The Angels announced a series of Spring Training cuts tonight, as outfielder Jo Adell, infielder Matt Thaiss, southpaw Jose Suarez, and right-hander Kyle Keller were all optioned.
None of the cuts were unexpected, though it is noteworthy that Adell put in a very strong showing at the plate, posting an 1.072 OPS over 25 Cactus League plate appearances. It would’ve likely taken an even bigger spring to convince the Angels to include Adell (who turns 22 in April) on the Opening Day roster, given how he missed an entire year of minor league development in 2020.
Adell didn’t hit well (.264/.321/.355) over 131 Triple-A plate appearances in 2019, his only taste of action at the highest minor league level. In a normal 2020, Adell would have gotten some more Triple-A experience under his belt and then received a promotion to the big league club, though the cancellation of the minor league season meant that Adell’s development was shifted to the Angels’ alternate training site. Adell did end up making his MLB debut, but with lackluster results — he hit just .161/.212/.266 with a whopping 55 strikeouts in 132 PA, and also didn’t look good in the outfield.
While some contractual considerations were undoubtedly at play considering Adell already had 153 days of Major League service time, an argument can certainly be made that Adell needs a bit more seasoning before his next appearance in an Angels uniform. Los Angeles has a pair of veterans (Justin Upton and Dexter Fowler) looking for bounce-back years in the corner outfield, with Taylor Ward, Jared Walsh, and minor league signings Jon Jay, Scott Schebler, and Juan Lagares all providing further depth and platoon opportunities on the grass. Adell and fellow top prospect Brandon Marsh are both expected to be called up at some point in 2021.
jdodson1822
You failed to mention how he’s taken steps back in the OF this spring which is probably the most concerning thing. He’s borderline unplayable right now
PapiElf
I wouldn’t say that someone who’s 21 years old is unplayable on defense, but he definitely isn’t looking to be at the level of a player who’s as young as he is and is as hyped as he is.
Halo11Fan
Papi and most 21 year old don’t have minor league seasons shut down. One by a serious injury and once by Covid. It blows my mind what people are expecting from this guy.
1984wasntamanual
Expecting a player to be competent in a corner outfield position…CRAZY expectation!
Halo11Fan
Expecting a 21 year old who has missed half of 2019 and started in A ball and then missing AAA 2020 to be good is crazy.
dave frost nhlpa
But other 21 year old players that missed just as much are pushing thru. It’s called coming to camp and being ready. He clearly didn’t.
Vizionaire
263/440/632 this spring says he was improving. he will spend a season in aaa he was due in ’20.
Halo11Fan
He also didn’t play much last or play in the Arizona fall league. Not playing baseball is not a good way to develop. Duh.
lemonlyman
@Dave Frost Can you name some of those 21 year olds for us please?
GarryHarris
Bobby Witt?
1984wasntamanual
Funny, I said competent in a corner outfield position and you replied expecting him to be good is crazy. Almost like you’re arguing a strawman because your original argument was so awful.
hossmandu
Huh?
Witt this spring (described in media as “Red Hot”)
.289/.325/.526 3HR 7RBI 0.851OPS
Adell this spring
.263/.440/.632 2HR 6RBI 1.072OPS
JoeBrady
Halo11Fan12 hours ago
It blows my mind what people are expecting from this guy.
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Which raises the question of why promote the guy in the first place?
Halo11Fan
Let me rephrase. We live in unprecedented times and somebody are trying to evaluate him based on past precedent. He’s played about 1 month each in A, AA, AAA and MLB ball. He’s had almost half a season thrown away with severe leg injuries, he’s had a complete minor league season lost due to COVID-19 and he was not able to play winter ball, yet many are judging him based on the same ol’ yardstick
I feel almost the same way about his chances as I did 12 months ago. If people’s opinions have changed, they need to get some perspective. I think people are nuts. Or they don’t know as much about this game as they think they know. Probably a little of both.
bkbkbkbk
This is also a new position for him dude. He’s shown high competence up until the shortened season last year.
Vizionaire
JoeBrady, it was just a stupid move in a losing season. it showed a lot for us. that he still needs to spend a season in minors and working on cutting down his swing. it seems his backswing has been cut down a bit already.
Halo11Fan
Vizion. I don’t think it was a stupid move. Because of the Angels wonderful bullpen and inept corner outfield play, they were dropping faster than Buddy Holly’s airplane.
They had to take a chance.
Halo11Fan
Right, because the 21 year old has played so much in the last year. The guy walked as many times as he struck out this spring. You people are nuts.
