The Arizona Diamondbacks are facing a fascinating contract conundrum.
When they signed veteran Seth Brown earlier this offseason, the contract included an upward mobility clause, and Brown just triggered that clause on Thursday, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
"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," writes MLB Trade Rumors. "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."
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Brown had been released by the Athletics earlier this season after batting just .185 there, by far his worst big league production.
The lefty-swinging first baseman and outfielder has raked since joining the Diamondbacks' organization.
His production between Triple-A Reno and his earlier stint in Triple-A this year has resulted in a .362 average at that level with an absurd .724 slugging percentage. He has 11 homers in just 130 plate appearances at Triple-A this season.
In his MLB career, Brown has a Weight Runs Created-Plus of eight percent better than league average versus right-handed pitching (108 wRC+).
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Brown would be a solid bench bat for a contending team.
This situation comes at an odd time. The trade deadline has passed, but because of the way this clause in Brown's contract is written, it wouldn't actually be him being traded to another team. It'd be more like another team claiming his contract, as if he was on waivers.
The Diamondbacks can still opt to keep Brown around, but given they just sold at the trade deadline, it doesn't seem like they'd have much use for that at this point. He may soon be on the move.
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