
No. 4: Dexter Fowler
After becoming a fan favorite on the North Side as the dynamic leadoff hitter of the World Series winning Chicago Cubs, Dexter Fowler left the reigning champions to join their bitter rivals in St. Louis on a five-year, $82.5 million deal. What seemed to be a shrewd move by the Cardinals to strengthen their lineup and weaken their rival soon turned into a very regrettable decision by the front office.
Over his four year stretch in St. Louis, Fowler slashed .233/.334/.408 with 49 home runs, 177 RBI and and posting a 0.2 WAR across 389 games. His respectable defense and base running also declined during this stretch, stealing 21 bags and posting -26 runs saved in his tenure with the Cardinals.
Fowler was a high-character guy who played the game the right way and was respected in the clubhouse, but his massive contract left a bad taste in most Cardinals fans mouths. After four disappointing seasons, the Cardinals shipped Fowler to the Angels before the 2021 season and paid $14.75 million of the $16.5 million owed to him.
Unfortunately, Fowler’s chance at a fresh start was cut short in April after a torn ACL ended season and is now a free agent. It would be great to see him get one more shot on a major league club, but that remains to be seen.