DarkSide830
i mean his greatest tools were supposed to be on offense. I dont think he would have been sent down if he was hitting even at a mediocre level.
Halo11Fan
If AAA wasn’t cancelled because of COVID he’d probably be the opening day RF. Do you or anyone else know how COVID affected minor league players last year?
Angels & NL West
Adell’s defensive problems are not because he missed a minor league season. Solid High School OFs track balls better than Adell. Defense is something that does not come naturally to him despite his tremendous athleticism.
Some people have it and some don’t. Adell does not appear to have a natural ability to track fly balls. He is trying to learn a skill that many are proficient at early in life.
That doesn’t mean he can’t learn it, but defensively, he appears to be well behind his peers.
Loling @ you
Halo will battle till he is blue in the face that adell is a star. Dude is a horrible fielder and hitter. Jabari blash is a close comp both in terms of swing and miss/power and in terms of underwhelming results defensively despite the athletic ability. I’d trade him as fast as possible for pitching.
Halo11Fan
You have a lot of experience with such things? Playing so little over two years and being rushed might have something to do with it. But you know. The baseball experts here should get a job in baseball.
Halo11Fan
Battle what. That you people are clueless.? In December it was obvious to anyone with a clue that this team signing Claudio singing was stupid, but you people who know so little about baseball didn’t see it.
And now you know the potential of a 21 year old player who was thrown into a unique baseball situation.
He started late in A ball in 2019 after two bad leg injuries and then his next start the following season is on the major.
Your ignorance is only exceeded by your arrogance.
dave frost nhlpa
Several. Nick Nelson is one. Jared Kalenic is another. The punk wasn’t ready. Deal with it.
Halo11Fan
The punk? The 21 year old wasn’t ready? Had AAA not been cancelled he might have been.
Vizionaire
are you a minor league coach or something?
brucebochyisthemarlboroman
If I may add two words… Mickey. Moniak.
User 355748524
Per statcast, Adell lost most of his value defensively due to taking bad routes. While understandable for a quickly ascending rookie, the lack of a high burst rate for a player with blazing fast speed is perplexing if not worrying.
Other then that, I personally think he ends up going the route of Byron Buxton, albeit ending up with more offensive bite but more defensive bark then the aforementioned player.
I do want to mention that spring training stats are as accurate for predicting what season a player will have as someone predicting the winning number for the lottery. Low chance of winning big, high chance of winning nothing.
lemonlyman
@Dave Frost Nick Nelson is 25. Kelenic has been hurt all spring. Keep trying.
Chester Copperpot
Kelenic has not been hurt all spring. He missed a week or so, he’s been playing very well actually. Hit his 2nd HR of the spring yesterday.
hossmandu
Nick Nelson is 25. No argument on Kalenic, he’s looked great this spring, but he’s also not played a single game of AAA ball.
Halo11Fan
So Jacob. He may not turn out to be any better in of than Bo Jackson. Disappointing, but so what?
sacball
Pretty sure he was in the major leagues all last year, I fail to see how this helps your argument…he got probably the best training being with the Major League club last year and he looked lost. Angels fans have hyped him like he was a Yankees prospect.
User 355748524
I don’t care how he turns out, as that is highly unlikely to have an effect me personally.
hossmandu
Moniak is a little more than a year older than Adell. He’s also not played a single AAA game. He’s had a great spring, but not that much better than Adell’s.
Halo11Fan
Really? So you are an expert at camps vs actual play? Who knew they were the same thing? And this actual camp was it filled with all the Angels great prospects? The competition must have been top notch.
I’m sure the games were battles.
HalosHeavenJJ
Also keep in mind he played pretty much exclusively CF until last year. Plenty of guys, Torii Hunter included, said picking up the spin off the bat is a lot different in a corner than in CF.
Yes I’m being optimistic, but a 20 year old trying to learn both big league pitching and a new defensive position is a lot. His approach at the plate looks leaps and bounds better this Spring than it did last September. He’s sitting on pitches that he used to flail at wildly.
Hopefully more reps in the corner outfield spots will help with those reads. If not, put the kid back in CF and on the trading block.
bkbkbkbk
This is wrong. He walked more than he K’d. You should feel bad about being lazy.
