The Angels might've traded away their only Silver Slugger candidate for 2026

Okay, fine, calling Jo Adell a Silver Slugger candidate requires a fair amount of squinting. His numbers with the Los Angeles Angels weren’t particularly special, and his career has been a lot more about what could have been than what is. But in a small sample with Cleveland, Adell has put up solid numbers. The fact that he never really reached that potential makes shipping him to Cleveland sting a bit more than it probably should.

Whatever his flaws, Adell is the closest thing other than Mike Trout this roster had to a bat capable of catching a hot streak and forcing his way into an awards conversation. Now that he’s gone, it’s pretty easy to wonder if anyone left can say the same.

The move obviously made sense. It was part of a broader sell-off initiated by John Mozeliak. He inherited a roster going nowhere and traded off a good chunk of it to build for the future. Adell was traded for Jacob Cozart to get back a catcher the system desperately needed. It’s a perfectly fine trade on paper, but it still leaves a mark on a fan base that’s seen multiple potential impact bats moved this year alone. 

Jo Adell might have been the Angels' best hope for a Silver Slugger and that is just sad

Before the trade, Adell had some counting stats with 16 home runs, 16 doubles, and 62 RBIs across 111 games. Those numbers came with a slash line of .239/.387/.395 that was probably closer to replacement level than award-worthy. The early returns in Cleveland match what the Angels saw for much of his tenure. He has elite bat speed that work when it works. But it doesn’t always work. He’s a flawed player, but compared to his former teammates, he looks a lot better.

Trout is one of the exceptions, putting together a solid overall year, though obviously not what he once was. But Trout lost some time this summer, which cost him some counting stats. Zach Neto matched Adell’s power, but his other numbers combined with a slew of strong shortstops in the AL make his Silver Slugger case a non-starter. Nolan Schanuel has shown flashes, but not anywhere near enough. None of it adds up to a real threat, and that’s before remembering their already traded another solid all-around outfielder before the season.

The previous front office leadership traded Taylor Ward to Baltimore in a deal that brought Grayson Rodriguez to Anaheim. The return looked even better once Ward signed his 2026 tender, but they still traded arguably their most complete hitter. Then, a few months later, they moved Adell, the guy with the highest ceiling behind him. Nobody is arguing with the trades or the direction. 

Again, this doesn’t mean they were wrong. Because they weren’t. Rebuilding around pitching and reloading the farm system is the right strategy for any rebuilding team, and the Angels haven’t even sniffed the playoffs since the Royals swept them aside in 2014. Trout’s health issues, which have included an IL stint this year, are a reminder that can’t even rely on one of the best of all time to end a playoff drought. 

Strategy and sting don’t always work together. Somewhere between the prospects acquired and looking to 2028 and beyond, the Angels quietly took their best chance at some hardware in 2026 and sent it to Cleveland. Adell was clearly never a lock for a Silver Slugger, but he might have been the only guy with a real chance. It’s a shame that’s what is being said about a big league team in August, but here we are. The hope is that the return makes everyone forget about how bad it’s gotten.

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