The Guardians went looking for offense and came away with a familiar kind of gamble: a big-bodied right-handed bat with real pop, some frustrating holes, and just enough team control to make the price feel reasonable.
Cleveland acquired outfielder Jo Adell from the Angels on Monday in exchange for catching prospect Jacob Cozart. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Guardians designated infielder Juan Brito for assignment.
For a club sitting with the league’s worst team OPS, the fit is obvious. The harder part is figuring out which version of Adell Cleveland is getting.
The 27-year-old looked much closer to the answer in 2025, when he blasted 37 homers and put up a 115 OPS+. This season has been a different story, with a .239/.287/.395 line and a barrel rate that has fallen from 17.3 percent last year to 8.6 percent now.
There’s still plenty in his game that plays. Adell brings quick bat speed and isn’t piling up strikeouts at a disastrous clip.
But he doesn’t draw many walks, and the defense has not matched the tools, even with some flashes that hinted at more. That’s been the story for a former consensus Top 10 prospect: the talent has always been there, but the production has lagged behind the billing.
Cleveland’s need for a right-handed bat made this move even more logical. Adell already has 16 home runs, more than any individual Guardians hitter. He’s also under club control through 2027, which gives the deal a longer runway than a pure rental.
The matchup numbers are especially interesting for a Guardians lineup that has struggled badly against left-handed pitching. Cleveland ranks 28th in the majors with a .653 team OPS versus southpaws. Adell has handled them well, batting .303/.339/.571 against lefties.
His defensive home is still flexible. Adell has played almost exclusively in right field this season, but the Guardians can shuffle things around.
Chase DeLauter is there already, yet Adell could move to left or work as the designated hitter. Steven Kwan can also shift to center, giving Cleveland enough room to spread the at-bats around.
That matters because the Guardians have been leaning on Rhys Hoskins, David Fry and Angel Martínez against lefties, and none of the three has done much damage there, with OPS marks of .634, .609 and .631.
The path Adell has taken to this point has been bumpy. Drafted 10th in 2017, he spent time shuttling up and down early in his career, endured defensive mistakes, and struck out nearly 40 percent of the time in 2022 and ’23.
He’s fought his way into being a real big leaguer. Now Cleveland is betting he can keep climbing.
The Guardians gave up Cozart, a player they liked, but one from a position where they have depth to spare. Cooper Ingle and Kody Huff are in Triple A, while Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges are already in the majors.
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