The missed Phillies trade target that stings the most headed into stretch run

It would be unfair to characterize the Philadelphia Phillies' trade deadline as unproductive. The club acquired key pieces like Luis Arraez and Brooks Raley, who will certainly help down the stretch. With that said, one key itch went unscratched: the need for a right-handed hitting outfielder.

The Phillies can try to sell the defensive shuffle that thrusts Bryce Harper back into right field as a solution, but it's really not. Not only has playing the outfield caused knee pain for Harper, but it was not a necessary move to fit Arraez into the lineup.

Moreover, we're talking about a pair of left-handed hitters in Arraez and Harper, and what Philadelphia really needed to add was pop from the right side. Phillies' right-handed hitters have posted a league-worst .658 OPS through August 26. They also rank dead last in slugging at .369, and rank 24th in homers with 60.

Jo Adell was one rumored target who would have solved these needs. Instead, Dave Dombrowski decided not to make a play for the former Los Angeles Angel, and he wound up with the Cleveland Guardians.

Since heading to Cleveland, Adell has provided the Guardians, another team with absolutely woeful power production from its right-handed bats, with the kind of pop that can really make a difference.

In his first 20 games since the trade, Adell is hitting .230/.318/.459 with four homers. In that time, the 27-year-old has driven in an impressive 18 runs.

Jo Adell would have given the Phillies exactly what they needed and potentially more

Adell has been a frustrating figure throughout his career. At one point, he was considered one of the very best prospects in baseball, but he failed to launch for years thanks to a combination of injuries and inconsistencies.

Eventually, he settled in as a strikeout-prone power hitter. His 2025 campaign saw him crush a career-high 37 dingers, but his whiff-happy tendencies kept him to a paltry .293 on-base percentage. In the field, the six-foot-two, 215-pound athletic specimen actually graded out as a poor defender, as his lack of baseball instincts hindered his natural abilities.

With the Angels this year, he managed just a 90 wRC+ and, three-homer-robbery game aside, graded out as a subpar defender. In all, he produced a replacement-player-esque 0.1 fWAR over 111 games in Anaheim.

With all that in mind, it might seem like the Phillies dodged a bullet with Adell and that his current performance is just a temporary hot streak that will soon come to an end. But there might be more than meets the eye. Adell and the Guardians recently traveled to Anaheim to take on the Angels, and the powerful outfielder had some interesting things to say about his time as an Angel.

“I turned into a man and a big leaguer in the Angels organization. I got a chance to grow up and find who I was as a player. It’s really a full-circle moment to be here and be on the other side and playing this group,” Adell told reporters.

That brings up some interesting things to ponder. For one, the Angels have been one of the worst organizations at developing young talent in the league. More importantly, though, Adell's journey matters.

A first-round pick out of Ballard High School in Kentucky back in 2017, Adell was rushed to the big leagues in 2020 as the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. He clearly wasn't ready, striking out 41.7% of the time over 38 games.

Adell, as a prospect, had a ceiling as a five-tool player and was clearly hurried along and struggled under the weight of those expectations. Now, with the time to mature and in a new environment, he could finally realize that potential as he begins his prime. With team control through next season, it would have been worthwhile to see if that happens over the course of a full year outside of the Angels' dysfunction.

One way or another, Adell could've righted a specific wrong on the Phillies' roster, while potentially turning into a much more impactful player in a new organization. Either outcome would've been acceptable for Philadelphia, and ultimately, it's clear that the team missed the boat.

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