Dexter Fowler Traded to Angels from Cardinals in Apparent Salary Dump

The Los Angeles Angels acquired outfielder Dexter Fowler from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations Thursday. 

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Cardinals will pay "the bulk" of Fowler's $14 million salary.

"With the expectation that we will have plenty of competition in the outfield this season, and with Dexter's approaching free agency, we felt that this deal made the most sense for all parties," Cardinals president John Mozeliak said in a statement. 

Fowler spent the last four seasons in St. Louis, where he had an up-and-down tenure. He hit .233/.317/.389 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, his third straight campaign hitting under the .240 mark.

The deal reunites Fowler with Angels manager Joe Maddon, who managed him for two seasons with the Chicago Cubs from 2015 to 2016. Fowler's 2016 campaign was the best of his career, as he made his lone All-Star team and produced a career-high 4.6 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.

The Cardinals are in the midst of retooling their roster after making a blockbuster trade for Nolan Arenado. With Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson and Harrison Bader likely set as the Cardinals' starting outfield, moving on from Fowler before he hits free agency makes sense.