In unsurprising news, the Cubs will tender Dexter Fowler a $17.2MM qualifying offer by Monday’s deadline, and the center fielder is likely to reject it, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman.
Fowler, who’s fresh off helping the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years, declined his half of a $9MM mutual option for 2017 on Saturday and became a free agent. Fowler is all too familiar with the open market, as the 30-year-old rejected a $15.8MM qualifying offer from the Cubs last November and then went without a deal until February. After nearly taking the Orioles’ three-year, $33MM offer, Fowler re-signed with the Cubs for a guaranteed $13MM.
Fowler will once again have first-round compensation hanging over his head this offseason, but he should fare much better this time around as perhaps the second-best outfielder on the market, trailing only Yoenis Cespedes. The former Rockie and Astro is coming off the top season of his career, having slashed .276/.393/.447 with 13 home runs and 13 steals across 551 plate appearances to earn his first All-Star nod. Combining Fowler’s work at the plate, on the bases and in the field, where a change in positioning led to improved metrics, he accounted for a personal-high 4.7 fWAR.
While it’s possible Fowler will re-sign with the Cubs, prospective contenders like the Mets, Mariners and Rangers, to name a few, are among clubs that are likely to search for outfield help via free agency. Fowler has spent his entire career in center, but marketing himself as a corner option could lead to more suitors, thus driving up his price.
With the draft pick that goes with the qualifying offer, I would say the Blue Jays are out of the mix for Fowler
would have loved to see the halos make a move for fowler but after the Maybin trade I can’t see that happening:(
I don’t think the draft pick will really matter to the Jays with EE and Jose potentially leaving. Dropping 10 spots from 24th if one of them leaves is only about a 200K difference in bonus pool money. If both leave and they sign Fowler, they’d end up with a more bonus money assuming they wouldn’t sign another FA with a QO attached.
Not surprised. This leaves the Cubs hurting for a lead off hitter
Zobrist will most likely lead off next season.
Just because he declines the qualifying offer doesn’t mean he won’t be a cub next year…although with heyward able to patrol center zobrist in LF and Almora jr can take right I’d be surprised if they don’t allocate that money toward building some bullpen depth instead. God knows they need that!
How about Schwarber?
There is no DH in the NL….so he is a great bat w/o a spot. LF I guess? They really should trade him and get a king’s ransom (yes…even w. his limited body of work). I’m not a fan of bat-only guys, but I’m an old school NL fan…though I’m sure anyone in the AL would love to have him.
The Cubs aren’t trading Schwarber. He’s one of the best (and most clutch) bats in baseball — and all from the left side. You don’t trade raw talent like that.
He’ll be in left, Heyward will be in center, and Zobrist will be in right. Almora still has work to do to prove he’s able to be a starter in the majors.
There is no such thing as “clutch”. As for his talent, yes..he has a lot of raw talent, but he doesn’t have a position. He is scary bad in the outfield. The Cubs can shoehorn him into LF, but it’s not ideal.
To an American League club
He played less than 4 months of professional level outfield after being a catcher throughout the minors. He made some humongous mistakes in the NLCS in 2015 but that does not negate his ability to pound the ball. He also did perfectly fine every other game that he played in left field. Schwarber will never win a gold glove but with if he works on his outfield defense consistently I can see him becoming a replacement level defender with tremendous offensive upside
I imagine you’re much more likely to see Almora in CF and Heyward sticking in RF. His defence isn’t what you need to worry about with Almora, his range is excellent. It’s his offence that we’ll need to work on.
Almora has a lot of work to do at the plate to prove he can make it in the majors. He won’t be a starter next year. We don’t need two automatic outs (Almora/Heyward) patrolling the outfield.
Do you really want a full season of Heyward, offensively while playing out of a natural position? Until Heyward can prove he can hit, he needs to be a 4th outfielder.
I think you can expect Heyward to regress to the mean next year. Hopefully this past one was just an adjustment year
Soler plays right against lefties?
He’ll be dealt.
I believe Heyward’s body of work is proof he can hit. He needs will make some incremental adjustments and be fine. I agree though, he needs to stay in RF.
Moving from RF to CF isn’t like moving from catcher to shortstop. Heyward has played in center before. He is overpaid – the contract looked bad as soon as it was announced – but players often have tough first years after signing massive contracts. It’s the pressure to prove they are worth the money.
I don’t think Hayward’s body of work proves he can hit at all. He has proved to be a below average power hitter for his position and a .250-.260 hitter trending downwards with a lifetime average of .262 with his one year in St.Louis as by far his best.
They have plenty of money to keep Chapman Fowler and get another reliever. Maybe go after Edison volquez.
If Almora and Heyward are in the same outfield Almora will be in CF and Heyward in RF
This one of those articles that you can skip and go straight to the comments. The Astros could sure use him back, but it’s not happening.
The Fowler trade for valbuena is looking great right now. Cubs won every bit of that trade. Valbuena was awful for the cubs.
