CLEVELAND — The Guardians are acquiring a right-handed bat in the outfield after all.
Prior to the 6 p.m. trade deadline, the Guardians agreed to a deal to acquire Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell, in exchange for catching prospect Jacob Cozart. The club has announced the deal.
This is the second Cleveland trade over the last week. Over the weekend, they acquired reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins in a deal that sent catcher Bo Naylor and pitcher Codi Heuer to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Cozart was the club’s No. 18-ranked prospect, according to MLB pipeline, though Cleveland also has Cooper Ingle (No. 3) ahead of him.
Adell, 27, is a former top-5 prospect in the league who has struggled to live up to that high billing, though he put together a career-best year in 2025.
While Adell might come with a few question marks, he does address the Guardians’ need to try to find some right-handed pop in the outfield.
Jo Adell stats
This season with the Angels, he’s hitting .239 with a .682 OPS, 16 home runs, 16 doubles and 62 RBIs. His best season came last year, when he slugged a career-high 37 home runs and drove in 98 runs while posting a .778 OPS.
Adell gives the Guardians an intriguing right-handed option in the outfield, albeit one that hasn’t always had the most ideal track record. He has a career 90 wRC+, meaning he’s been 10% below league average since he entered the majors.
Last year, he posted a career-best 112 wRC+. That has dropped to 89 in 2026.
He also had an incredible game earlier this season in which he robbed three home runs on the same night.
Jo Adell contract
Adell signed a one-year, $5.2 million deal for the 2026 season to avoid arbitration. He’s under club control through 2027.
Jo Adell fit with Guardians following trade with Angels
Adell joins an outfield mix that includes three left-handers (Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Petey Halpin), the switch-hitting Angel Martinez and the lone other right-handed option, David Fry.
Fry or Halpin could be headed to Triple-A. Halpin is yet another lefty outfielder. While Fry has plenty of utility, he’s also been stuck in a dreadful offensive slump.
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jo Adell traded to Guardians. What does outfielder bring to Cleveland
Reporting by Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Ryan Lewis, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
