Guardians Make Second Move Of 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, Land Right-Handed Outfielder

After making a move to add talent to the bullpen on Saturday, the Guardians have added a right-handed bat with Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels joining the organization.

Jul 24, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell (7) celebrates a single in the top of the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Guardians will not stand pat at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.

After making a trade to acquire a right-handed, reliable reliever in Craig Yoho on Saturday, the front office has gone out and addressed the hitting concerns.

On Monday, August 3, just hours before the trade deadline hit, the front office went out and snagged right-handed outfielder Jo Adell from the Los Angeles Angels. The move strengthens the team's lineup and also gives them a righty that can be counted on.

The #Guardians have traded for Jo Adell from the Angels. #GuardsBall

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) August 3, 2026

Across the last seven seasons, Adell has been working to become a more consistent bat for the Angels, steadily progressing to a mid-.200s bat.

This season, the 27-year-old owns a .239/.287/.395 slash line for an OPS of .682. He also has 16 doubles, one triple and 16 home rnus for 62 RBI. He has drawn 16 walks to 108 strikeouts, replicating the efforts of Cleveland's own Angel Martinez.

While the two will pair up nicely in the outfield together, with Chase DeLauter and Steven Kwan splitting the other time in the open grass, Adell gives Cleveland a chance to get more productivity against left-handed pitchers. For a team that loves platooning, he fits the mold perfectly.

If he can start to come back around and showcase the 2025 form that made him so special, a year in which he hit 37 home runs, the Guardians' investment will have paid off tenfold.

After all, the Guardians only had to give up prospect catcher Jacob Cozart.

Cozart, a 23-year-old former second-round pick in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft, has spent much of the last two seasons with the Double-A Akron Rubberducks. This season, across 79 games, he slashed .239/.330/.384 for an OPS of .714.

He has the potential to be something special, but with so much catcher talent already in the system for the Guardians, moving him now to land someone like Adell makes a ton of sense.

The only task now for the front office is to extend him, as he is arbitration-eligible for the 2027 campaign before becoming a free agent in 2028.

With the chance for a lockout coming in 2027, those negotiations are going to get complex very fast.

For now, though, the Guardians make a move that helps put them in a better spot if they truly believe they can compete for a spot in the World Series.

The only question now: are the Guardians done?