Jo Adell's season-ending injury could mean the end of his time with the Angels

It didn't take long for Jo Adell's injury to go from bad to worse. The Angels' outfielder landed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain on Sept. 7, but it only took two days for Los Angeles to move him to the 60-day IL. This effectively ends his 2024 season and potentially his tenure with the Halos.

Adell is arbitration eligible for the first time in 2025. Are his years with the Angels over? Adell has appeared in five MLB seasons with Los Angeles, collecting 38 home runs, a .211 batting average and 345 strikeouts in 308 games. It wasn't the most glamorous stretch among top Angels prospects, and this may be all there is to show for Adell.

Jo Adell has no standing with the Angels moving forward

The Halos head into the offseason with plenty of question marks, especially in the outfield. Mickey Moniak, similar to Adell, is entering his first year of arbitration next year. Moniak has produced more positive results, plays a more premium position, and still shows signs of growth. Moniak has 82 hits to Adell's 84, but has accumulated them in 15 fewer games with a slightly-better .225 average. It doesn't seem plausible that the Angels retain both Moniak and Adell moving forward.

The free agent pool of outfielders is loaded, and the Angels may want to get involved. Jurickson Profar, Mark Canha, and Tyler O'Neill are just a few names who will be in the open market this offseason. They aren't the biggest names available, making it more likely they sign with a club such as the Angels. If the Angels land another outfielder to platoon with Trout, Ward, and Moniak, then the Angels could outright cut Adell after Spring Training.

One other major concern regarding Adell is his health, he's hit the IL several times in his young career. He dealt with left oblique issues in 2023, too, so for this specific injury to come back is not a green flag in terms of penciling him in for a roster spot next year. Adell is an athletic player, but his athleticism does not seem to have a tangible outlet on the field. He gets caught stealing often, does not run the bases effectively, and plays poor outfield defense.

When Angels fans used to talk about trading Adell, it entailed packaging him with other prospects to land a big-name player. Now, it's whether or not they could even get a semi-promising prospect in exchange for a player who still theoretically has upside. The Angels' relationship with Adell has seen many ups and downs, and that's how they may leave it with the 2024 season ending soon.