Dumpster Divin Theo
WALL!
davidkaner
You can trade him to the Tigers. Their entire OF is unplayable but they still need warm bodies out there. Is it 2024 yet?
despicable_you
Jamarcus Russell
DarkSide830
Jamarcus Russell = Mark Appel
609Collectibles
Jamarcus Russell, Akili Smith, Ryan Leaf are my top 3
David Barista
Fair enough, but Trubisky needs to be in the top 5
Dumpster Divin Theo
Except Trubisky was never hyped. He was just mediocre. And the Bears brain trust (oxymoron) whiffed big time.
hiflew
Trubisky is not even top 5 for just the Bears. Or have we forgotten Cade McNown? Or Curtis Enis? Or Kevin White? Or pre-Bengal Cedric Benson? Or Michael Haynes? And that is not even considering Rex Grossman.
1984wasntamanual
You leave Sexy Rexy out of this!
Sryphilz27
It could be said he wasn’t as great an outfielder to begin with and needs more work at it.
Halo11Fan
He’s played 1/2 of a minor league season in last two years. People need some perspective.
Loling @ you
More people have the correct view your just an outlier halo. 2 years from now when adell because the next bust you’ll blame the angels staff for poor management despite adell lacking true skills to be an every day big leaguer. The results in minors and majors tell the true story, can’t hit off speed…great athlete that can’t make reads.
Halo11Fan
I was an outlier with Claudio. Everyone who has a clue knows I was 100 percent correct. I was an outlier picking Aybar over Wood.
Adel has played half a minor league season in the last two years. Anyone who says he can’t do it based on such little playing time is clueless. If you knew anything about baseball you’d know making such a negative predictions based on such limited information is absurd.
So there is my position, you have no clue what he is incapable of doing on a baseball diamond. Neither do I, but I know enough about baseball to realize what I know and don’t know. You obviously don’t.
Cap & Crunch
Hmm, you were 100% right on Claudio and the season hasn’t begun yet?
That’s a touch odd Imo to claim today
SashaBanksFan
I think it’s in reference to the Claudio signing impacting any subsequent spring signings not necessarily how he performs during the season.
Halo11Fan
Yes Cap 100 correct, you solve your 8th and 7th inning problems before talking up a spot on your roster signing a situational left handed.
The Angels are praying they’ll find late inning options. Right now they don’t have any.
Halo11Fan
You are correct Sasha.
Cap & Crunch
Look a bullpen is made up of 10~12 guys working as a unit 162 games a year.
1 guy can hardly even affect a bullpen as a whole either way
Im assuming if the Angels Bp fails this year you already have the fall guy marked, and you’ll take that victory lap on Claudio as if somehow it was all his fault and if not for him Arte was going to magically grow a brain and go out and Get Josh Hader or something
Halo11Fan
Cap, you still don’t get it. Over a full season Buttrey and Mayers have never done it. Last year the hard hit rate against both is dangerously high. The Angels should have addressed that situation in the off season. It was an imbecilic gamble no matter how it works out
This should have been addressed before using a spot on a guy who can’t get RH out. The fact they didn’t told me there was a real possibility they were not going to address the issue
I’ve already been proven to be 100 percent right. Get it yet?
Halo11Fan
I wrote this in December. Go pull up the Claudio thread again. I was 100 Percent Correct.
‘In order for Claudio to be a good move, the Angels have to add a 7th and 8th inning BP guy. I don’t think the Angels are going to do that now.’
Cap & Crunch
Halo 11 I remember the thread and I disagree
I don’t come thru here much anymore but I feel your one of the few posters that can handle a constructive debate so I bit the apple
The Claudio signing has nothing to do with what they could have done after that…theres No correlation; there’s nothing for me to really get and I have tried to look at your perspective with untainted eyes, I just still disagree….
Halo11Fan
I reread the Claudio thread, you are a reasonable person.
You didn’t think there was a correlation, maybe not directly, but I thought it said a lot about their mindset.
The Angels had holes in their bullpen that needed to be addressed, when they used a valuable bullpen spot to sign that kind of RP, it suggested to me they didn’t think the 7th and 8th inning guys were a priority.
Since they didn’t do anything about the 7th or 8th inning, I’m not sure how anyone could argue I was wrong.
Cap & Crunch
Only positive I can add for you is that bullpens are beyond fickle….
Who knows when and where the next Scott Shields or Blake Parker pops up from ….if you reread it, Im sure you saw I am a fan of Buttery …. Angels have never really invested heavy in the bullpen and they have had some pretty under the radar good bullpens the last 15 years and Im sure many people had major questions before those seasons kicked off as well
All in all, this is the best staff the Angles have had for what 5~8 yrs? That should be a huge help for BP has I thought a big part of the problem stemmed from overuse the last 2~3 yrs in Ana
Halo11Fan
In 2001I loved Scot Shields. And to your point, I also thought Donnally was a joke.
