ANAHEIM, California – Los Angeles Angels have acquired veteran Dexter Fowler from St. Louis. Louis Cardinals for money or a player who will be named later.
The clubs announced the deal on Thursday night.
Fowler beat .233 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 23 games last season, fourth with St. Louis. Louis. The former Rockies and Cubs slugger is a .259 career hitter with 127 homers and 561 RBI.
While Fowler, 35, can play all three off-field positions, he is likely a short-term solution in the right field for the Angels, who said they would prefer to give more time to minor league development Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh.
Adell, a 21-year-old who is Halos’ biggest prospect, struggled in his major league debut last season as a straight player every day, beating .161 with a .478 OPS over 38 games .
Fowler is heading to the 13th season of his major league in the final year of a five-year, $ 82 million contract. He has a salary of $ 14.5 million in 2021, and St. Louis remains responsible for the final two $ 1 million installments of his $ 10 million signing bonus, which will be July 1 and October 1.
As part of the transaction, the cardinals agreed to pay the angels $ 12.75 million in 12 tranches of $ 1,062,500 on the 15th and last day of each month from April to September.
Fowler won his only All-Star selection and his only World Series ring in 2016 with Chicago under current Angels manager Joe Maddon. His hitting skills will provide an equivalent to right-handed outfielders Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Adell.
Fowler spent just one season of his career in the American League after playing for Houston in 2014.