The Los Angeles Angels did not have the season they wanted, finishing last in the AL West with a 72-90 record. Going into the offseason, there's a good chance that they could make some moves as they try to reset their roster. The first person that some would think of is Mike Trout, but instead, it could be Jo Adell, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
“Adell broke out this year, belting a career-high 37 home runs with a .485 SLG. He ranked in the 76th percentile in batting run value, 90th percentile in xwOBA, 96th percentile in xSLG and Barrel% and 99th percentile in bat speed,” Adell wrote. “He’s a below-average defender in the outfield, however, with a below-average arm, and is better suited for left field rather than center.
“The Halos control him for just two more years and should dangle him in trade proposals now as they must rebuild their starting rotation and their inventory of long-term controllable assets. His trade value is the highest it’s been since he was drafted in the first round back in 2017. The Reds and Pirates could have interest.”
With Adell having high trade value, this may be the best time to ship him for assets. Just like any trade, it's going to take a partner for it to happen.
It will be interesting to see how things play out with the Angels, especially after recently hiring Kurt Suzuki, who spent 16 years as a major league catcher and spent the last three seasons as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.
There are some who have their questions about the hire, including MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.
“Kurt Suzuki is one of the great people in the game and he’s a guy with a very upbeat personality, played for a world championship team in Washington in 2019, and I have no doubt that he can succeed as a manager,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory. “I do have doubt that any manager can succeed in Anaheim.”