Cap & Crunch
Lol cant blame ya…Donnally looked like a human rollie pollie on the mound (Do those things still exist?) …but yea strange things happen in the pen every year…I know that doesn’t bring much comfort today but there is hope –
Rps are easy to trade for as well….. HOU/OAK dont scare me one bit…Ana or Sea hoisting the Div crown should be realistic goals from both teams breaking camp… I really like Seas Sps but probably a year early for them but who knows…If Lewis and Haniger excel, Seager keeps last years pace they got a punchers chance imo
ccsabathiasliver
Trade him to the indians for some pitching please!!!
bot
He broke out the same time Bauer ended up being a red. That would have been perfect for angels ! Trade him for Bauer then be in driving seat to resign him.
Instead Adell lost all his value and Bauer ended up on a stacked WS champ dodgers team. Angels blew it for their fans, city, and every non dodger fan in baseball. Thanks Angels !
ccsabathiasliver
trade him for plesac or something
DarkSide830
honestly Plesac is worth more. more proven and pitching as good as he is is hard to come by. and I say that as an Adell defender.
Halo11Fan
Don’t become a scout.
sportsgenius
Please who had a good 8 start season last year and an ok 2019 for a guy who was #2 prospect last year, many if not most stars struggle initial call up, especially when called up being on practice squad
Halo11Fan
He’s 26 years old, pitched in the most pitcher friendly schedule in years and doesn’t miss bats.
1984wasntamanual
So he’d be the Angels’ #1?
Loling @ you
That’s what they said about luis urias 4 years later he is on another team and still can’t hit.
sportsgenius
So just gonna give up on a guy at age 20 with that much potential. We can go back and forth on guys who struggled and then became elite and guys who busted, Adell has perennial all star talent and is only 20, you don’t just trade him away like that for what looks to be just a good pitcher with no high upside
Brewer67
Rizzo comes to mind as one who struggled then turned it around
amanateeamongmen
Baltimore will happily hand over another mediocre pitcher or two in exchange for the pleasure of once again fleecing the Angels out of a rated prospect.
Ohtani-san
Lmfao…
“lackluster results — he hit just .161/.212/.266”
That’s one way to describe it hahaha
Halo11Fan
He was horrible last year and should have been in AAA. Do you think COVID and the Angels needed something had anything to with him being rushed? Perspective people!!!
jima-2
Mediocre at the plate, and basically unable to play right field. Needs work, and AAA is where he belongs at this point. I’m an Angels fan and watch nearly every day. Not ready to give up on him, but I’m having trouble seeing where this kid’s reputation comes from.
Angels & NL West
Jim, good points. As an Angels fan, I also hope Adell succeeds.
Regarding Adell’s reputation, I feel like it was built more on his upside and athleticism than his actual performance.
Baseballer2021
Why is everybody hating on this kid? He’s only 21! Give him a chance, haters!
1984wasntamanual
Because he was very bad. It’s not “hating” on someone to say that.
Halo11Fan
He was horrible. But no one seems to understand the situation. He wasn’t in AAA and the Angels had perhaps the worst corner outfielders in baseball. They threw him to the wolves. There was no Arizona fall league this year. There was no AAA last year, and he missed about half of minor league baseball in 2019.
If anyone can scout that and say with confidence he can’t do x or y or z, they don’t know anything about this game.
If he plays everyday in AAA and still sucks… fine
And if he was such a bad outfielder, why are people just now figuring this out? The reason is he probably wasn’t a bad outfielder when he was playing everyday.
1984wasntamanual
What are you talking about? He’s graded as a 40/45 field and a 40/40 throw by Fangraphs, that IS bad. For someone who spends so much effort defending Adell, it’s interesting that you aren’t aware of that.
Halo11Fan
Have I really defended the defense of a left fielder? That’s number 7 of 8 on the defensive spectrum.
1984wasntamanual
Are you being purposely obtuse, or do you not read what you post?
“And if he was such a bad outfielder, why are people just now figuring this out? The reason is he probably *wasn’t a bad outfielder* when he was playing everyday.”
prov356
halo11 – The minor league season was canceled for everyone, not just Adell. So it’s an even playing field for everyone in his situation. Debuting him in 2020 was a disservice to him and has prompted all of the negative comments and questions about his actual ability. You can argue that he is normally a center fielder I guess. But the way he plays RF, I can’t imagine he plays an above average CF.
I would keep him in AAA all season and revisit his progress next Spring at the earliest. It’s only fair to him at this point.
