5 outfield targets for the Blue Jays after missing out on Fowler
The Toronto Blue Jays entered the offseason with a number of needs - one of which being a left-handed hitting outfielder.
While the Blue Jays were linked to some notable players, the team's interest in Dexter Fowler was the most consistent, with the club even reportedly offering him a four-year deal worth $60 million.
Fowler would reject that deal, however, and on Thursday, he reportedly agreed to a multi-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
With the Blue Jays forced now to look elsewhere, here are five players the front office could now pursue as fall-back options.
Ben Revere - free agent
The diminutive Ben Revere is a familiar face for the Blue Jays, and he makes the list because manager John Gibbons recently mentioned his name as a possibility to rejoin the team.
Revere joined the Blue Jays at the trade deadline in 2015 but was shipped out of town to Washington for reliever Drew Storen. The deal didn't work out for either side as Revere struggled immensely in his first season with the Nationals, battling an oblique injury for most of the year and finished hitting .217/.260/.300 in 103 games.
The 28-year-old was non-tendered by the Nationals and could be a cheap option for the Blue Jays. His speed, defense, and left-handed bat would all fit the Blue Jays' needs.
Charlie Blackmon - trade
Many teams looking for an outfielder are keeping an eye on the Colorado Rockies - a club with a logjam after adding Ian Desmond. The Rockies say they plan to use Desmond at first, but should they be inclined to move him to center and trade an outfielder, Charlie Blackmon would make sense in Toronto.
The Blue Jays reportedly discussed a deal involving Marcus Stroman and Blackmon, though it's unclear how serious talks were. Blackmon is coming off a productive season in which he hit .324/.381/.552 with 29 home runs, but as is always the case with Colorado, offensive numbers spike due to the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field.
One promising sign, however, is that 17 of Blackmon's 29 home runs in 2016 came on the road, while he slashed .313/.363/.563 away from Denver. The 30-year-old is arbitration-eligible for a second time this winter, and is under team control through the 2018 season.
Jarrod Dyson - trade
Entering the offseason, general manager Ross Atkins mentioned that he wanted to give the Blue Jays more athleticism and speed. Look no further than Jarrod Dyson.
Since 2012, Dyson has swiped 156 bases, while serving mostly as bench player. The 32-year-old has value on the basepaths, but is also coming off a productive season where he hit .278/.340/.388 in 107 games, and contributed to 3.1 WAR. He's also an above-average fielder, having never posted -minus defensive runs saved.
Dyson is currently being actively shopped by the Royals and would add a ton of versatility to the Blue Jays' lineup.
Jose Bautista - free agent
Wouldn't it be something for the fan base if one of the most celebrated Blue Jay in franchise history were to return? The 36-year-old has yet to generate a significant amount of interest on the open market, and has even been blatantly told by the division-rival Orioles that they won't sign him because the fan base despises him.
The Blue Jays did meet with Bautista's camp recently, though there's no indication a deal is close. The slugger is no longer a good defender in the outfield which limits his value and potential fit with the team, but there's no denying the impact he has in the lineup offensively when healthy.
Brandon Moss - free agent
Much like recent Blue Jays signing Steve Pearce, Brandon Moss offers positional flexibility with the ability to play in the outfield and first base. While he isn't heralded as a strong defender, he did appear in the outfield 72 times for the Cardinals in 2016.
Moss hit 28 home runs with St. Louis last season, but like most sluggers, is prone to racking up whiffs (career worst 30.4 strikeout percentage last year). He's likely not the Blue Jays top option, but he has 20-plus homer potential.