Yes, the Angels have invested a ton in Adell, and his 37 home run season would be difficult to fill, but I think the front office needs to be honest with themselves.
How much do they truly believe in Adell’s 2025 season? The batted-ball data was elite, and I think he’s more than established his power in the league. But the strikeouts were still rough, the swing decisions didn’t improve enough, and defense continues to be a problem.
The Angeles have avoided trading these types of players in the past, and it is part of the reason their farm system is struggling. With two more seasons of team control, do they really want to tie money up by signing Adell to a long-term deal? Does he fit the current window? I don’t think so.
Capitalizing on his career year and moving him at his peak value in order to improve the system is the more responsible route. The reason the Angeles are where they are is because they too often took the less-responsible route. Let someone else find out who he truly is as a player and cash in.
Add a Veteran Starter
Assuming Grayson Rodriguez is good to go, the Angeles have a rotation consisting of Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, Grayson Rodriguez, Reid Detmers, and some combination of young arms filling out the fifth spot.
While I usually lean toward young arms in a non-completive year, I think too many of these options need more time in the minors.