With Yoenis Cespedes’ status for 2017 uncertain, Dexter Fowler could become a solid plan B for the New York Mets outfield.
As much as the New York Mets organization and fanbase would love to see Yoenis Cespedes return to the orange and blue long term, the reality is it may not happen. Cespedes is looking for a high paying long term deal this offseason.
Cespedes had an unbelievable past year and a half with the Mets where he batted .282 with 48 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a .348 on-base percentage in 189 games since coming to the Mets from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline during the 2015 season.
If Cespedes does depart from the Mets this offseason, the Mets starting outfield at the beginning of 2017 would most likely include Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, and Michael Conforto, who are all left-handed hitters while a right handed hitting, Juan Lagares would serve as a platoon player off the bench.
Even though Granderson, Bruce, and Conforto are all capable of being everyday outfielders, I just can’t see the Mets starting three left-handed hitting outfielders on a daily basis. Which is why the Mets should try to go after a non-left-handed hitting outfielder, whether it is bringing back Cespedes or signing somebody else via the free agent market.
One free agent who the Mets could go after this offseason is 30-year-old veteran switch-hitting outfielder Dexter Fowler.
Coming off of a solid 2016 season where he won a world series ring with the Chicago Cubs and batted .276 with 13 home runs, 48 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and a .393 on-base percentage in 125 regular season games, Fowler could fit like a glove with the Mets in 2017. Fowler is a natural center fielder who can provide some speed on the base paths and has some power.
Fowler can provide some tools the Mets could use in 2017 because as of right now, Lagares is the only outfielder on the Mets who is a primary center fielder. Therefore, adding Fowler to the roster in 2017 could give the Mets some flexibility at that position. Fowler has also spent a good majority of his career batting out of the leadoff spot, which provides the Mets another option to put at the top of the lineup on days Jose Reyes doesn’t play.
In a perfect world, Yoenis Cespedes would come back and stay with the Mets long term. But sadly, the reality is that there is a chance that we’ll be seeing Cespedes in a different uniform in 2017 and if that does happen, the Mets need to start thinking about other options for an outfield bat and Dexter Fowler could be one.
After winning his first World Series of his career with the Cubs in 2016, we could see Fowler taking his talents to the Big Apple to help the Mets get to where his Cubs were in 2016.
