Report: Blue Jays offered 4-year deal to Dexter Fowler

Dexter Fowler is exactly the type of player the Toronto Blue Jays would love to add to their roster. Getting a deal done with the free-agent outfielder is another question altogether.

The Blue Jays offered Fowler a four-year contract worth around $60 million, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, a figure that’s slightly below the $18 million annually the outfielder and his camp are reportedly seeking. As of Monday, it was unclear whether the two sides were engaged in active negotiations.

It’s an obvious fit. Fowler, who will turn 31 before opening day, is a switch-hitter who can hit leadoff and fill a corner outfield spot, perhaps Toronto’s two most pressing needs. He had a tremendous season for the World Series champion Chicago Cubs, posting an .840 OPS with 13 home runs, but looks to be on the way out as the Cubs already have a surplus of outfield talent.

Fowler is the best outfielder still available on the open market, according to Yahoo’ Sports free-agent tracker, so there will undoubtedly be competition for his signature. The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be interested, as do the San Francisco Giants. Heyman notes that fall-back corner outfield options for the Blue Jays include Angel Pagan, Colby Rasmus, and Michael Saunders. It also remains to be seen how aggressive, if at all, the Blue Jays will be in their attempts to re-sign Jose Bautista.

Toronto signed utility player Steve Pearce to a two-year deal on Monday with a plan for him to play first base, lowering the likelihood of re-signing Edwin Encarnacion even further.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr