Dexter Fowler didn’t just have a down year in 2018, his performance was absolutely subterranean. When scrutinizing a list of major league hitters, you had to squint hard to locate Fowler’s statistics. They were buried in the earth.



Among the 278 MLB position players that logged at least 300 plate appearances in 2018, Fowler ranked No. 270 in park-adjusted runs created (wRC+), 38 percent below the league average. He tumbled to No. 277 in batting average (.180) and finished at No. 275 in slugging percentage (.298), OPS (.576) and WAR (minus-1.2.) Oh, and Fowler ranked 26th among big-league right fielders with minus-5 defensive runs saved.



We declare this, calmly and factually: Outside of Chris Davis, who wallowed through a gruesome 2018 for the Orioles, it’s incomprehensible to imagine an MLB player providing less value than Fowler for the cost of services rendered.



Fowler’s second season of a five-year, $82.5 million contract ended with...