Everybody likes Trout, but I would argue that the missing piece which separated last year's WS win with earlier playoff shortcomings was Patrick Corbin. Getting a #3 who was a top of the order pitcher, who could fill in as #2 if Strasburg or Scherzer were injured, and who gave you a solid rotation in a short series, made the difference. Gio and Tanner Roark were solid # and #4 starters when they were at the top of their game, but that was their limit. So Kershaw or Verlander or whoever would have been a dominant starter alongside Scherzer and Strasburg.
