We're glad for divisional realignment, though, because that means we'll only see him half as many times as we would've if we were still in the same division. We wouldn't have made it to the World Series if it weren't for Trout. He absolutely carried us during the first two rounds of the playoffs. Mike is a legend and we hope that he's able to recapture some of the old Mike Trout as he settles into the Vatican. That said, we're excited to welcome Zack Wheeler to the Kaiju."
Big trades like this often leave the league asking, "Who won the trade?" In this case, both parties sent what they felt like were underperforming players to new homes, hoping to recapture some of the glory that these veterans have had in the past.
Both teams will take the field as Season 9 gets started in just a few weeks.