A’s Release Seth Brown

Outfielder Seth Brown has become a free agent after being waived by the A’s. The MLB.com transaction log indicates that he was released. MLBTR has learned that Brown, who recently crossed the five-year service threshold, elected free agency after going unclaimed on waivers. It’s an immaterial distinction, as he’ll hit the market while retaining the remainder of this season’s $2.7MM salary in either case. The A’s had not previously designated Brown for assignment, so this drops their 40-man roster count to 39.

It does not impact their active roster. Brown has been on the injured list since June 13 with a minor left elbow injury. Once he reached the five-year service mark, Brown earned the right to refuse an optional assignment back to Triple-A. That meant the A’s would have needed to keep him in the majors once he was ready to return from the injured list. They instead opted to place him on waivers and allow him to move on entirely.

The lefty-hitting Brown has struggled at the major league level this year. He’s hitting .185/.303/.262 with one homer and 23 strikeouts over 76 plate appearances. He spent a couple weeks in Triple-A after being outrighted off the 40-man roster in late May. Brown obliterated minor league pitching, collecting 21 hits and seven home runs in nine games to quickly get selected back onto the MLB roster. He unfortunately was limited to five games before going on the injured list. The A’s welcomed Gio Urshela back from the IL at the same time and have decided to stick with Max Schuemann and JJ Bleday for the final two bench spots.

Brown reached 20+ home runs in consecutive seasons in 2021-22. His numbers have dropped since then, though he hit .263/.304/.413 in the second half last year to persuade the A’s to tender him an arbitration contract. They’ll remain on the hook for the rest of that money aside from the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum for whatever time he spends on another club’s MLB roster. Whichever team signs Brown would only pay the league minimum this year and could control him via arbitration for another season. That’d require a salary in a similar or higher level as this year’s $2.7MM mark, though, so he’d be a non-tender candidate in the offseason even if he finds an immediate MLB opportunity as a free agent.