Angels' top Draft pick Adams agrees to deal

ANAHEIM -- Jordyn Adams won't graduate from Green Hope High School in Cary, N.C., until next Wednesday, but he's already ready to begin the next chapter of his life with the Angels.
Adams, an 18-year-old outfielder who was drafted by the Angels with the 17th overall pick on Monday night, said he has already agreed to terms with the club and expects to travel to Los Angeles in the coming days to officially sign. The slot value for his pick is $3,472,900.
"I feel really good," Adams said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. "Very blessed to be in this spot. I'm glad to make it official that I'm going to be part of the Angels organization. I'm ready to go to work."
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A two-sport star, Adams has a scholarship to play football and baseball at North Carolina, but he plans to forgo that commitment to begin his professional career with the Angels. Though his father, Deke, is the defensive line coach for the Tar Heels, Adams said his family fully supports his decision to stick with baseball.
"He was behind me every step of the way," Adams said. "He was proud of me. He made it clear since all this started that what's best for me is what's best for him. He's always been that kind of parent, been behind me, to find the best position for me."
• Watch Adams show off his dunking skills
Adams was a four-star wide receiver recruit, but he said he has a longer history playing baseball. A right-handed hitter, Adams batted .453 with five doubles, three triples, a home run and 15 RBIs during his senior season at Green Hope.
"I played baseball my whole life," Adams said. "The opportunity to get better overall as a baseball player was very big for me, stuck out. I felt I couldn't pass up the opportunity presented to me right now."

Worth noting
• Albert Pujols, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs on Monday, received a "recharge" day and was not in the lineup against the Royals on Tuesday. Mike Trout also received a partial day off, starting at designated hitter in Pujols' place.
"There's a lot of different things we're looking at," manager Mike Scioscia said. "You need to catch your breath a little bit, and that's what we're doing."
With Pujols out of the lineup, the Angels moved Andrelton Simmons up to the No. 2 spot, ahead of Trout and Justin Upton, but Scioscia seemed to indicate that the change was temporary.
"That's just a function of what the lineup is today," Scioscia said.
Simmons entered Tuesday batting .330 with an .857 OPS, but the Angels have preferred to keep his bat in the middle of the order to give him more opportunities to hit with runners on base.
• The Angels optioned infielder Kaleb Cowart to Triple-A Salt Lake and recalled right-hander Eduardo Paredes on Tuesday to amplify their bullpen depth. The club is currently carrying eight relievers on its roster.