The Los Angeles Angels procured veteran outfielder Dexter Fowler from the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night for money or a player to be named later.
Fowler batted .233 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 23 games last season, his fourth with St. Louis. The switch-hitting previous Rockies and Cubs slugger is a vocation .259 hitter with 127 homers and 561 RBIs.
Fowler, who turns 35 one month from now, can play each of the three outfield positions. Despite the fact that Fowler’s creation has declined lately, the Angels consider the to be as a significant pioneer for their clubhouse and a transient arrangement in right field so they can give more small time advancement time to Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh.
“He’s an outstanding human being, and he’s a high-energy player,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “Over a 162-game season, energy is important, and this guy brings that smile, that energy on a daily basis. And we still think he can play. We think there’s a lot left in the tank. The homework we’ve done, he’s put in a ton of work this offseason. For him to waive his no-trade clause … it’s an honor.”
Fowler additionally is costing the Angels just $1.75 million in compensation.
He is headed into his thirteenth full major alliance season in the last year of a five-year, $82 million agreement. He has a $14.5 million compensation in 2021, and St. Louis stays liable for the two last $1 million portions of his $10 million marking reward, due July 1 and Oct. 1.
As a part of the trade, the Cardinals consented to pay the Angels $12.75 million out of 12 portions of $1,062,500 on the fifteenth and last day of every month from April through September.
Fowler’s switch-hitting capacities will give a partner to right-gave hitting Angels outfielders Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Adell. Taylor Ward additionally is relied upon to seek a list spot in the Halos’ outfield in spring preparing.
The 21-year-old Adell, the Halos’ top possibility, battled in his significant association debut last season as their ordinary right defender, batting .161 with a .478 OPS more than 38 games. Fowler’s quality will permit Adell’s improvement to continue all the more intentionally in 2021.
“We like [Fowler] in right field, and we feel like offensively he’s going to bring a lot to the lineup,” Minasian said. “We feel really good about Jo. We think Jo is going to have an outstanding career, and we feel like at some point this year, he’s going to impact this club.”
Fowler acquired his solitary All-Star choice and his lone World Series ring in 2016 with Chicago under current Angels supervisor Joe Maddon.
Fowler is the third veteran who played under Maddon at a past stop to join the Angels in this offseason, alongside previous Cubs starter Jose Quintana and previous Rays starter Alex Cobb. Minasian and Maddon started cooperating just three months back, yet the tenderfoot GM says their methods of reasoning are as of now very comparative.
“We want a certain type of player, and I think Joe and I are really aligned in this,” Minasian said. “We want a certain type of makeup, a certain mentality, and him putting his stamp on those players make them more desirable.”
Fowler has spent only one period of his profession in the American League, playing for Houston in 2014.
