Cubs sign Jon Jay; Dexter Fowler out of the picture?

The Chicago Cubs have signed outfielder Jon Jay; does that signal the end of Dexter Fowler’s time in the Windy City.

According to the Chicago Cubs official team Twitter account, free-agent center fielder Jon Jay has agreed to terms on a one-year deal for $8 million. Jay comes to Chicago after spending the 2016 season with the San Diego Padres. The 31-year-old played the first six years of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jay comes to the Cubs as a career .287/.352/.384 hitter with a reputation as a hard-nosed player. He led the National League with 20 HBP in 2014, and played in the postseason five times with the Cardinals. Jay has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons, and has played a combined 169 games. Wrist tendinitis and a stress reaction limited him in 2015, and a fractured forearm ended his 2016 season in June.

With the Cubs, Jay will slide into a platoon role with rookie Albert Almora. The veteran left-handed slugger is a career .288/.352/.394 hitter against right-handed pitching. Jay and Almora both hail from the Miami area, making the vet a logical choice to mentor the youngster and share time in center field.

The signing should all but signal the end of Dexter Fowler’s time with the Cubs. Fowler reneged on his agreement with the Baltimore Orioles at the eleventh hour during Spring Training last year, electing to return to the Cubs for one more year. Fowler will not settle for a short-term deal this time around, but the Cubs just do not have the at-bats to go around to make another effort to bring him back.

As it currently stands, Joe Maddon still has a crowded bench to play with. Maddon has to find playing time for Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler, Jason Heyward, Javy Baez and Wilson Contreras. Almora needs to play, and Jay provides insurance at a much lower cost. The Cubs had an aggressive offseason entering the 2016 season, and ultimately won the World Series. Lower profile moves will make up the bulk of the winter dealings for the Cubs this year, and the Jay signing is a good start.