There was one other trade Monday that may have been lost in the shuffle with Max Scherzer signing, and the Brewers-Rangers swap involving Yovani Gallardo.
Dexter Fowler was traded to the Cubs on Monday for Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily.
Fowler's Projection (pre-trade):
- .276 AVG, 450 AB
- 12 HR, 42 RBI
- 69 R, 14 SB
Since becoming a regular in the big leagues back in 2009, Fowler has consistently maintained a double-digit walk rate while carrying a strikeout rate between 20.6-24.2%. For his career, Fowler eclipsed 20 steals in a season once (2009, 27), while his .474 SLG percentage in 2012 (and career-high 13 homers that season) appears to be an outlier.
Fowler's only season in Houston was limited to 116 games due to a back injury and an early-season illness, so it's reasonable to think that an increased volume of playing time is on tap for him in Chicago, assuming health. The arrival of a high-OBP tablesettler should bode well for the run producers in the lineup, as the Cubs had a combined .303 OBP from the leadoff spot, and .301 OBP from the second spot in the batting order in 2014. Depending on the growth of the team's young bats, Fowler could make push toward his previous career-high in runs scored (84, 2011).
Valbuena will likely keep the seat warm at third base for the Astros and play on the larger side of a platoon with the right-handed hitting Matt Dominguez until Carlos Correa (if he moves off shortstop) or Colin Moran is deemed ready for the call.
Straily's prospects as a starter are much brighter with the move to Houston. First and foremost, he will have a shorter list of competent arms to compete with for a rotation spot, as Travis Wood, Tsyuoshi Wada, Edwin Jackson, Jacob Turner, and C.J. Edwards were all in his path with the Cubs -- just for the fifth starter spot.
Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, and Scott Feldman should have the first three spots in the rotation locked up, but Straily will compete with Brett Oberholtzer and Brad Peacock for the final two spots, while Asher Wojciechowski and forgotten former prospect Alex White may also be long shots.
Straily's biggest shortcoming has been handling left-handed batters to this point in his career, but while he leaves one organization that has turned around struggling young arms thanks to the work of pitching coach Chris Bosio in Chicago, he lands in another place that has been able to develop surprises including Keuchel and McHugh. Although he's just two seasons removed from posting a 3.96 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 27 starts for Oakland, he's now 26 years old, and it's possible that another season of struggles in the rotation will prompt a long-term shift into a relief role. Straily may be worth an endgame pick (or $1-2 bid) in AL-only formats if he can close in on one of the aforementioned starting jobs this spring.
Secondary Impact
Kris Bryant -- Luis Valbuena was not blocking Kris Bryant. Scott Boras is blocking Kris Bryant. A Boras client with an elite ceiling, Bryant is an extremely unlikely candidate to sign a long-term, pre-arbitration deal with the Cubs (a la Evan Longoria several years back). The Cubs need to ensure that Bryant doesn't accrue a full year of service time, but it's highly doubtful that they care about paying Bryant extra in arbitration if he arrives and earns Super Two status.
Arismendy Alcantara -- The Cubs can use Alcantara as a super-utility player with Fowler available to play center field on a daily basis, while his 2015 projection already accounts for a semi-regular amount of playing time. Initially, Alcantara may be tasked with handling third base until Kris Bryant gets the call.
Anthony Rizzo -- As the third hitter in the order, Rizzo stands to see a boost to his RBI total with the OBP jump from Fowler's presence in the leadoff spot. Rizzo became the 11th player since 2005 to hit 30 or more home runs in a season while driving in 80 or fewer runs. If the Cubs find an upgrade for the No. 2 spot in the order, look for even more of a boost for Rizzo.
Colby Rasmus -- The Astros are believed to be closing in on a one-year deal with Rasmus. Should that happen as planned, Rasmus will become the team's primary center fielder in a potential platoon with the right-handed hitting Jake Marisnick. Switch-hitting outfielder Robbie Grossman would conceivably back up Evan Gattis in left and George Springer in right.
Matt Dominguez -- As noted above, he goes from being a regular to playing on the small side of a platoon as long as Valbuena is in the mix, barring a rapid turnaround from his .551 OPS over 407 at-bats against right-handed pitching last season.