This is a preview of the Joe Sheehan Baseball Newsletter, an e-mail newsletter about all things baseball, featuring analysis and opinion about the game on and off the field from the perspective of the informed outsider.
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"The Phillies are attractive in this exercise because it’s reasonable to assume that Trout would be open to playing for them. We’re guessing a bit at the man’s motivations, but we can safely assume that if he accepts a trade it will be to a team that projects to be a likely playoff contender for the next few seasons at least. The Phillies are at a bit of a local peak, but would you necessarily expect it to continue? It’s an old team with a weak farm system -- anywhere from bottom half to bottom third by the prospect heads -- that could be about to lose its #1 starter and whose #2 starter is a free agent after 2024. The Braves are a huge block to being more than a wild card in any season. I am not saying that Trout wouldn’t go to the Phillies; I am saying that if he wants to win, there are better situations with less risk of the new team just being Angels 2.0 for him."
