The Pirates are staring at a pretty clear offseason need, and Cleveland Guardians outfielder Jo Adell checks a lot of the boxes.
Pittsburgh needs right-handed pop, and it needs more help against left-handed pitching. Adell has given plenty of evidence he can do both.
He just delivered in the playoffs too, lining a two-run triple in the third inning of Cleveland’s 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Rate Field on Oct. 7.
That victory mattered for the Guardians after they dropped the first two games of the ALDS at home, and they still need to win the next two to stay alive.
Adell was already on the Pirates’ radar at the trade deadline, and that interest could carry into this offseason as the club builds toward 2027. He has hit 80 home runs over the last three seasons, with at least 20 in each year, and set a career high with 37 homers for Los Angeles in 2025, the ninth-most in baseball.
The bat played even better after the Angels dealt him to Cleveland. In 48 games with the Guardians, he hit .244/.324/.417 for an OPS of .741, with seven home runs and 32 RBI.
What makes him especially appealing for Pittsburgh is the damage he does against southpaws. Adell hit 14 home runs off left-handed pitching this season, fourth-most in baseball, and he posted a .320/.372/.599 line for a .971 OPS against them.
He had 55 hits in 172 at-bats, along with six doubles and 45 RBI. His slugging percentage and RBI led baseball, and his OPS ranked fifth.
That kind of production would fit a Pirates lineup that was one of the worst in baseball against left-handed starters. Pittsburgh hit .231/.303/.360 for an OPS of .663 against southpaw starters, finishing with the second-worst slugging percentage, fourth-worst OPS, seventh-worst batting average and 11th-worst on-base percentage. The Pirates went 18-33 against lefty starters and 64-47 against righties, a split they need to address next season.
Adell also brings serious bat speed. His 77.4 mph average ranked seventh in baseball and was second only to Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz among Pittsburgh players. He also uncorked a 116.8 mph home run off Minnesota Twins right-handed starter Joe Ryan, which ranked as the eighth-hardest hit ball in 2026.
There’s a fit on the field, too. Adell can handle all three outfield spots, but he spent almost all of 2026 in right field. With Bryan Reynolds in left and Cruz in center, right field is the cleanest landing spot if the Pirates ever make a move.
Pittsburgh does have another candidate there in rookie Esmerlyn Valdez, who emerged as a right field option and right-handed power bat for the future. He hit .232/.345/.510 with an .855 OPS, 14 doubles and 17 home runs in 72 games. But Valdez faded late, hitting .171/.303/.308 with a .611 OPS, three home runs and then a season-ending hamstring injury over his final 34 games.
Adding Adell would give the Pirates another right field choice and some extra competition for next season. He would also join Valdez, catcher Rafael Flores Jr. and shortstop Konnor Griffin as right-handed bats who can do damage against left-handed pitching, alongside the left-handed Cruz, who excelled against lefties in 2026.
There are drawbacks. Adell’s walk rate sits at 5.2%, and he comes with a 28.2% whiff rate and a 35.3% chase rate.
He has also had some defensive issues. But the power, the right-handed presence and the success against lefties are exactly the kinds of positives the Pirates need to weigh if they can work out a trade.
Adell is heading into his final year of arbitration, so Pittsburgh would have to send prospects to Cleveland if the Guardians were willing to move him. Even with the cost, he looks like a player the Pirates should keep firmly in view this offseason.
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