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Angels Outfielder To Force Team’s Hand With Contract Clause
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- Angels Outfielder To Force Team’s Hand With Contract Clause
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Cade Marlowe plans to trigger an upward mobility clause in his contract that will force the Angels to offer him to all of the 29 other teams in MLB, according to a report from Connor Byrne of MLBTradeRumors.com that references Ari Alexander of 7News Boston .
The Angels ' other option would be to elevate Marlowe to the team's 40-man roster, but Marlowe still has one minor-league option remaining, so if the rest of the league passes on Marlowe, he would stay in the Angels farm system, the writer added.
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Marlowe was originally a late-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners back in 2019, but he managed to turn himself into a noteworthy prospect, with Baseball America listing him as Seattle's No. 16 prospect in the team's Top 30.
The Mariners promoted Marlowe to the majors in 2023, and was productive as a rookie that year, posting a slash line of .239/.330/.420 with three home runs and a 12 percent walk rate in 100 plate appearances. But his high strikeout rate of 33 percent turned out to be his big weakness, and once he was sent back down he struggled to return and make it back to the majors for the Mariners.
The Mariners designated him for assignment after the 2024 season, and he stayed with their Triple-A affiliate last year. But he elected minor league free agency this year, and initially he landed a deal with the Athletics . But he opted out of West Sacramento in mid-July, then signed with the Halos a few days later, according to Byrne.
Marlowe has been a productive Triple-A player for both the A's and the Angels with a combined slash line of .315/.394/.515 with nine homers, 27 stolen bases, a 21.4% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate in 407 plate appearances in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His career numbers for Triple-A include 1,443 PA at the minors' highest level and hit .276/.364/.459 with 40 homers and 118 steals.
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The Angels may represent the best opportunity for the 29-year old outfielder, who is a left-handed hitter, to stick and show he belongs in the big leagues for good. The Halos recently traded outfielder Jo Adell to the Cleveland Guardians , and while Wade Meckler seems to have earned a spot in left field, they're also giving at-bats to Josh Lowe , who has been hitting around .200 for most of the season.
