The New York Mets have been the subject of plenty of trade rumors this season, but one name that keeps popping up—Mike Trout—has officially been shut down by a team insider. And the reason? It all comes down to the dollars and cents.
After a rough start to the season, the Mets have shown signs of life recently, winning four of their last six games and taking back-to-back series heading into their Friday night matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Still, at 14-23, the record is far from what anyone expected in Queens.
The biggest culprit? A high-priced lineup that has underperformed across the board. Injuries to key players like Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Jorge Polanco have certainly hurt, but they don't explain the struggles of Bo Bichette, Francisco Alvarez, and Marcus Semien. That's why fans and analysts have been brainstorming ways to inject some life into the offense—and Mike Trout's name has come up more than once.
The future Hall of Famer has looked rejuvenated in 2026, smashing 11 home runs and driving in 23 runs over the Angels' first 37 games after five injury-plagued seasons. It's easy to see why Mets fans would dream of adding that kind of production to their lineup.
In a recent mailbag for The Athletic, Mets insider Tim Britton addressed the Trout speculation head-on. While he admitted he'd love to cover the three-time MVP and could "envision a scenario, however narrow, in which it would make a single iota of sense for the Mets," he quickly explained why team president David Stearns would never pull the trigger.
"Trout is owed about $142 million over the next four seasons. He's played in fewer than half of the Angels' games over the last five years. The Mets unloaded a more reliably productive player in Brandon Nimmo who was making significantly less because of concerns about his long-term fit. They are not about to bring in Trout to replace that lost offense."
In other words, the math just doesn't add up. At 38 years old and making over $37 million a year, Trout's contract is a risk the Mets—who are already dealing with payroll headaches—simply can't afford to take. For now, the speculation can be put to rest.