Guardians Trade Targets - It's time for Chris Antonetti to spend from the deep farm system

2. Jo Adell - OF, Los Angeles Angels.

Every now and then, a player needs a change of scenery. Whether it's due to organizational mismanagement or just improper timing, some young players that struggle to catch fire can find flame elsewhere. Jo Adell is a prime candidate for this, and the Angels asking price for him may never be cheaper than it is right now.

For context, the Angels traded for Hunter Renfroe in the off-season and Adell didn't even break camp with the team to start the season. This is likely due in part to his continued struggles at the Major League level with plate discipline. In 2022, he struck out at a massive 37.5% of the time and only slugged .373 with the Angels in 285 plate appearances.

His profile will always lend itself to being one that is strikeout heavy. But unless the slugging is there, that is not a dichotomy that many teams would suffer for long-term. Adell is smashing the ball at Triple-A this season, slugging at a .610 clip. The natural power profile is there and if the Guardians truly believe in their contact-first approach to hitting, Adell is primed to succeed and learn plate discipline under Chris Valika and company.

Jo Adell won't give you anything special on the defensive end of the game, but that's okay. Teams will sometimes suffer terrible defense in exchange for the long ball i.e. Kyle Schwarber in Philly. Adell is nowhere near that level of treacherous, but he's not going to win a gold glove anytime soon either. However; he does make some nice plays, like this:

He also does this, A LOT:

The Angels need pitching if they are going to contend in the American League West, a division that has seen the rapid rise of the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. That means this trade again revolves around capitalizing on Shane Bieber's value and remaining team control. Cleveland would send Bieber to LA and in return receive Adell, Ky Bush, Sam Bachman and Ben Joyce. Joyce is by far the most appealing part of this trade (aside from Adell,) features an 80-grade fastball, and would be a worthy flamethrower candidate for any bullpen - especially given the sudden regression of James Karinchak.

This deal nets you a power hitting OF for years to come with all three arbitration years remaining, and some very nice pitching depth replenishment for the farm system. With uncertainty surrounding Hunter Renfroe's impending free agency at the end of the 2023 season, the Angels may be inclined to hang on to Adell unless they believe that a deal for Bieber would propel them into serious divisional contention. Regardless, he's a nice trade target that can drive the ball a long way both in the pull and opposite directions.