Lol where’s the guy who said the Cubs should decline to extend Fowler the QO as a showing of good will?
They used that good will letting Hammel walk.
The Cubs fans will be more interested in #2017MLBDraft than the 2016 one.
Just because the Cubs let Hammel walk as a free agent (I have read that the Cubs actually consented with Hammel about picking up his option and Hammel HIMSELF DECIDED TO BE FA), now they are suddenly a non-contender? Even when they have at least two in house replacements waiting in the wings (Montgomery, Wood, and even Grimm still wants another shot at SP rotation)? The Cubs are going to be fine even if they lose both Fowler and Hammel. Losing Chapman would sting more, but I think the Cubs can deal with that, too.
Where on Earth did anyone say they were a non-contender?
Curious about people’s thoughts, so created an account. I’m a Cubs fan. I’m not saying I’d do this, but I’m curious if anyone thinks it’s plausible.
Cubs get Trout and Yunel Escobar.
Angels get Baez, Contreras, Soler, Almora, and Candelario.
If I’m the Cubs, I’d do everything I can to insert Eloy and Happ in place of Baez and Contreras. If the Angels would take this instead, the Cubs wouldn’t want Escobar.
Is this doable from the Angels perspective. I think so.
Would you do it if you were the Cubs?
If I am the Cubs, no way I make that trade, but there is also no way the Angels would make that trade.
I agree. This is the offseason where something like that can happen, however.
The Cubs are playing with house money and the Angels are trying to avoid paying a tax. They get better from this also.
The Angels definitely do not get better with that trade.
Disagree.
LF Maybin, DH Calhoun, 1B Pujols, RF Soler, C Contreras, 2B Baez, SS Simmons, 3B Candelario, CF Almora
I think the Angels get much better now and in the future. They save a load of money too.
I’m still not saying I’d do the deal from either side. I do believe the Angels benefit, however. To each his own though.
The Cubs could benefit too. Trout is young enough to fit in with the Cubs young stars. Ruiz would have been a nice RH catcher to share catching duties with Montero in this situation. Zobrist would go to second.
Cubs line-up would be scary good.
CF Trout, LF Schwarber, 3B Bryant, 1B Rizzo, 2B Zobrist, SS Russell, RF Heyward, C Montero/Ruiz
Escobar would back up all of the infield positions. He has a little baggage, but he played for Maddon in Tampa.
That’s a filthy lineup. I hope it never happens. /mets fan
Ain’t gonna happen. Fun to discuss I guess but no way no how
Ya. Probably not. I think the Cubs are going to go hard after Pollock though.
Improbable. Angels are in no hurry to deal Trout–he is signed for 3 more years after all– unless they can get everything they need in a single trade, and with the Cubs, that’d mean that the minimum price that the Angels will ask for will be Bryant, Schwarber, and Baez, plus a couple of very good prospects. That would be close to (but not quite–it is Trout we are talking about) a highway robbery and that’d be the point. Cubs would be crazy to pay that kind of price, and Angels would be crazy to not ask for that kind of price.
Not even close for Trout. For one thing, there’s no pitching. For another, no way Trout is traded for so many unknown quantities without acquiring Trout’s immediate replacement in the lineup. That would be Rizzo or Bryant most likely. Further, this idea I see floating around that the Angels would attempt to cut payroll by dealing Trout is pure fanboy fantasy. If you want to get under the luxury tax threshold, you don’t deal your best player and biggest star. They play in LA, Trout is a draw. He’s not going anywhere.
I agree. Thanks for your reply. Just spit-balling.
I think anyone who watched the playoffs can tell that Javy and Contreras are going to be perenial All-Stars, however.
Soler will probably make an All-Star team or two as well.
Almora and Candelario are what you say they are, but there’s a lot of potential there.
Soler is still an unknown quantity. Baez and Contreras look great. I’m impressed Baez improved so much after his horrific first season.
Yes, he’s an unknown but you’d have to believe he’d get 500 at bats on at least 20 different teams.
True, but he’s an outfielder which gives him three positions to play. I just don’t think his value is as high as it was a couple of years ago. Then again, I thought Starlin Castro would be nothing but a salary dump, and they actually got something for him.
I understand its a thin market, but 13 HR’s, 13 SB’s, a .270 average and average defense in CF, and it’s his career best year. It’s nice, but nothing I want to pay top dollar in a multi year contract for. Austin Jackson was a similar player and I don’t think anyone regrets not signing him to a long term deal. I think I am looking at the trade market first.
.393 OBP…..that is what teams covet. He doesn’t hurt you in avg, defense or steals….K’s and health are the only 2 areas where he needs improvement.
Agreed, if he’s going to cost 4/60 plus the draft pick teams would be better trading for a guy like Gardener.
With all due respect, that is an ignorant statement.
He should accept it and then immediately work on an extension. 3year extension 100mil. 4 years total. Opt out after 3 years.
Why extend him one you got him on a one-year deal? And are you suggesting Fowler make $33 million a year? $25 million? Both seem crazy high.