Dustin Fowler

Fowler did not make an appearance on the major-league roster in 2019, and that speaks to the talent Oakland had on the roster this past season and the lack of opportunity. Fowler spent the season in the Pacific Coast League hitting .277/.333/.477 with 25 homers, 98 runs scored and 12 steals. Before you get too excited, that production line was below average for the Pacific Coast League. Fowler is 25 years old and has 70 games of experience at the major-league level with little to show for it. If Oakland is to pull off a trade this winter, Fowler would likely be a part of it and would need that change of scenery to get another attempt at proving himself at the highest level.

Ramon Laureano's emergence and Fowler's struggles resulted in a shuffling of the center field depth chart. The former Yankees prospect was acquired by Oakland last offseason. After rehabbing a ruptured patella tendon, Fowler opened the season with Triple-A Nashville. A hot streak earned Fowler a promotion in early May, but he didn't take advantage, posting a .629 OPS before being sent back down Aug. 1. Fowler was summoned when rosters expanded, but barely played down the stretch. For the season, he slashed .341/.364/.520 with 13 steals in 15 tries on the farm, showing no ill effects from his surgery. Fowler failed to translate the skills to the majors, fanning 23% of the time, several points higher than his rate in the minors. Even if Laureano regresses somewhat, he would still look like the better all-around option in center. Fowler, whose speed and contact skills remain intriguing, will now look to supplant Nick Martini in left field.

No hitter had a worse big-league debut than Fowler last year. He crashed into the outfield wall and ruptured his kneecap in late June before ever making a plate appearance for the Yankees. This cost him the rest of the season, and helped make him expendable when he was sent to Oakland in the deadline deal for Sonny Gray. The injury was a significant developmental setback, but the trade actually works in Fowler's favor. He went from an organization with extreme outfield depth to one where he will compete for the starting center field job in spring training. He has typically excelled at making contact, but posted a career-high 20.1 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A last year. Prior to that change in approach, he was seen as a classic plus hit tool/plus speed center fielder, but he is starting to tap into intriguing pop -- his .249 ISO at Triple-A was easily a career best. Now he looks like a five-category threat who could soon hit near the top of the lineup and offer 20-20 potential.

Fowler was extremely productive in 2016, hitting over .280 for the second-consecutive year. He swiped 25 bags for the second straight season, but also saw an uptick in power, giving him that power/speed combination that makes fantasy owners salivate. Fowler hit 30 doubles, 15 triples and 12 home runs en route to a .770 OPS for Double-A Trenton. The 21-year-old lefty has stellar speed, more pop than expected, and the ability to hit for average. His only issue may be the suddenly crowded outfield with Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier all technically ahead of him on the organizational depth chart. As a result, Fowler should start the 2017 campaign in Triple-A with an eye towards making his big-league debut sometime during the season.