When ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news yesterday morning, it came as more than a surprise, since talks between the LA Angels and their superstar center fielder did not appear to be gaining momentum, or even happening at all in spring training.
The timing itself is sweet medicine for Angels fans, who had heard the noise from Philadelphia reaching a deafening roar, as their new prize Bryce Harper publicly acknowledged he would be recruiting Trout to team up on Trout’s hometown Phillies.
The idea that Trout, a free agent in 2021, would join the Phillies, who seemed to be perfectly timing a rebuild to bring him aboard, has been en Vogue ever since Trout signed his first extension, a six-year pact in 2014 .