Orioles Sign Former Angels Top Prospect Jordyn Adams to Minor League Deal

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The Baltimore Orioles have signed outfielder Jordyn Adams to a minor league contract, FanSided’s Robert Murray reported Friday morning.
Adams, who turned 25 years old earlier this offseason, was the Los Angeles Angels’ first round pick back in 2018.
Despite that pedigree, the Angels designated Adams for assignment in November. They couldn’t find a trade partner to take him, so he was ultimately non-tendered and sent into free agency.
Adams will now join the Orioles for their major league Spring Training camp in 2025.
The Orioles have signed outfielder Jordyn Adams to a minor-league deal, source says. Adams, 25, was the Angels’ first round pick in the 2018 draft. He gets an invite to spring training.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 20, 2024
Adams was the No. 3 prospect in the Angels’ farm system entering both the 2020 and 2021 seasons before dropping to No. 7 in 2022 and No. 30 in 2023.
The outfielder performed admirably in his first taste of Triple-A action, though, batting .268 with 15 home runs, 67 RBI, 44 stolen bases and an .816 OPS in 109 games at that level in 2023. That earned him Adams first MLB promotion, and he proceeded to hit .128 with a .253 OPS and -0.7 WAR across 17 big league contests down the stretch.
While Adams started in the minors again in 2024, he returned to the majors for another 11 games in September. He recorded hit first MLB home run and stole two bases, batting .229 with a .604 OPS and -0.2 WAR.
Adams’ success in Triple-A had tapered off, however, as he finished the season with a .261 batting average, 10 home runs, 58 RBI, 28 stolen bases and a .719 OPS in 123 games.
Barring a Spring Training explosion, Adams is set to serve as organizational depth for the Orioles.
Veteran Cedric Mullins, AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Colton Cowser and free agent acquisition Tyler O’Neill are slated to make up Baltimore’s starting outfield, while top prospect Heston Kjerstad has Dylan Beavers, Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Vance Honeycutt coming up behind him in the farm system. Adams could get a chance here or there to show off his speed, but the Orioles’ numerous young outfielders might prevent him from fully reviving his career in Baltimore.
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Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.
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