The Los Angeles Dodgers and all other teams make a slew of signings throughout the offseason that are aimed to give players an opportunity during Spring Training and also address organizational depth.
Among the Dodgers’ additions was David Bote, who joined the team after becoming a free agent when Chicago Cubs declined their $7 million team option for 2025. Bote instead receive a $1 million buyout from the Cubs.
Bote signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers that included a non-roster invite to Spring Training. And like most other Minor League deals that players with MLB experience receive, Bote’s contract included chances to move on.
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Bote exercised the upward mobility clause in his Dodgers contract:
David Bote has exercised his upward mobility clause in his NRI deal with the Dodgers, as expected, per source.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 25, 2025
By exercising such clause, the 31-year-old now is available to all other teams and would potentially be released by the Dodgers if a new team is willing to put him on their 40-man roster. Bote could remain part of the Dodgers organization if they add him onto their 40-man roster amid interest from another club.
Should such opportunity not arise with the Dodgers or elsewhere, he presumably will join Triple-A Oklahoma City for the start of the Minor League season.
A former top prospect in the Cubs farm system, Bote has been mired by inconsistency throughout his Major League career. He spent time in the big leagues over parts of six seasons with the Cubs, but played all of 2023 in the Minors.
The Cubs outrighted Bote off their 40-man roster following the 2022 season. He didn’t have the requisite three years of Major League service time or a prior instance of being outrighted in order to reject the assignment.
Bote returned to the Majors last year, and hit .304/.333/.391 with four doubles and six RBI in 38 games with the Cubs. Across his last 175 plate appearances with Chicago, which dates back to 2022, Bote has a 110 wRC+.
David Bote in Dodgers Spring Training
Bote went 12-for-30 (.400) with a .471 on-base percentage and .700 slugging in 14 Cactus League games this year. At one point he was named by manager Dave Roberts as the MVP of Dodgers Spring Training.
However, the Dodgers re-assigned Bote to Minor League camp on March 11 and he was not among the players included on their travel roster for Tokyo nor did he appear in any exhibition Freeway Series games.
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