The Englishman announced a series of Spring Training cuts as an outside player tonight Jo Adell, attacker Matt Thaiss, suidpoot Jose Suareza right hand Kyle Keller were all selected.
None of the cuts were unexpected, but it is noteworthy that Adell made a very strong performance on the board and placed a 1,072 OPS over 25 Cactus League records. It would probably have taken an even bigger spring to convince the Englishman to include Adell (who turns 22 in April) in the opening day list, as he missed a full year of minor league development in 2020.
Adell did not do well (.264 / .321 / .355) on 131 Triple-A record appearances in 2019, his only taste of action at the highest minor level. In a normal 2020, Adell would have mastered a few more Triple-A experiences and then received a promotion to the major league club, although the cancellation of the minor league season meant that Adell’s development towards the English alternatives practice site has moved. Eventually Adell made his MLB debut, but with poor results – he only hit .161 / .212 / .266 with a whopping 55 strokes in 132 PA, and also did not look good in the outfield.
Although some contractual considerations were undoubtedly underway, as Adell had already served 153 days in the Major League, an argument could certainly be made that Adell needed a little more spice before appearing in an English uniform again. Los Angeles has some veterans (Justin Upton and Dexter Fowler) looking for rebounds in the corner field, with Taylor Ward, Jared Walsh, and minor league signings Jon Jay, Scott Schebler, en Juan Lagares all offer further depth and peloton opportunities on the grass. Adell and co-prospect Brandon Marsh both are expected to be called up at some point in 2021.