Seth Brown Triggers Upward Mobility Clause In D-backs Deal

First baseman/outfielder Seth Brown triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor league contract with the D-backs yesterday, MLBTR has learned. That clause requires the Diamondbacks to notify all 29 other teams that Brown is available for anyone who wants to add him to their 40-man roster. Teams have 48 hours to decide, so a decision on Brown will come by tomorrow afternoon.

If another club is interested in adding Brown to the roster, Arizona would then be given its own 48-hour period to decide whether to let him go or add him to its own 40-man roster. If no other team is willing to put Brown on the 40-man, he’ll continue on with the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate.

Brown, a longtime member of the A’s, hit just .185/.303/.262 with the Athletics in 76 plate appearances this year. It was the worst production of his big league career, though it obviously came in a small sample. Even so, it marked a third straight year of declining performance at the dish. From 2019-22, Brown tallied 950 plate appearances with the A’s and slashed .229/.298/.454. He had platoon issues and a lofty strikeout rate but was generally a productive, power-over-hit option against right-handers.

Brown’s production dipped in 2023 (.222/.286/.405) and again the following season. Overall, he’s posted a tepid .223/.286/.381 slash in his last 854 big league plate appearances. The A’s released Brown in late June, and he latched on with the D-backs a few days later.

He’s only taken 87 plate appearances in Triple-A Reno so far, but Brown has delivered strong results. Coupled with his production for the Athletics’ Triple-A club earlier this season, he’s hitting .362/.431/.724 with 11 homers in just 130 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. Brown is a limited player but has a solid .234/.301/.441 batting line (108 wRC+) in 1567 plate appearances versus righties — including a pair of 20-homer seasons in 2021-22.

Brown is several years removed from that type of production, but with the deadline in the rearview mirror, there are limited opportunities for teams to add depth. Brown narrowly crossed the threshold to reach five years of service earlier this summer, meaning he’d have to consent to be optioned with a new club. A team looking to add a left-handed bat to its bench could still have interest. If he does get added to a big league roster and shows well through the season’s final two months, he can be controlled through 2026 via arbitration. If he’s not added to a 40-man roster, he’ll be able to become a minor league free agent at season’s end.