The Dexter Fowler era in Chicago is over. Long live the Dexter Fowler era.
The Cubs plugged their center field hole today by signing former Cardinals and Padres outfielder Jon Jay to a one-year contract worth $8 million, effectively ending hopes that the club would shell out the simoleons for a Fowler return. He’ll back up Albert Almora in center and provide a left-handed platoon if Joe Maddon seeks to deploy him as such.
Jay’s 2016 was fairly pedestrian. He hit .291/.339/.389 in 371 plate appearances for San Diego, which amounted to an OPS near league average. That slash line is in accordance with his career line, too: Jay is a light-hitting contact guy who takes few walks. His strikeout rate last season was the highest of his career, and his walk rate the lowest, so Theo Epstein and company are likely banking on a bounce back year away from the cavernous Petco Park. He’s a fine defender, if not a good one, and he’ll be serviceable in a backup role even if he doesn’t return to his 2-3 WARP peak of his Cardinals days.
In many ways, Jay is not all that different than the player with whom he’ll share time in center. Albert Almora, the presumptive starter, is also a high contact player who takes few walks, although Almora has much more power and a defensive reputation that precedes him.
The Cubs won’t have a flashy offseason like they have had the past two years, but they don’t need to make a big splash. Fowler is the only key departure among position players, and the return of Kyle Schwarber, combined with the defense of Almora should make up for Fowler’s missed production. The Cubs are World Series champions, and they can stay the course and still be favorites to repeat. Signing Jay to a one-year deal gives them insurance in case Almora flames out, and opens them up to nabbing a longer term solution next offseason.
After all, Dexter Fowler may have been first in our hearts, but Jon Jay is the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a fine backup center fielder.
Hold on, my editor is texting me…
Lead photo courtesy Jake Roth—USA Today Sports
John Jay The Federalist Papers Federalist No. 64
Date: March 5, 1788
the government must be a weak one indeed, if it should forget that the good of the whole can only be promoted by advancing the good of each of the parts or members which compose the whole.
Yep – he’ll fit in just fine..