Halo11Fan
1984… that was my big defense? Scouts were not talking about him being a poor outfielder? Are you purposely being obvious. I just read fangraphs scouting report. They Never mention that he was a bad outfielder. And it’s listed as 45 5o
Halo11Fan
Marsh was listed as 50/50
prov356
BTW his last defensive blunder was while he was playing CF when he missed the ball and it bounced over the fence for a GRD…I know…he lost it in the sun.
Halo11Fan
A year ago, Adell upside was rater 50, the same as Marsh.
I’m paying so little attention to last year data.
Adell has played 38 games in the last year and a half. i think people are reading far too much into this.
Let me know how you feel about him in 3 months.
1984wasntamanual
If you go to his player page, it’s 40/45. Do they need to talk about him being a poor outfielder if they grade him as a poor defender? I hope you stretched before the mental gymnastics you’re doing to defend him.
1984wasntamanual
I’m not even necessarily saying he’s doomed, but the type of player that he is, is so reliant on a truly special bat to produce value that he already has a high bust potential, add that on to the very troubling showing he had I believe it’s enough for legitimate concern about his big league future, even if he is young.
You continue to ignore facts that are provided to you and make things up, or fall back on, “he’s young and missed time”, but that doesn’t go far enough, for me at least, to offset how awful he really was.
prov356
1984 – I agree. Everybody at his level missed time. 2020 was not unique to Adell. In fact, he had a better opportunity than most because he got playing time due to his premature debut. At 21, he should at least show a raw talent that needs to be coached properly. He hasn’t even shown that. To the contrary, he looks completely lost on defense whether he’s in RF or CF. I think he should spend all of 2021 in AAA even if he turns everything around. We should check his progress next spring and decide from there. He should not wear an Angels uniform this year in my opinion. I hope he becomes the RF of the future for us.
Halo11Fan
I think you missed my point. Didn’t I write about his scouting report? I never read about him being a bad outfielder and just one year ago they rated his defensive potential as high as Marsh.
So what changed? A handful of games in the major leagues?
I’m not doing any gymnastics. I don’t have to. I feel almost the same way I felt about him as a year ago. Why on earth would anyone change their opinion about him based on what happened last year?
No hoops, consistent.
I don’t know what your opinion of him was a year ago, but why would you change it? I think he’ll do very well in AAA and be up again after a couple months of everyday playing time.
prov356
Again, Halo, it sounds like you are treating 2020 like it affected Adell in a vacuum. Everyone was affected equally so it is a fair assessment. He has not shown the talent and baseball instincts to live up to the hype. I hope he turns it around but he looks lost on defense and offense. Again, 2020 was not unique to Adell.
Halo11Fan
You know lots of 20 year old AAA players who had two months above A ball that were thrust into the major leagues? He may not be unique, but if not, he’s darn close. The last time he played everyday he was 20.
You given up on Lux as well?
My opinion on Lux hasn’t changed and compared to Adell, Lux is a veteran.
prov356
Halo11 – I haven’t given up on Adell. And I didn’t say he wasn’t a unique talent. You misrepresented what I’ve been saying. I said his situation wasn’t unique as every player in baseball experienced the same 2020 season. He very well may be a unique talent. All I and others are saying is his talent hasn’t been obvious based on the eye test. He needs a full year in AAA and then the Angels reevaluate him next Spring in my opinion.
Don’t get so fixated that you can’t consider or at least acknowledge other viewpoints.
JoeBrady
Halo11Fan9 hours ago
My opinion on Lux hasn’t changed and compared to Adell,
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I think it is smart to not give up on either.
I think it is extremely shortsighted to not change opinions. I liked Lux as much as anyone. But he had a 24/7 K/W in 2019, a 19/6 in 2020, and a 9/2 in ST.
I would still trade for either of those two guys, but I would value them as can’t-miss top-5 prospects. Was anyone better than Brandon Wood?
Halo11Fan
What 20 year old who started A ball in June of 2019 do you want me to compare him to. He seems unique to me
Seems unique to me.
prov356
Halo11 – Was that in response to me? If so, please read my comment again.
Halo11Fan
I liked Aybar better than Brandon Wood, so you are talking to the wrong guy. Sean Rodriguez out hit Brandon Wood at AAA.
As far as any young kid with limited time in the minors, I’m not smart enough to understand how being promoted to the big leagues after not playing games for close to a year.might affect their play Who is? And if you you don’t know how to apply data ,then what’s the point trying to apply it? People are judging this based on business as normal. It’s not
Halo11Fan
Prov. Yes it was directed at you. What 19 year old started A ball in June and then started playing major league ball in July the next year only playing two months of ball above A ball.
