With Dexter Fowler having departed for St. Louis following the 2016 season, the Chicago Cubs were left with a void in center field. Replacing Fowler would be no small feat as the All-Star center fielder posted a slash line of .276/.393/.447 in his final season with the North Siders.
Already on the roster to play center field was Albert Almora, but the young outfielder had just 47 games of big league experience at the end of the 2016 season. To help fill the hole left by Fowler, the Cubs signed veteran outfielder Jon Jay to a one-year contract before the 2017 season.