Thoughts on Fowler, Fister, Cespedes and remaining arbitration eligibles

This is the time of year when the Orioles are linked to just about every free agent on the market, no matter the position or potential cost. The speculation intensifies if the player actually matches a need.

The Orioles continue their search for an outfielder, with right field the preference but not necessarily a requirement. Though Hyun Soo Kim projects more as a left fielder due to his arm, the club doesn't want to limit it's choices by making that decision in January.

Dexter Fowler has been the exception to the above-stated rule. He never seems to be seriously connected to the Orioles in Hot Stove banter despite making sense on a variety of levels.

Fowler, who turns 30 in March, is a switch-hitter and the Orioles lean strongly to the right, especially with first baseman Chris Davis still on the market. He owns a career .363 on-base percentage, and the Orioles routinely rank near or at the bottom in the majors. Their OBP was .311 and .307 over the past two seasons.

Though primarily a center fielder, Fowler has played 12 games in right, including 10 in the Arizona Fall League back in 2007. He wouldn't be asked to split the atom or date a Kardashian. Shifting to right with the Orioles shouldn't cause him any embarrassment. And he could back up Adam Jones, a job that's open with Gerardo Parra and David Lough no longer on the roster.

(I should note again that Nolan Reimold plays all three outfield positions and, while not guaranteed a job, is signed for 2016 and drawing praise from manager Buck Showalter. As Showalter said, we shouldn't forget about Reimold. I've got him on my projected 25-man roster that's still under construction.)

Fowler swiped 20 bases last season and hit a career-high 17 home runs with the Cubs. He also had eight triples after collecting 10, 14, 15 and 11 over a four-year period with the Rockies starting in 2009.

Now here are the drawbacks:

Fowler turned down the Cubs' qualifying offer and would cost a first-round pick. MLBTradeRumors.com projected that he would receive a four-year, $60 million deal from the Mets, which may not work for the Orioles. He may want a team that allows him to stay in center field.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported yesterday that free agent pitcher Doug Fister is seeking a two-year deal in the $22 million range. Showalter indicated Thursday night on 105.7 The Fan that the club liked Fister and had discussed him, but his price needed to come down.

With the cost of starting pitching these days, I'd still consider Fister a bargain despite his drop in velocity and effectiveness in 2015. But again, it's not my money.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman first narrowed the Orioles' offer to Yoenis Cespedes to around $90 million over five years, and there's also an option attached to it. There were conflicting reports on whether the Mets had a one-year offer on the table. That's not the case.

Crasnick reported that Cespedes has been seeking a six-year deal worth about $22 million annually, which gives you an idea of the gap between his camp and the Orioles. For me, the bigger news is how their pursuit of Cespedes signals that they're finally ready to move on from Davis.

As far as we know, the Orioles are the only team to have offers out there to Cespedes and Davis, but you never can be sure what really goes on behind the scenes unless the agent is willing to show his hand.

As I wrote earlier this week, the Orioles have some concerns about Cespedes being so well-traveled in his four seasons in the majors and whether he'd fit in their clubhouse. You can be certain that they're doing the necessary homework on him.

Kudos to the Orioles for narrowing their list of unsigned arbitration-eligible players to closer Zach Britton and left-hander Brian Matusz. That took a lot of work when you consider the size of the original group.

David Lough and Paul Janish were non-tendered, but Vance Worley and Mark Trumbo were added after the Orioles acquired them via waiver claim and trade, respectively.

You know how these things work. Britton and Matusz likely will avoid hearings when the sides meet halfway. Britton may be more of a challenge, since he filed at $7.9 million and the Orioles countered at $5.6 million. Matusz filed at $4.4 million and the Orioles countered at $3.5 million.

Orioles general counsel H. Russell Smouse is 8-0 in hearings, including last year's win over outfielder Alejandro De Aza. The team is 10-1 since managing partner Peter G. Angelos took over in 1993, the only loss coming against Ben McDonald and his agent, Scott Boras, back in 1995.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "Wall to Wall Baseball" from 11 a.m.-noon on MASN.