That makes him unique. Since no season has been delayed 4 months, and the minor leagues have never been shut down, that makes him unique, There is no precedent. I don’t know why people think they can judge this based on the past. They can’t. Well they can can, just not accurately.
prov356
Halo11 – I don’t know why that matters in this discussion because I have always said in every comment that it was a disservice to him for the Angels to promote him in 2020. That aside, he’s still a professional ball player who looks lost at his position and at the plate. I think overall we agree, except I don’t see the talent that has been advertised. Have you seen it? I’m not talking about inexperience. I’m talking about talent.
The game of baseball is the same in A, AA, AAA and MLB. On several occasions, it has looked like it’s all new to him. Maybe 2020 was nerves and 2021 ST is him trying too hard to impress. He’s very young and has a lot to live up to. I hope that alleged talent starts to emerge. I am cautiously optimistic on him.
Halo11Fan
He didn’t look lost at the plate to me. Lost is when you swing at the rosin bag. He didn’t chase, he was and is working with a new swing and couldn’t put his bat head on the ball. Two different things.
As far as defense, he looked horrible. Nothing I read about him indicated that he was a poor defender, so could not playing have something to do with it? I don’t know and you don’t know. Do you think defense is the same at all levels. Because of exit velocity, the PCL, minor and major leagues are three different things..
So basically, 1 month of A ball, 1 month of AA, ball, 1 month of AAA ball and then the major leagues. I think people are reading way too much into it. If fangraphs didn’t rate his defense potential equal to Marsh, and he struggled like this, then you might have a point. 2020 scouting, they both maxed out at 50.
JoeBrady
Halo11Fan3 hours ago
What 19 year old started A ball in June and then started playing major league ball in July the next year only playing two months of ball above A ball.
==========================================================================
Exactly my point. It just isn’t done. And shouldn’t have been done.
Halo11Fan
Joe, are you an Angel fan? Prior to Adell being brought up, Upton might have been the worst player in baseball and the production the Angels were getting out of RF was not much better. The Angels had to take the chance…they needed something.
Every team would have brought him up hoping he was ready. The Angels are hoping their bullpen is good enough. The difference is, the outfield caught them off balance last year, there was no reason the bullpen should have caught the Angels off balance this year.
Desperate times cause for desperate measures.
its_happening
Joe doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand that in the pandemic, in a shortened season, and even if it wasn’t a shortened season it was fine for the Angels to give Adell some major league at bats and give him a taste. Now he (should) know what is expected of him. Without that experience he’d think he’s ready for the show. Now, not so much.
If the Angels were in-contention last year, fine, do not call Adell up. They weren’t. It was a perfect, no-pressure spot to play alongside Trout and grow from the experience. If Adell is somehow shell-shocked then that is on him.
There is more to baseball than analytics. Maybe some should get the hint.
JoeBrady
In that case, why not invite up all your prospects?
JoeBrady
Halo11Fan7 hours ago
Desperate times cause for desperate measures.
======================================================
Not a big fan of that philosophy. It feels a bit like the Reds, just making it up as they go along.
Halo11Fan
You have no idea what was going on in Anaheim last year. Why do you come on a thread about a team and situation you know nothing about?
The people here were not doing the job. The Angels did not want to throw away another year. And gambled they could catch lightning in a bottle. They had baseball prospectus #2 prospect and they rolled the dice. It was their best chance.
You really shouldn’t go on threads and expose your ignorance. I tried to explain the situation and you still don’t get it.
JoeBrady
As long as I was right, and the Angels were wrong, that’s all I care about.
It’s also worth noting that the FO now agrees with me that Adell needs more seasoning.
prov356
Joe – I don’t know of a single person who argued that Adell should be in the majors to start 2021. So congratulations, you are in the 100%.
JoeBrady
And there was no reason to start him in the majors in 2020 either. He’s basically the same player he was last year.
prov356
Yes, and everyone agrees he shouldn’t have been debuted last year too.
old ranger
Could become another Jim Eisenreich. All the tools but becomes a head case due to performance anxiety.
Rsox
Eisenreich actually suffered from tourette syndrome.
It’s far too soon to give up on Adell but taking one step forward offensively and two steps back defensively should be somewhat concerning for the Angels. Definitely something they will need to monitor when the minor league season gets underway.
jmac70
You guys are ridiculous. not every prospect comes up and has immediate success. Mike Trout hit .220 his 1st chance in the majors and he had 300 more plate appearances than Adell
Loling @ you
He was also 19 not 21. Trout also hit 400 in minors consecutive seasons compared to adell who posted a meager 275 with a bunch or strike outs.
