Last year, Dexter Fowler's free-agent odyssey ended in a surprising, complicated manner. This time, he's hoping to settle down in one place for awhile.
The outfielder, who officially became a free agent when he rejected the Chicago Cubs' $17.2-million qualifying offer Monday afternoon, is reportedly looking for a four-year contract from his next club, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.
Fowler may very well get that term on the open market, even with draft-pick compensation attached to his name. He's coming off a career season for the World Series champion Cubs in which he hit .276/.393/.447 with 13 homers and 13 stolen bases despite missing time due to a hamstring issue, and he's one of the better outfielders available in a thin free-agent market.
The 30-year-old was a free agent last year, but it didn't go according to plan. He was forced to wait until the start of spring training before finding a team, then surprisingly returned to the Cubs on a one-year contract shortly after an apparent multi-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles fell through.
Fowler has been previously linked with the New York Mets, among other teams.