Report: Dexter Fowler gets offer from Cubs |
Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler told ESPN on Thursday night that he has decided to decline his mutual option with the Cubs in 2017 which will make him a free agent. Fowler has strong interest from the Cardinals, Giants, and others with his impressive season spearheading the Cubs offense.
However, according to multiple reports, Fowler just received a 17.2 million qualifying offer for 2017 on Monday from the Cubs organization. "While Fowler’s love for the Cubs is well documented, the 30-year-old is not expected to accept the offer — he will have a week to make the decision," MLB insider Jon Heyman said. "Many around baseball believe Fowler could receive a four-year deal this time around after signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the Cubs last offseason." It would be hard for Fowler to turn down a 4-year deal from another club but there is a small chance that Cubs could get a hometown discount on a similar long-term deal with Fowler's passion for Chicago and his current teammates. It certainly will be an interesting offseason for the Cubs. They just turned down the team option on Jason Hammel on Sunday so that he could test the free agent market. He batted .276 with 13 homers, 48 RBIs, and 13 steals this season and was named to his first National League All-Star team. However, his numbers do not tell the tale of his play, leadership, and how great of a teammate he was during his time with the Cubs.
