MLB: Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) hits a three run home run during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 21, 2016. (Kevin Jairaj | USA TODAY Sports)

Buckle up, Yankees fans.



As the hot stove burns, the ultimate Yankees plan may shock the sport. Forget about assembling a young team of homegrown stars and focus on what the Yankees do best: Land superstars.

In today's game--regardless of what the 2016 MLB awards turn out to say--Mike Trout is the biggest superstar of them all. According to one MLB scout, the Yankees may be gearing up to trade a bevy of top-flight young players to pry Trout from the Los Angeles Angels.



That comes from a conversation WFAN's Sweeny Murti had with a scout in September:



"You don't accumulate all those prospects with the intent of keeping them all," the scout told me. "They have value and it makes complete sense to spin off four of five of them for Trout. It's very much a Yankees kind of move and makes too much sense for them."



With one of the best farm systems in baseball--thanks in part to last year's trade deadline sell off--the scout could be on to something. While it's possible that the Yankees will hold on to young players like Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres, figure out what they have an add to the team during a potentially special free-agent class after 2018, the idea of landing Trout could alter everything.

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Of course, skepticism is abound about the Angels actually moving baseball's best player--even if they are awful with him. A GM of another team told Murti that the scout's read is right, but it just won't happen.



"All of that is true," a GM said. "But that has zero percent chance of happening." Talk about a killjoy. "Nobody wants to trade that guy," the GM told me. "Billy can't be the guy who traded Mike Trout. Arte Moreno (the Angels owner) can't be that guy. It would be like the Bulls trading Michael Jordan in his prime. The only thing that team has going right now is Mike Trout. Without him they'd be a Triple-A team."



If the Angels do eventually relent, the Yankees and Phillies make sense as potential landing spots for Trout.



Trout put up a .315/.441/.550 slash line in 2016. Through his age-24 season, Trout has accumulated 48.5 WAR--the most of any player at that age in the history of the sport.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.