ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The Los Angeles Angels have acquired veteran outfielder Dexter Fowler from the St. Louis Cardinals for cash or a player to be named later.
The clubs announced the deal Thursday night.
OFFICIAL: The #Angels have acquired OF Dexter Fowler and cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Welcome to the Halos, @DexterFowler! pic.twitter.com/BdcYTW8a0N— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) February 5, 2021
Fowler batted .233 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 23 games last season, his fourth with St. Louis. The switch-hitting former Rockies and Cubs slugger is a career .259 hitter with 127 homers and 561 RBIs.
While the 35-year-old Fowler can play all three outfield positions, he likely is a short-term solution in right field for the Angels, who have said they would prefer to give more minor league development time to Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh.
The 21-year-old Adell, the Halos' top prospect, struggled in his major league debut last season as their everyday right fielder, batting .161 with a .478 OPS over 38 games.
Fowler is headed into his 13th full big league season in the final year of a five-year, $82 million contract. He has a $14.5 million salary in 2021, and St. Louis remains responsible for the two final $1 million installments of his $10 million signing bonus, due July 1 and Oct. 1.
As part of the trade, the Cardinals agreed to pay the Angels $12.75 million in 12 installments of $1,062,500 on the 15th and final day of each month from April through September.
Fowler earned his only All-Star selection and his only World Series ring in 2016 with Chicago under current Angels manager Joe Maddon. His switch-hitting abilities will provide a counterpart to right-handed hitting outfielders Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Adell.
Fowler has spent just one season of his career in the AL, playing for Houston in 2014.