Outfielder Cade Marlowe has exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Athletics, reports Ari Alexander of 7News Boston. He is now a free agent and eligible to sign with any club.

Marlowe, 29, signed a minor league deal with the A’s in the offseason. He has been with Triple-A Las Vegas so far this year, putting up good numbers. He has stepped to the plate 361 times for the Aviators. His 10.8% walk rate and 19.9% strikeout rate are both good numbers, helping him produce a .317/.394/.521 batting line. Even in the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, his 119 wRC+ indicates he has been 19% better than league average, though he has gotten a lot of help from a .391 batting average on balls in play. He has played all three outfield spots and stolen 24 bases.

That hasn’t been enough to get Marlowe a big league look. The A’s have Denzel Clarke and Brent Rooker on the injured list but they have been deploying Henry Bolte, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas in their outfield and designated hitter group.

Marlowe will see if he can find a better opportunity elsewhere. Earlier in his career, he showed some promise with the Mariners, but his penchant for strikeouts often tainted his overall profile. He got 109 big league plate appearances with Seattle in 2023-24, producing a solid .240/.330/.406 line and 112 wRC+ but with a 31.2% strikeout rate. He also had a 29.4% strikeout rate at Triple-A over those two seasons.

He has been better since then. He was outrighted off the roster before the 2025 season. In Triple-A that year, he dropped his punchouts to a 23.6% clip while still hitting well overall. He hit free agency at season’s end and signed with the A’s. As mentioned, he has just a 19.9% strikeout rate this year. Marlowe has decent wheels and solid defensive reputation, so he should have appeal as a depth outfielder, even if this year’s offense is somewhat inflated by batted ball luck.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images