SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jo Adell has one more chance to show the Angels what he can do.
Adell, who has still not lived up to the potential that once had him considered a top prospect, will be out of options next season. If the Angels don’t have a spot for the outfielder in the majors, he’s likely to be in another organization.
“He knows what’s at stake,” General Manager Perry Minasian said on Wednesday at the GM Meetings. “I’m looking forward to seeing him in the spring.”
Adell has been working out this offseason with longtime major league outfielder Matt Holliday, a six-time All-Star who works for Scott Boras, Adell’s agent.
Adell, 24, hit .207 with a 706 OPS in 17 games last season. He would have gotten an opportunity to play more, but he suffered an oblique injury just after he was recalled to the majors to replace Mike Trout in July.
Defense was considered Adell’s biggest issue a few years ago. He’s improved in the field, but he still has work to do offensively.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed in my career, somebody improve defensively as much as he has over the last three years,” Minasian said. “I think there’s some strides to be made offensively that he knows, that he’s working on as we speak.”
At the moment Adell is likely fourth on the Angels’ outfield depth chart, behind Trout, Taylor Ward and Mickey Moniak.
HOW MANY ARMS?
Minasian made it clear that the Angels will pursue pitching, but he didn’t say how many starters or relievers he feels they need.
The Angels’ top five starting pitchers are Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning, Tyler Anderson and Chase Silseth.
“You need more than five,” Minasian said. “You need more than six. You need more than 10. The amount of starting pitchers you need to have a productive year is significant. We’re looking to improve that group if we can. The more the merrier.”
As for the bullpen, the Angels have closer Carlos Estévez and then a group of young pitchers who have yet to establish themselves.
“We have some good young arms in the bullpen,” Minasian said. “With that being said, we’ll look to add more.”
NOTES
Boras said Cody Bellinger is open to playing either outfield or first base, but most of the teams pursuing him are interested in him playing center field. He also said he didn’t believe it was in a player’s best interest to bounce around between different positions because of the risk of injury. Bellinger could be a fit for the Angels in the outfield or at first base. …
Boras said he’s in favor of Arte Moreno continuing to own the Angels. “You want people in the game that are invested in it and in my meetings with Arte, he’s very much into it,” Boras said. “He likes it, likes to talk about the game and sit down and talk to you for four or five hours. So as long as you have passionate owners, and these things aren’t assets and you’re not an absentee owner, then I’m very much for those people being in the game.” …
The Angels depleted their farm system with a series of trades aimed at getting them in the playoffs in 2023, but Minasian said he still believes the organization has assets to move this winter. “We have a lot of desirable players,” Minasian said. “That’s something we’ve done over the last few days, talk to teams and see if we match up. … It’s hard. Making trades is hard. But we do have some pieces that people like.”
