5:59pm: The teams have announced the trade. To make room for Fowler on their 40-man roster, the Pirates placed southpaw Austin Davis on the 60-day injured list with a left elbow sprain.
4:28pm: The Pirates have acquired outfielder Dustin Fowler from the Athletics for cash considerations, according to Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic. Fowler spent a brief time in limbo after the A’s designated him for assignment Monday.
Pittsburgh will be the third big league organization for the 26-year-old Fowler, who began as an 18th-round pick of the Yankees in 2013. Fowler performed well as a minor leaguer with the Yankees and made his major league debut with the team in June 2017, but he suffered a brutal knee injury in his first game and never donned their uniform again. The Yankees wound up trading Fowler to the A’s a month later in the teams’ deal centering on right-hander Sonny Gray.
Fowler ranked as Baseball America’s 88th-best prospect in 2018, and he rebounded from his injury that year in Triple-A, where he batted .341/.364/.520 with four home runs in 13 stolen bases across 239 plate appearances. While Fowler also earned a good amount of playing time in Oakland that season, he slumped to a .224/.256/.354 line with six homers and a half-dozen steals in 203 PA and hasn’t appeared in the majors since. Fowler slashed .277/.333/.477 with 25 homers and 12 stolen bags over 606 tries during the most recent Triple-A campaign in 2019.
Although Fowler’s career hasn’t gone according to plan so far, there’s no real harm in taking a chance on his potential from the Pirates’ standpoint. Fowler may have a legitimate chance to earn a roster spot with outfielder-needy Pittsburgh, but with no minor league options remaining, the club won’t be able to send him down without potentially losing him.
Typical Pirates lmao
Yes but, I think this is a smart move. It wasn’t that long ago that many thought he was going to be a star.
Typical idiotic troll comment. Idiots like you bash the pirates no matter what they do. Why don’t you slither back under that rock
This is a good pick up. Not much risk and there is potential for upside. One of those players that just needs to put it all together, easier said than done, but I can’t say this is a bad signing.
Pirates gonna Pirate
We all saw this coming lmao. They should pick up Walden now lol
Luc,
Wow, an lmao and a lol! You are dealing!
I heard the Cardinals would deal Wainwright if a good deal could be made
Avila strikes out again.
You wanted the Tigers to get this dude?
Absolutely. Beggars can’t be choosers, my Tigers need all the lottery tickets they can get. I’ll give Avila credit on Mazara, but he should be scooping up all these guys like Fowler, Dahl, etc., and hoping one of them hits (pun intended), like a JD Martinez pickup.
These two teams are like used car dealerships. They will take anything on trade for little cash
meh just a body until they believe Oliva is ready for a shot then Swaggerty behind him. Move a rebuilder does to help hold a place till someone else better comes along. Prolly will never see the field at PNC park unless an injury happens.
Jared Oliva smh I don’t understand what the team sees in this guy.
I’ll take Fowler’s potential over Oliva
Lightning in a bottle?
Lightning in a bottle?
Lightning in a bottle?
Lightning be striking a lot in that bottle !
Lol
You can say that again
And again.
And…..again……
One more time for the people
Ketchup in a bottle more like it.
12 steals in 606 attempts does seem a bit low. Maybe work on that first step
LOL! looked at his stats and looking at 12 SB and 4 CS and wondering how in the heck 16 attempts turned into 606…………….then I noticed the number of at bats……..
Crap I didn’t even think to look at the ABs, good catch
Thanks–Sno cone style!
Can’t help but root for this guy. Otherwise he becomes a trivia question for tragic reasons.
I can totally help it.
I agree, I was watching the game he got hurt in and just felt so bad for the guy, seeing as how he had just made his MLB debut. It’d be a nice comeback story if he can carve out a role with the Pirates.
I like the sign , Bucs have to find hitters somewhere. Pitching is the key for a mild surprise from this team ,
^^^4th times a charm…
Can’t hurt.
Well, not unless there are any wayward electrical boxes at PNC park…. Then again Polonco is roaming that same outfield…Evans will tell you how much that can hurt…
Maybe a platoon of Fowler & Oliva might be quasi-productive?
What is this I see? The Pirates used…money…to ADD a player to the team? Surely my eyes deceive me.
Yeah a piggy bank full of pennies and an Applebee’s gift card is all it took to pry Fowler from the A’s. I was once a legit prospect and I was looking forward to his Yankees career. After that knee injury you knew he was going to lose a step or two and would never be the same. Glad he went in the Gray deal though. Both teams got fleeced with that one.
You use to be a legit prospect? Wow that’s better than I ever did in HS.
I bet if you look in a mirror an ass looks back
Not a bad add at all from the pirates postiton. what do they have to lose other than some money, which I’m sure won’t make the owner happy. That being said I thought fowler had a decent career ahead and that’s kind of what the pirates are hoping for during a rebuild, decency…
No real future for him in Oakland once Laureano quickly established himself as THE starting CF.
I hope that he gets his chance with the Pirates.
Dustin Fowler just didn’t have a chance with the A’s. Hopefully, Pittsburg can give him the opportunity he deserves.
As noted already, “12 stolen bags over 606 tries”? At least he’s persistent….
Bring in all the failed prospects and see if any of them can stick. Good low risk move for the buccos.
He is only 26, I hope he gets a shot.
How can you not love this move? Reasonable upside is 4th outfielder for free that you didn’t even have to remove someone from 40 man. And if he stinks this spring he will most likely clear waivers and you can work with him in minors and a Frazier or somebody on waivers takes his spot.
Fowler I believe is more suited for corner OF but only RF at PNC park. If his offense comes to fruition, it could be what the Pirates need since trading away Bell. I will keep my fingers crossed because any Pirate fan can predict Polanco going on the IR before May. If King (gambling site) can allow us Pirates fans bid on when he goes on the IR, some of us will be lining our pockets
Excellent move for them. No risk with a possible decent return for a rebuilding team. Excellent move
Hope he gets playing time
Just when we thought the Huntington era was over, Cherrington chimes in and says “hold my beer.”
If Fowler is ever going to get a chance Pittsburgh is a good place for it
Why would the Manager continue to let him run with those stats? Gotta be a relative
to some one high up.
I bet if you look in a mirror an ass looks back
If you can’t make the Pirates squad you should hang em up.
Low risk. High reward.
The rich get richer
Nice pickup and likely 4th OF as Alford may not be ready at start of season and Olivia needs to start at AAA. If he finally lives up to the expectations, a terrific sign.
When I first saw this on my Google feed. I saw it as Dexter Fowler.
probaly will hit .180 but very cost effective for pirates
i read Dexter at first and smiled. now I laugh
Yeah, lets get another guy off of the scrap heap. Must be another of those great players Cherington says pirates need.