I had supposed there would be few surprises in spring training, but the Cubs announced today that they had re-signed Dexter Fowler to a one-year deal with a mutual option for a second year. The money with the team buyout thrown in, is actually a little shy of the money Fowler turned down when he opted for free agency instead of accepting the team's qualifying offer. This decision turned out to be a big mistake for him in the short run. Who knew, as everyone had assumed he had agreed to a three-year deal with Baltimore?
As an aside, the Cubs traded off the presumed fourth outfielder Chris Coghlan to Oakland for a young right-handed pitcher named Brooks who was fairly dominant in AAA in 2014, but has thus far showed next to nothing in the big leagues. My guess is that Brooks has no chance to make the ML roster and was acquired simply for depth at AAA.
Most people are thinking that Fowler will resume his regular spot in center field, but, especially knowing Maddon's tendencies, I kind of see him more as the fourth outfielder in what becomes essentially a four outfielder rotation. This is more likely the case as the Fowler deal looks like a temporary solution for the Cubs, basically a one year trial. The report is that the Baltimore deal fell apart because Fowler wanted an opt-out after 2016 that the Orioles did not want to provide. The free agent market will likely be kinder to Fowler in 2017 and he will not have to contend with the burden of the qualifying offer which is bad news for players who are a cut below star status.
This arrangement probably means that Heyward will play almost every day in center or right field with the remaining group - Fowler, Schwarber, and Soler - sharing the remaining load. It is not a bad idea on the face of it. Heyward can ease into center field and Soler can continue his development. I have to think this is the thinking here as the Cubs would likely have offered bigger money and a longer deal if either party thought on a more permanent, longer-term basis.
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