A Jo Adell trade feels more likely than ever following the Aaron Hicks signing

Jo Adell entered the offseason looking like the fourth outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. No, he hasn't played well enough throughout his MLB career to earn a guaranteed spot, but with Adell being out of minor league options and still having immense potential, the Angels would rather roster him than get rid of him for nothing.

The Angels going out and signing Aaron Hicks makes sense with him only making the league minimum and having a lot of success against left-handed pitching, but it also raises questions about if there's another move coming.

The Angels now have five outfielders penciled in to make the Opening Day roster with Adell and Hicks joining Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Mickey Moniak. Sure, Trout will DH sometimes, but in reality, there are five outfielders for only three spots. With a real logjam in place, a trade should be made to help the Angels with other needs. Particularly starting pitching.

It feels like any of the outfielders not named Mike Trout can be moved in a trade for pitching. While trading Adell now would be selling low, his lack of opportunity makes him an easy player to move off of.

LA Angels trading Jo Adell feels more likely now than ever

What the Angels can get for Adell depends on how other teams value him, but chances are, it won't be much to get super excited about. Yes, he has potential, but has struggled so mightily in the majors and has not improved at all in areas that are of concern, mainly with his strikeout issues. Even if it isn't much, it's certainly better than DFA'ing Adell and inevitably losing him for nothing.

Hicks is not going to be an everyday player, at least without injuries occuring. Adell should not be one either barring injuries if the Angels plan on competing in 2024. This means trading starting-level players like Taylor Ward and Mickey Moniak would be less appealing as it'd result in a lot more starts for one of Adell or Hicks.

It would be hard to see the Angels give up on a former top prospect with clear potential still to this day in Adell, but if he's not going to get the opportunity to play much in Anaheim it'd be better than losing him for nothing. Hicks being brought in to be a bench player likely diminishes Adell's potential for playing time, making him even more expendable than he already was. One outfielder should go, and Adell is the easiest by far to get rid of.