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Free agent outfielder Dexter Fowler agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday. A center fielder throughout his major league career, he projects to take over in right field in Baltimore while also manning the leadoff position. Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is a four-time Gold Glove award winner.
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Fowler, 29, declined a $15.8 million, one-year qualifying offer from the Cubs in November. By signing him, the Orioles must give a first-round draft pick to the Cubs -- the 28th overall selection, which Baltimore got for losing free agent left-hander Wei-Yin Chen to the Seattle Mariners.
The Cubs acquired Fowler in January 2015 from the Houston Astros for right-hander Dan Straily and infielder Luis Valbuena, and he played in a career-high 156 games in his lone season in Chicago. Fowler hit .250 with a .346 on-base percentage, a .411 slugging percentage, 17 homers, 46 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. However, he struck out a career-high 154 times, which ranked sixth in the National League.
In eight major league seasons for the Colorado Rockies, Astros and Cubs, Fowler has a career .267/.363/.418 batting line with 65 homers, 291 RBIs and 114 steals.
Baltimore is making a late push in the free agent market, having also agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal with right-hander Yovani Gallardo on Saturday. That deal still is incomplete pending a physical exam.
