Chicago Cubs: Looking at potential 2016 center field options

Sep 15, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Austin Jackson (27) high-fives manager Joe Maddon (R) after scoring a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Jackson

Acquired late this season from the Seattle Mariners, Jackson has served mostly as a bench player and late-inning role player for the Cubs in 15 games.

He hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut offensively, either. With Chicago, he’s batting just .227/.261/.341 in a limited 46 plate appearance sample size. On the season, as a whole, he’s got a .690 OPS – roughly 40 points below his career average.

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It’s been awhile since Jackson put together an impressive season at the dish. Back in 2012 and 2013 with the Tigers, he appeared poised to break out as one of the top outfield bats in the game, batting .300/.377/.479 with Detroit in 2012, combining a rare duo of power and speed.

In terms of Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), Jackson has been a 6.0 player, or slightly above-average, this year in center. Fowler, by contrast, has been a hair below-average, coming in at a -0.7 mark in over 1,200 innings at the position for Chicago this season.

In terms of price, Jackson is a prototypical buy-low target for the front office. If he can regain a bit of his former offensive potency, he could be a very big piece to the puzzle moving forward.

Next: Colby Rasmus

Sep 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Colby Rasmus (28) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Colby Rasmus

Approaching 20 home runs for the fourth time in his big-league career, this Rasmus brother has done his part in helping lead a resurgent Houston Astros franchise back to relevance this year.

With 19 dingers on the campaign, the former St. Louis Cardinals prospect has added some ‘pop’ to the Astros’ lineup, while also appearing in games at all three outfield positions. Now, while it’s unlikely he’d see much time in the corner spots if he wound up in Chicago (thanks to Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber), the versatility is always a nice plus.

Less attractive is his .235 batting average and OBP that barely surpasses the .300 mark. That being said, you can overlook (to a degree) this when penciling him into the Cubs’ potential lineup thanks to the plethora of offensive weapons already in the mix.

Rasmus, to me personally, isn’t the most desirable candidate. He’s a good 20-homer piece, which is a check mark in his favor, but he’s essentially a league average defender who hasn’t hit above .250 in two years.

Next: Denard Span

Jun 24, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Denard Span (2) catches a fly ball during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Denard Span

Much like it was for the Washington Nationals team as a whole, the 2015 season has been a disappointment for the speedy Nats center fielder.

That being said, this is my choice to replace Fowler if he does indeed go elsewhere this offseason. Why would I want a guy who appeared in just 61 games? Easy. Because he’s an asset in every regard.

He’s missed the majority of the season, but when he’s been in the lineup for Matt Williams, he’s produced, batting .301/.365/.431 with 17 doubles and 11 steals. He was so good last year that he received MVP votes, thanks largely to an astounding 184 base hits and 31 steals.

Span is exactly what the Cubs need at the top of the order ahead of the big boppers – a guy that can get on-base consistently and wreak havoc with his legs as much as his bat. Defensively, there’s work to be done, but his work at the dish is enough to make up for those shortcomings.

The veteran will likely be the highest-paid free agent center fielder this winter. And don’t be surprised if it’s the Chicago Cubs who go out and pay him.

Next: Dexter Fowler

Aug 31, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher

(49) high-fives Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler (24) and teammates before the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Arrieta pitched a no-hitter the night before in Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Dexter Fowler

And here we are, ending up right where we began in Fowler.

Given the Cubs will no-doubt extend a qualifying offer to the center fielder at the end of the season, his quest for free agency becomes a bit murkier. Teams are often wary of losing that draft pick associated with signing someone with a Q.O. on the table, so it’s definitely worth keeping in mind.

This season has been a tale of two halves for Fowler, but we’re going to focus on his second-half exploits for the time being. Since the All-Star Break, the veteran has an OPS over .900, thanks to a .289/.407/.518 slash-line since mid-July.

Fowler is tied for 10th in terms of WAR in the season’s second-half, dead-even with future Hall of Famer David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox in the rankings. Not bad for a guy who was looking to re-establish value this year with Chicago and instead became a cog that set the table for a young, hungry lineup.

While the likes of the other names on this list have their lure, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Cubs go with what they know (and like) in Fowler this offseason. A veteran piece is always a good thing, especially on a team full of young talent.

Next: Taking a look at potential free agent targets