How the Phillies’ model could reignite Mike Trout’s career

Following successful surgery to restore a torn meniscus in his left knee, Mike Trout’s season is over.  

With six years left on his $426.5M contract, the Los Angeles Angels now face a vital choice: What ought to they do with one among baseball’s finest gamers?

For the often-injured Trout, who was as soon as the face of baseball, these are uncharted waters. 

His decline, whereas inevitable, has led to wild hypothesis. Is it time to commerce him and his hefty contract? Or ought to he retire, as some have suggested? 

Trout hasn’t indicated he’s prepared to hold up his cleats, and he shouldn’t be dismissed that simply.

The Angels don’t must look far for a blueprint. 

Final season, Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies transitioned from the outfield to first base whereas recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure. Harper’s proper elbow couldn’t deal with the calls for of proper area, so he shifted to a place that required much less from his arm. 

The consequence? Harper has excelled, contributing offensively and defensively in a brand new function.

Trout, like Harper, has struggled with accidents, and his days as an elite outfielder are possible behind him. In keeping with Baseball Savant, in simply 203 innings in heart area this season, Trout posted a -1 run worth, a stark distinction to his earlier profession. (Run value is a statistic that measures the impression of an occasion on the end result of a run, based mostly on historic information and different components.)

Trout’s bat, nonetheless, stays harmful. In solely 29 video games this season, he hit 10 dwelling runs, proving he nonetheless has energy. Shifting Trout to first base or rotating him as a DH might lengthen his profession and preserve his bat within the lineup.

There’s additionally the matter of loyalty. Trout signed an enormous extension with a workforce that has solely made the playoffs as soon as throughout his profession. That degree of dedication needs to be reciprocated by the Angels. They owe it to Trout to discover a function that fits his present bodily capabilities, even when it means breaking custom.