Updating the Hottest Remaining MLB Questions 2 Weeks from Spring Training
Dexter Fowler, Ian Desmond, Yovani Gallardo and Howie Kendrick have a lot in common.
They're all quality big leaguers, and they're all unemployed. That second similarity is a product of that nasty draft-pick compensation they're lugging around after declining qualifying offers from their old employers.
With MLB spring training just a couple of weeks away, the murky futures of that forgotten foursome stand out as the biggest question mark of the offseason.
As we tackle the latest round of questions and answers, there's also time to explore the most recent speculation surrounding one of the game's most polarizing players.
Who's Going to Sign Dexter Fowler?
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According to Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago, the smart money is that Dexter Fowler will be playing in Chicago—either for the Cubs or the White Sox—in 2016.
As Levine reported, the former team appears to be the front-runner.
Levine wrote: “The Cubs are still the most likely landing spot for Fowler,” one baseball executive whose club has also followed the Fowler free-agent process said."
The obvious complication standing in the way or a return to Wrigley Field is that the Cubs don't really need Fowler, as the outfield rotation is already booked.
Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward and Jorge Soler are slated to start from right to left. Plus, Javier Baez projects to see time in center and regular second baseman Ben Zobrist can moonlight in the corners.
The more logical fit for Fowler would be a trip across town to U.S. Cellular Field.
With the South Siders, Fowler could patrol center field while Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia share the corner spots. The 29-year-old would also be a strong match with the bat. The owner of a .363 OBP in eight seasons in the bigs, Fowler would be a the ideal table-setter for a revamped White Sox lineup.
Inking Fowler would cost the American League Central squad the No. 28 pick in the draft, but with the start of the spring right around the corner, the White Sox are in position to call the shots when it comes to money.
Unless the vet wants to wait until after the draft to sign, there's a strong chance that Fowler will have to settle for less than the one-year $15.8 million qualifying offer he passed on.
The Answer: Chicago White Sox.
Where's Ian Desmond Going to End Up?
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It's been a bold offseason for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The club punched a Zack Greinke-sized hole in the rival Los Angeles Dodgers rotation by stealing away the righty and also snagged Shelby Miller in a blockbuster swap with the Atlanta Braves.
The big blind spot for the D-backs is in the middle of the infield where Nick Ahmed (.226 average in 2015) and Chris Owings (.227 average) are expected to start at shortstop and second base, respectively.
As Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs argued, Ian Desmond would not only be able to provide cover at both of those positions, but also at third base and in right field.
Sullivan wrote: "The Diamondbacks, as built, are short on depth. [Howie] Kendrick would help at one spot, but Desmond could theoretically help at up to four spots."
As Sullivan put it, the longtime shortstop would be a "multi-position safety net." Sure, bringing in the 30-year-old would cost the team the No. 39 overall pick. But this team has already gone all in on 2016. So, what's the harm in throwing one more chip in the pot?
The Answer: Chase Field.
Where Is Howie Kendrick Going to End Up in 2016?
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The draft-pick compensation that Howie Kendrick is dragging around has absolutely crushed the vet's free-agent opportunities.
ESPN's Buster Olney speculated on what life would be like for Kendrick if he was a true free agent.
He wrote: "If Kendrick were simply placed on the open market without any strings attached, he'd probably get a deal of at least three years."
Unfortunately for the 32-year-old, there are strings attached, and he is still very much unemployed.
That's crazy considering it's nearly February and Kendrick's resume includes a .293 average and a .755 OPS across nine seasons.
The team that needs to be calling Kendrick's agent is the one that knows him better than any other—the Los Angeles Angels.
There's no avoiding the downside. Importing Kendrick would cost the Halos the No. 17 pick. But did you see how lousy the team's offense was in the second half of 2015? Following the All-Star break, the Angels scored the second-fewest runs in the AL, as the team tumbled out of the playoff race.
Kendrick would provide the Angles with a much needed quality bat, and as is the case with Dexter Fowler and Ian Desmond, the second baseman is in no position to make outrageous financial demands.
The Answer: Los Angeles.
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Where's Yovani Gallardo Going to Be on Opening Day?
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It's pretty simple why the Colorado Rockies need to reel in Yovani Gallardo.
Last season, the starting crew ran up the worst ERA (5.27) in baseball and worked the fewest innings. That right there is a recipe for failure, or in the Rockies case, a 94-loss campaign.
Per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, Colorado is one of the final teams in on the 29-year-old Mexican. Cotillo also tabbed the Baltimore Orioles as a potential landing spot. From a statistical perspective, a move to Camden Yards would make a lot of sense. In 2015, the O's rotation was No. 14 in the AL in ERA and No. 13 in innings pitched.
The issue is that landing Gallardo would cost Baltimore the No. 14 pick.
Meanwhile, if the Rockies snapped up the righty, the team would only have to part ways with the No. 38 selection.
Gallardo has never been a guy who generates a ton of buzz, but he gets results. Last year, the starter tallied a 3.42 ERA for the Texas Rangers, and he's logged at least 180.2 frames in each of the previous seven seasons.
What's more, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports noted, Gallardo could serve as a "mentor" for a youthful Colorado staff that can use all the guidance it can get.
When the Rockies open 2016 against the Seattle Mariners, Gallardo should be on the mound setting the tone for the rest of the team's arms.
The Answer: Safeco Field.
Should We Buy or Sell the Latest Alex Rodriguez Speculation?
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Not everyone is ready to forget the past when it comes to Alex Rodriguez.
The slugger missed all of 2014 while serving a suspension for PED usage and then returned to crush 33 homers last season.
Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York recently pondered whether the right-handed hitter was up to his old tricks:
"I mean, two hip surgeries, his 40th birthday and basically two years of inactivity and A-Rod was great for three-quarters of the season. My mom taught me a long time ago, if it is too good to be true, it usually is. That said, maybe A-Rod was doing things on the up and up -- but at this point, it would be naive not to at least wonder if he still had some extra help
"
Marchand raises some compelling observations, but what he fails to do is provide any concrete facts linking A-Rod to any unscrupulous behavior.
What is a concrete fact is that Rodriguez faced a slew of drug tests in 2015.
As Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reported last spring, Rodriguez was subject to "six unannounced urine collections and three unannounced blood collections over the 12-month period following the violation." And Rodriguez will face the same smorgasbord of testing for as long as he remains a big leaguer.
Marchand's line of reasoning makes for an intriguing winter story, but absent any concrete facts, this is baseless speculation and nothing more.
The Answer: Sell.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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