1984wasntamanual
In his first 135 PAs Trout had a wRC+ of 87, Adell 29. Trout was worth .7 fWAR, Adell -1.3. The only thing that’s ridiculous is people that keep trying to throw out comps for other players that struggled, but being too lazy to look into it and see it doesn’t actually support their point.
darkstar61
Big difference; Trout hit fair (around a 90 wRC+/OPS+), Adell was absolutely, unplayabley atrocious (around a 30 wRC+/OPS+)
But there may be a bigger issue, and it comes in just how similar the path Adell is on to the one of Trout
Trout
.403/.467/.623/1.091, 179 wRC+ – AAA
.220/.281/.390/.672, 87 wRC+ – 1st ML
(wRC+ was little less than 1/2 what it was in AAA)
.326/.399/.564/.963, 167 wRC+ – 2nd ML
.304/.418/.582/1.000, 172 wRC+ – career
(Averaging within 10 points of his AAA wRC+ since)
Adell
.264/.321/.355/.676, 67 wRC+ – AAA
.161/.212/.266/.478, 29 wRC+ – 1st ML
(wRC+ a little less than 1/2 his AAA one)
So, if Adell follows the exact same path as Trout did, then we should expect a roughly 55 wRC+ (around a 600 OPS) in his sophomore season, and a 10 year career with around a 55-65 wRC+ (about a 600-650 OPS)
So I would not point to Trout as a comparison for Adell. If he follows the Trout path he is an absolute bust. He needs to improve way more than Trout did, despite being on a basically identical path so far
Vizionaire
so you look at a stat for developing player and know the future?
darkstar61
Huh? You talking to me?
I was replying to a guy saying basically “look at Trout” in defense of Adell
I said Trout in his first year was just short of 50% of the production he showed in AAA
I then pointed out Adell was also just short of 50% what he was in AAA
Trout went on to be about 10 wRC+ off his AAA value in his 2nd season, and has averaged within 10 overall since
So if Adell continues to follow the same exact path as Trout, he will be about a 55-65 wRC+ player
Leading to the last line that says, people better hope Adell improves dramatically more than Trout did because if he continues to follow his path, Adell will bust in spectacular fashion
SugaMonkey
Still waiting on Howie Kendrick to win that batting title!
bucketbrew35
He won a WS instead.
DarkSide830
he did hit .344 in 2019 just didnt get enough ABs.
Angels & NL West
I want to see the Angels succeed. To do so, it will help if Adell performs at a high level in the future or he is traded for a young, controllable high upside SP1 or SP2.
I’m happy to go in either direction so long as the Angels benefit long term from drafting and developing a top prospect like Adell.
Vizionaire
what team is going to trade #1 or2 pitcher for adell at this point if he is as bad as you say he is? no logic!
Angels & NL West
You may have missed the “young, controllable, high upside” part.
Vizionaire
Even worse! try writing letters to 29 teams asking if they are willing to trade one of those.
NO LOGIC!
Angels & NL West
You may have missed the point. Focus on the big picture, not a specific return for Adell in the hypothetical trade.
Again, I would like for the Angels to succeed. If Adell develops into the player we all hope for, that will be beneficial to the Angels. Alternatively, if they trade Adell and the player the Angels receive does well, it will also help the Angels. Either way, I’m happy because it means the Angels are better.
In both scenarios, the Angels successfully capitalized on a player they drafted and developed.
halofaninmn
I think Marsh is a far better player, and should be ahead of Adell in the pecking order. I think if the halos could flip him for pitching, I’d do it in a second. Although Adell hasn’t done much to boost his trade value any.
Loling @ you
Been saying this, for awhile. Marsh has better reads, better arm, and high obp. Adell has more pop but makes less contact.
Deleted_User
Trade him before the other GM’s realize he’s a bust
bot
Too late
bot
Another classic of example of ALWAYS trading away your prospects at peak value!!! Adell blew up and hit top 10- should have unloaded him right then. Since that moment Adell has lost well over 10,000,000 in prospect value maybe up to 3x that number. He could have been a centerpiece for any star on the trade market yet now hes untradable and angels only hope is to rebuild his value in minors and keep him. They blew it ! Just like every other team who watches these guys stock plummet.
And this is extra terrible for angels who have spent a bagillon dollars in free agency. An Adell/Marsh package with a couple other pieces could have netted you potentially Luis Castillo or a like player who’s elite yet inexpensive
bucketbrew35
Bot wins with the biggest overreaction post of the entire thread.
