Blue Jays add some outfield depth with former all-star Dexter Fowler

DUNEDIN, Fla. There was a locker set up for Dexter Fowler in the Blue Jays clubhouse at its player development complex here on Wednesday, a sign of things to come for the organization’s outfield depth.

The veteran outfielder, 36, is expected to sign a minor-league deal with Toronto that includes an invite to what is left of spring training, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Fowler, who can play all three outfield spots, will slot into Toronto’s outfield depth chart behind George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Raimel Tapia. He is most likely to land in Triple-A alongside Josh Palacios, the fifth outfielder currently on the Jays’ 40-man roster. It is not yet known if an opt-out date or any guarantees are written into his deal with Toronto.

Bringing in the 14-year league veteran, who helped the Chicago Cubs break its 108-year World Series drought in 2016 with an All-Star season, offers the Jays some protection in the event of injuries. Springer, Hernandez and Gurriel have all spent time on the injured list in recent years.

It has been a few years since Fowler, who was selected in the 14th round of the 2004 draft by the Colorado Rockies and has represented five organizations since, was at his best at the plate. His all-star turn from him in 2016 saw Fowler hit .276 with an .840 OPS. A year later, Fowler put up solid numbers in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals, hitting 18 home runs with a .264 average and .851 OPS.

But Fowler had a down season at the plate in 2018, hitting .180 through 90 games. He bounced back slightly in 2019, hitting a career high 19 home runs to go with a .238 average and a .754 OPS. That is likely the type of return the Jays would hope to get out of the native of Atlanta, Ga. this season, if he factors in with the big-league team at any point in the year.

The 2022 season will be a comeback year for Fowler either way. He suffered a torn ACL in the first weeks of his first season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, which ended his year before it really had a chance to start. Fowler suffered the injury during a game against Toronto in Dunedin, after running into second base awkwardly and colliding with ex-Jay Marcus Semien. He was initially optimistic he would only need a few games off to recover from the injury, after an initial diagnosis of a left knee sprain. But later imaging showed Fowler would require season-ending surgery.

This is not the first time the Jays have circled around Fowler. The club reportedly offered him a four-year deal worth $64 million (US) after his all-star turn during the 2016 off-season. Fowler, one of the top free agents on the market at the time, eventually signed a five-year deal with the St. Louis, worth $82.5 million.