Angels trade Jo Adell to Guardians
Jack Janes
Host · Writer
The Angels continue their trade deadline of selling by sending outfielder Jo Adell to the Guardians for catcher Jacob Cozart.
Adell is hitting .239 with a .682 OPS and 16 home runs, which is a step back from the 37-homer and 98-RBI season he had last year. Despite the lowered production, his threat as a power bat and another year of club control made him a desirable target at the deadline.
Adell’s tenure in Anaheim ends not in the way the Angels could have imagined when they selected him 10th overall in the 2017 draft. He shot up prospect rankings, reaching as high as the third-best prospect in the sport, as ranked by Baseball America in 2020.
The 27-year-old has shown flashes of his potential, but hasn’t put it all together with the exception of his 2025 season.
Defense has always been an adventure for Adell as well. He’s had his fair share of blunders where a ball bounces off of him and over the fence, but he’s also hit the peak of defensive accomplishments by robbing three home runs in the same game.
Cozart is 23 years old and was the Guardians' second-round pick in the 2024 draft. He is the Guardians' 18th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
The left-handed-hitting catcher is hitting .239 with a .714 OPS in Double-A with 10 home runs. Although Cozart draws walks, he has swing-and-miss in his game and tends to chase out of the zone.
