The Chicago Cubs traded for Dexter Fowler last offseason and the outfielder arguably had the best campaign of his MLB career in 2015. However, rumors suggest he probably won't be back with the team in 2016.
Fowler, 29, is slated to hit free agency for the first time in his career this weekend. He batted .250/.346/.411 with 102 runs scored, 17 home runs, 46 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 156 games as the Cubs' leadoff man. As a result, he's expected to garner interest from all around the MLB on Saturday when free agency officially begins.
Rumors point to Chicago presenting Fowler with the qualifying offer, but it's likely he seeks a long-term contract rather than the one-year, $15.8 million deal. But the Cubs may not be interested in a pact beyond two years for a couple of reasons.
"Fowler had a big second half, getting on-base about 39 percent of the time, leading to speculation he'll get a long-term contract after earning $9.5 million last season," writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. "The Cubs have stated their offseason goals are to land more pitching which might not leave room in the budget for Fowler's return."
"Fowler will cash in somewhere as a free agent, and if the Cubs have to choose between investing in center field or pitching, that money will probably be transferred into the rotation," adds Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.
But forget about the fiscal aspect regarding the scenario. The team's No. 8 prospect, Albert Almora, made strides during the second half of 2015, and although he won't be ready by Opening Day in 2016, his MLB debut is not too far off. Almora batted .272/.327/.400 in 106 games with Double-A Tennessee in 2015 thanks to a second half surge that featured a .301 average and an .834 OPS.
"Almora didn't have an exceptional wire-to-wire season at Double-A Tennessee, but he's still only 21 and seemed to hear the wake-up call as other players debuted and made their marks at Wrigley Field," Mooney continued.
"Fowler and [Theo] Epstein said all the right things publicly, but the Cubs are probably looking for a free agent or a trade target to help bridge the next two seasons in center field.
"Given the franchise's wave of young talent, we'll see how many years the Cubs are willing to go for someone who will be 30 next season."
Other center fielders that will be available in free agency include Denard Span, Colby Rasmus, Rajai Davis and Austin Jackson (who the Cubs may consider re-signing). It's unlikely each of these players would command a deal in excess of one or two years, so they could be on Epstein's radar in the event things don't go as planned with Fowler.
Once we have a better idea of what pitchers the Cubs will pursue in free agency and/or if they plan to make any trades involving their prospects, the situation surrounding Fowler will be more revealing.
