Dexter Fowler signs one-year deal with Cubs, spurns Orioles
In a stunning and emotional reunion, Dexter Fowler surprised his Chicago Cubs teammates by announcing he’d re-signed with the club, just days after he’d reportedly agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Fowler, a center fielder who turns 30 next month, hit 17 home runs and posted a .346 on-base percentage for the Cubs in 2015, as they advanced to the National League Championship Series. The signing of Jason Heyward to a $184 million contract seemed to make Fowler expendable.
Oakland sends RHP Brooks to Cubs for OF Coghlan
But the attachment of draft-pick compensation to Fowler appeared to depress his market, and the Cubs, of course, will not lose a pick for re-signing their own player. Now, he’ll man center field, Heyward will slide to right field and power-hitting Jorge Soler will be a reserve player and possibly play left field on days young power hitter Kyle Schwarber spells starting catcher Miguel Montero.
Fowler, according to ESPN, agreed to a one-year deal with $13 million guaranteed; he'll receive $8 million this season and a $5 million buyout of a 2017 option. The Cubs hold a $9 million option for next year.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
"This is where my heart is," Fowler told reporters in Mesa, Ariz., after Cub president Theo Epstein shocked Fowler's teammates by re-introducing him at a late-morning meeting. Fowler also confirmed he received a three-year deal from another club.
Stunner: Dexter Fowler spurns Orioles, returns to Cubs in 2016
Epstein told reporters the Cubs are "not trading anyone else" and "feel great about our outfield mix."
That mix comes at the expense of the Orioles, who suddenly have a void in right field they thought they'd filled, along with a spot in the rotation with the signing of Gallardo.
Yes with Gallardo; after an extensive physical examination, Gallardo agreed to a revised two-year contract with a third-year club option. In response to the apparent agreements, center fielder Adam Jones told reporters: “I don't know about the uncertainty about (Yovani) Gallardo, but I know we've got (Dexter) Fowler, so I think we're just constantly improving and not just improving on the field, but mentally. Fowler has seven years, Gallardo has eight years service time. That adds a lot of experience.
“Both of them have been in the postseason, been in big games, big moments, so we want to have them do it with us."
Instead, Fowler will augment a Cubs lineup that, 1 through 8, figures to be the most potent in the major leagues. WSCR reported that Fowler's negotiations with Baltimore hit a snag over an opt-out clause in the three-year, $33 million deal.