A's Add Former Seattle Mariners Outfielder

While there may not be room for him initially, space could open up quickly

Mar 18, 2024; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners outfielder Cade Marlowe catches a deep fly ball against the Texas Rangers during a spring training baseball game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One position that the A's would appear to be set at in both the big leagues and in Triple-A is the outfield, and yet they have made another depth addition to the mix this offseason, signing former Seattle Mariners outfielder Cade Marlowe to a minor-league deal according to his MLB.com player page.

Selected by the M's in the 20th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Marlowe shot his way through the minors in 2021, spending time at High-A, Double-A, and then a singular game in Triple-A, before repeating Double and Triple-A the following season.

Marlowe would make his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2023, making it into 34 games for Seattle and batting .239 with a .330 OBP and a .750 OPS. The 28-year-old also struck out at a 33% clip in that span while smacking three home runs in 100 plate appearances. That season he played mostly left field for the M's, though he played more centerfield in Triple-A Tacoma.

He'd make it back up to Seattle the following season for a cup of coffee, and was unspectacular. He hit .250 (2-for-8) with a .333 OBP and earned as many walks (1) as strikeouts.

Back in 2023, he was one of the faster players in baseball with a sprint speed of 28.9 feet/second, ranking him in the 88th percentile. In 2024, that speed completely disappeared, as he ended up at 27.6 ft/sec, which ranked him in the 55th percentile. That said, he still ended up stealing a career-high 43 bags in the minors that season.

This past season, which was spent completely in Triple-A after recovering from back surgery, playing in just 46 games in Tacoma and 52 across all levels of the minors. In that smaller sample size, he ended up batting .316 with a .401 OBP and 12 stolen bases.

While the stats were pretty, he also held a .400 BABIP, which suggests there may have been some luck involved in the overall numbers. That said, he did cut down on his strikeouts in 2025, sitting at 23.6%, so there were certainly reasons to be excited about his performance when he was on the field.

As for how he fits into the A's outfield mix, the simple answer at this time is that he doesn't, barring an injury out of the gate. That said, it's not like every roster spot in completely nailed down, so there could be a spot for him as a left-handed bat off the bench if say Carlos Cortes struggles this spring. That would be the most direct avenue, at least.

He can play all three outfield positions and has rated at least league average or better defensively at all three in his limited innings. He has speed and he can play defense. If he can hit a little bit in the minors, perhaps the A's can find a spot for him in Sacramento at some point throughout the season.

If everyone reports to camp healthy, it'll be tough for him to crack the roster early in the season, which could be his best time to make his mark, as prospects Henry Bolte and Junior Perez continue to develop in Las Vegas. However, if someone has to miss time at any point, then he should be on a fairly short list of options to consider early on in the season, and perhaps fill a JJ Bleday-esque role.