Five MLB free agents who could have qualifying offer issues

Dexter Fowler

The 2015-16 offseason has been an interesting one to say the least. However, unless you throw the ball for a living and only make 30-40 appearances a year, free agency hasn’t been overly kind to you. That holds especially true for outfielders.

The market started with some heavy hitters on the board, with Jason Heyward, Alex Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes, and Justin Upton representing the cream of the crop. Two months later, only Heyward and Gordon have signed, and only the former signed anything near what was projected for him at the onset of the offseason.

There is no doubt that Cespedes and Upton will find buyers willing to give them a big-money deal. However, the other outfielders on the market could see a trickle-down issue that could leave them waiting until the last minute to sign.

Outfielders like Dexter Fowler.

Fowler is somewhat of a flawed case. With a 3.2 win season in 2015, Fowler was the lead-off hitter that the Chicago Cubs were looking for last season. In 156 games atop the Cubs line-up, Fowler put together a solid .250/.346/.411 season, adding 17 home runs and 102 runs scored. He also showed some marked improvements in center field. While still well-below average in the outfield, Fowler was at least passable.

The problem is, teams don’t see him as an everyday center fielder. However, his power and on-base abilities are real and teams are always looking for 29-year-olds who can get on base and take the ball out of the park. Some will even look past the strike-outs.

The question is, will teams be willing to give a multi-year contract with an annual value north of the $9.5 million he made in 2015? Gerardo Parra found a three-year deal with Fowler’s former team, the Colorado Rockies for $27.5 million, but that also means the Rockies will look to deal one of their extra outfielders, which may further complicate the market for Fowler.

Next: Yovani Gallardo - Starting Pitcher