For more than a decade, the Los Angeles Angels have leaned heavily on Mike Trout as the centerpiece of their franchise. He has been the face of the team, the engine of their offense, and the source of nearly every spark of hope the organization has clung to during years of mediocrity. Trout has done everything a superstar could reasonably be expected to do—win MVPs, put up historic numbers, and play at a Hall-of-Fame level nearly every single season he has been healthy.
Yet, despite all of that, the Angels have failed season after season to build a roster strong enough around him to reach the playoffs consistently. With another year gone and Trout now deeper into the latter stages of what has already been an illustrious career, pressure is mounting within the organization. The 2026 season looms as a critical moment—not just for the Angels’ front office, but for the fanbase that has watched Trout’s prime years fade without meaningful October baseball.
The Angels flirted with contention this past season, even managing to hang around the Wild Card race deep into the summer. They hovered near .500, and at one point were close enough to contention that the front office made modest additions at the trade deadline. For a brief moment, the idea of Trout returning to the postseason seemed within reach. Yet, as has happened repeatedly over the years, their hopes unraveled due to a familiar and frustrating issue: pitching.
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The Angels’ pitching staff allowed more runs than any other team in the American League, undoing any momentum that Trout and the lineup generated. The club ultimately collapsed down the stretch, finishing with ninety losses—a harsh reminder that a competitive team cannot rely solely on offense or on a single superstar whose workload continues to grow heavier as his teammates fail to elevate their play.
With the offseason underway, one priority stands above all else: acquiring an ace starting pitcher, a true number-one arm who can anchor the rotation and change the trajectory of the pitching staff. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently suggested a bold—and potentially polarizing—solution to that problem. Miller floated the idea that the Angels should attempt to acquire Jacob deGrom from the Texas Rangers. DeGrom, a two-time Cy Young winner and one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation when healthy, reportedly could be available if Texas is looking to reduce payroll.
Miller’s argument is straightforward: if Texas is serious about cutting costs, they might consider parting ways with one of their highest-paid players. He writes, “If the Rangers are serious about trying to trim payroll this offseason, why not go straight to the top of the list?” He goes on to frame the situation through the lens of Trout’s career arc. Trout, Miller notes, is no longer at the beginning or even the middle of his career—he is well into the “back nine.” Time is no longer on his side, and the Angels’ window to maximize his talent is closing rapidly.
Complicating matters for the organization is the financial situation surrounding the roster. 2026 will be the final year that outfielder Taylor Ward remains under contract with the club. It is also, significantly, the final year of Anthony Rendon’s massive $245 million deal—an agreement that has brought frustration, disappointment, and minimal on-field production since it was signed. With those realities in place, Miller argues that now is the moment for the Angels to aggressively pursue a transformational move.
Jacob deGrom, despite dealing with injuries at various points in his career, remains a pitcher capable of changing an entire pitching staff’s outlook. When he is healthy, he is one of the most unhittable arms in the sport. In his most recent season, deGrom posted a 12–8 record, a 2.98 ERA, 185 strikeouts, and an elite 0.921 WHIP across 172 innings pitched—numbers that demonstrate not only dominance but also efficiency. He attacks the strike zone, limits base runners, and consistently keeps his team in games. For a team that has struggled with pitching consistency for years, adding a player of his caliber would immediately elevate expectations.
The contractual situation also aligns with what the Angels are looking for. DeGrom has two guaranteed years remaining on his current deal with a club option for a third. That timeline matches the current structure of the Angels’ roster, particularly in the context of Trout’s career stage and the expiring contracts of several high-profile players. If the Angels were to acquire deGrom, they would be pairing Trout with a genuine ace—giving them the type of star-power duo capable of making a real postseason push.
But there is one significant complication that cannot be ignored. DeGrom has a full no-trade clause in his contract. That means the Rangers cannot trade him unless he personally agrees to waive that clause. No deal can happen without his direct approval. For any trade discussions even to begin, deGrom would need to feel comfortable with the destination and believe in the new team’s future direction.
However, the idea is not as far-fetched as it sounds. If Texas explicitly communicates to deGrom that they intend to shift away from contending—whether by reducing payroll, rebuilding, or simply resetting their roster—he may be more motivated to consider waiving his clause. Professional athletes, especially those toward the later stages of their careers, are often driven by a desire to win championships more than anything else. If deGrom sees his chances of competing for a title diminish in Texas while another team—such as the Angels—offers him the chance to be part of a potential postseason run alongside another superstar, he may be willing to approve the move.
For the Angels, acquiring deGrom would signal a commitment to Trout, a promise that the organization finally intends to surround him with the help he has long deserved. For years, Trout has shouldered the expectations of a franchise while the team struggled to provide him with consistent pitching or complementary talent. Pairing him with a legitimate ace would send a message to the entire league and to the fanbase: the Angels are done wasting Trout’s generational talent.
Additionally, beyond on-field production, deGrom brings leadership, competitiveness, and postseason experience—qualities the Angels desperately need in their clubhouse.
Of course, risks remain. DeGrom’s injury history is well known, and trading for him would likely require significant assets—whether prospects, major league players, or both. But the Angels are no longer in a position where playing it safe should be the default strategy. Trout’s remaining prime years are too valuable to squander with hesitation. If deGrom waives his no-trade clause and the Rangers are willing to move him, the Angels would finally secure the frontline pitcher they have lacked for so many seasons.
In the end, the question becomes simple: how badly do the Angels want to win while Trout is still capable of leading a playoff team? If the organization is serious about ending its playoff drought, acquiring Jacob deGrom may be the bold, transformative move they need.
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