Reds should view Angels as the perfect trade partner with Winter Meetings underway

There's no doubt that the Cincinnati Reds front office was a little bummed after watching the Baltimore Orioles pull off an early-offseason trade with the Los Angeles Angels last month. The O's swooped in and swung a deal for Angels' outfielder (and Ohio native) Taylor Ward, taking one of the Reds' prime trade targets off the board.

Many Reds fans saw Ward as the perfect compliment to a roster that was severely lacking power last season. Ward, who is entering his final year of team control, smashed 36 home runs in 2025 while posting a .475 slugging percentage and a 117 wRC+. That's the type of output Cincinnati needs in the middle of their batting order heading into 2026.

But while Ward may be off the board, another Angels' outfielder might still be available this offseason. Jo Adell, who bested Ward in the home run department last season with 37 bombs, could be had if the price is right. Based on what the Halos are looking for in a trade, the Redlegs may be the perfect trade partner with the Winter Meetings set to begin this week.

Angels' OF Jo Adell could be the perfect Reds' trade target at the Winter Meetings

Adell, a former first-round draft pick of the Angels back in 2017, finally lived up to the hype in 2025. For years, Adell was seen as a can't miss prospect, but after toiling in the minors longer than most scouts assumed he would, his elevation to the big leagues in 2020 was met disastrous results. Adell was yo-yo'd back and forth between the major and minors leagues from 2020-2023 and hit just .214/.259/.366 across 178 total games.

He showed a little bit of life in 2024, hitting 20 homers with a 91 wRC+, and finally broke out last season with a .236/.293/.485 slash line and 112 wRC+. Obviously that on-base percentage is less than stellar, but Adell more than made up for his lack of plate discipline thanks to his power. He fell just two RBI short of triple digits last season.

The Reds may need to ignore Adell's obvious defensive flaws (-12 OAA) in order to shore up their lineup. The Angels are said to be targeting starting pitching this offseason, which is something the Reds have in spades. Adell also has two years of team control remaining and is only expected to make about $5 million next season.

If the Reds miss out on free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, they may want to turn their attention to the trade market. Few options will fit Cincinnati's roster better than Adell.