DarkSide830
yeah, too bad the Angels didnt trade Trout at peak value. that would have really helped their team. /s
bot
Trout, the 25th pick, earned his spot as #1 ranked prospect by consistently dominating the minors for a very brief stent. Then went on to rise in value. His peak would have been a year before arb 1. Not when he was #1 prospect.
Many others it was given their top prospect ranking instead of earning. And when given- it’s ALWAYS a the peak of their value
Adell had 2 excellent months. That’s a blink of eye in baseball terms
Rogers from Colorado
Every top twin prospect in past decade
Hunter Greene
Joey Bart
Gavin Lux
Urias
Whitley
Vlad Jr
And on and on and on the list goes.
californiaangels
a guy who cant play outfield and cant hit sent to the minors??? shocker
Halo11Fan
A guy who has two months above AAA, who has played four months of baseball in the last two years sent to AAA, shocker.
KENNETH A LICHTIG
Convert him to a First Baseman.
whyhayzee
Amazing to see the “opinions” on Jo Adell. I can only comment that he’s a good guy based on my nephew’s input. They’re in the Angels system together. Will he be a great player? Will my nephew make it to the major leagues? I don’t know either of those answers. But I’m willing to wait and see on both of them. You should be, too. We don’t need “opinions”, we just need to wait and see. Unless you already know. Then it’s ok.
metvibes
Too soon to say he will be a bust but he’s on the right track. He makes jose martinez look like a gold glove outfielder.
metvibes
Look guys give him a chance “Adell is only 22, and in 10 years he has a chance to be 32.”
Halo11Fan
Reading Ball Four?
JoeBrady
I said this last year, but what were the Angels thinking when they promoted him last year?
Adell wasn’t just bad in AAA, he might have been the single worst player in AAA. I think there were 13 guys on his team with a better OPS and more ABs. Did they think, “Okay, he’s a poor leftfielder, with -0- HRs, with a 43/10 K/W, in a hitters paradise, so he should be our starting leftfielder”?
Can someone explain that to me?
Halo11Fan
Adell played 27 games in AAA and might have been the youngest player in the league. He started the year in A ball
JoeBrady
Exactly!
So why did they promote him and waste 153 days of service time?
nailz#4life
I’m now having flashbacks to Todd Van Popple and Brien Taylor. ugggggg
Rsox
Van Poppel was a decent Reliever
Joe Ferguson
Scouts fall in love with body types and often ignore the ability to actually play the game. Adell is an example of that. They do the same with pitchers. A kid that is 6’3″ and throws 96 but can’t get anyone out will always get signed before someone who get’s outs but is 5’11” and throws 90.
Halo11Fan
He tore it up in A and AA ball and was one of the youngest players wherever he played. Yeah, that’s another thing scouts love. And he did that coming off a major injury… another thing scouts love.
JoeBrady
There is still a lot to like. He clearly should not have been promoted. That’s all there is to it.
Vizionaire
so many troll experts!
its_happening
It is only time to panic if Adell scuffles in AAA in 2021 (assuming he’s in AAA). Until then it’s not time to start writing him off as a bust or a never-will-be.
Halo11Fan
Guest, you are 100% correct. These talent evaluator experts should at least wait until he gets a half season in at AAA.
its_happening
Jays brought up a guy from Single-A last year to get his feet wet in Alejandro Kirk. Both he and Adell had different experiences. But, to Kirk’s credit, the experience taught him that he needed to lose weight and he cut at least 30 pounds and probably needs to cut another 20. For Adell, you hope he learned some things during his time in the show last year and he builds on that. Had the Angels not brought him up he wouldn’t know how much he needs to improve his game and where.
I tell baseball buddies all the time that Trout’s 2011 experience was so good for him and his career.
JoeBrady
WereAllJustGuestsHere29 mins ago
Had the Angels not brought him up he wouldn’t know how much he needs to improve his game and where.
======================================================================
He had a 43/10 K/W in AAA. What else do you need to know? And the Angel FO should’ve known this. He went from a 43/10 in AAA to 55/7 in the pros. You could almost predict the 55/7 from the 43/10.
Halo11Fan
Joe, I guess they should have known, but they were equally desperate.
its_happening
That is for Adell to figure out. You might like treating professionals with a rec league mentality, the Angels did not. This experience won’t show up on your computer as analytics cannot measure maturity or intangibles. But a message was sent to Adell, and he’ll have to answer the call in due time.
Vizionaire
well, all the ohtani-is-bust trolls have turned their dirty fingers to adell. it’s just natural!
Halo11Fan
Vizion exactly.