Earlier today we heard from Scott Boras, who is still trying to find a job for three of his highest profile clients this offseason. His biggest client next offseason, both literally and figuratively, will be Prince Fielder of the Brewers. The first baseman is due to earn upwards of $15MM in 2011, his final trip through the arbitration process, and he'll hit the open market after the season at just 27 years old.
Fielder's credentials are undeniable. He's hit .281/.395/.549 with 162 total home runs over the last four seasons, an average of just over 40 per season. Only Ryan Howard has gone deep more times since 2007, and only a handful of players boast better on-base percentages. Fielder's defense is generally below average and there are legitimate long-term concerns about his size and ability to play the field. His father Cecil Fielder had a similar build and had gone from being one of the game's best sluggers to merely above average by age 30.
Boras will have his work cut out for him, because three of baseball's biggest spenders (Yankees, Tigers, Phillies) already have first basemen locked up to nine-figure contracts. The Cardinals and Red Sox figure to join that group once extensions for Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez are in place, respectively. Other clubs like the Reds, White Sox, Twins, and Nationals don't have a desperate need for a first baseman. Here are some of the clubs that could have interest in Fielder next offseason…
- Angels – Shut out of all the top free agents this winter, the Halos could be an aggressive player for Prince. They already have Kendry Morales at first however, meaning that they'd be locking one of the two into the DH spot for the foreseeable future. Their relationship with Boras isn't great either.
- Blue Jays – If Edwin Encarnacion or Adam Lind can't handle first in 2010, Toronto could try to make a big play for Fielder. It would go against everything Alex Anthopoulos has done to date though. They might also be preoccupied with trying to re-signing Jose Bautista by then as well.
- Cubs – The Cubbies added Carlos Pena on a one-year deal, so the position will be open next winter. Kosuke Fukudome's $14.5MM salary will be off the books as well, so the money seems to be there. We know they've been looking for lefty power for quite some time.
- Dodgers – Ned Colletti is somewhat limited by the team's ownership situation right now, but things could change in the next 12 months. Perhaps a new owner would like to make a big splash.
- Giants – Aubrey Huff just re-signed for two years but he can play other positions if needed, though if he does, it might be in deference of top prospect Brandon Belt. San Francisco will have to start thinking about a long-term extension for Tim Lincecum soon enough, and that is likely to eclipse $100MM.
- Mets – Sandy Alderson has limited his free agent spending this winter, but he'll have Carlos Beltran ($20.07MM), Oliver Perez ($12MM), and Luis Castillo ($6.25MM) coming off the payroll after next season. Some of that money might go to an extension for Jose Reyes, but signing Fielder could free them up to trade Ike Davis for help elsewhere.
- Orioles – The O's made a run at Mark Teixeira two winters ago, so we know they have the ability to support a $20MM a year player. Derrek Lee is on a one-year deal, and Andy MacPhail could choose to add that big power bat just as his young players start to mature.
- Rangers – Texas has still has some Cliff Lee money to spend, but this would still be a long shot. They have several players due sizable arbitration raises in the next two years (most notably Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz), and would probably need to unload Michael Young as well.
We shouldn't rule the Brewers out either, no matter how unlikely it seems. They made a representative offer to CC Sabathia after the 2008 season, so we know they have that kind of money available. Of course that was before they added Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, and before signing both Corey Hart and Yovani Gallardo long-term. The market for Fielder still has another 11 months to develop, and plenty will change between now and then. At this moment though, there's no clear-cut suitor.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Literally and figuratively. Nice.
The Brewers could keep him around if they can draw a good crowd every night. I don’t see what the issue is now with the pitching they’ve added. Going to be a fun Brewer team to watch. Young and full of talent.
Woah, I do not want to break the bank for Prince Fielder if Ike has a good year. Larger players tend not to age as well. My Mo Vaughn sense is tingling.
You say Mo Vaughn, I say Ryan Howard. There’s no actual evidence that Fielder will decline over the life of a 5-6 year contract (he would still be in his early thirties).
Well, Ryan Howard is already declining, so that’s that.
I agree, but some people act like Fielder is going to fall off a cliff at age 29 or something.
probably not but he is likely going to be looking for a really long contract and teams are going to want to be sure that he wont break down completely by the end of it
Well, as the post noted, his dad sure fell off a cliff not long after age 29.
timber!!!
How so? He is in the best shape of his life. He suffered an ankle injury last season which put a dent in his performance in the second half. Care to tell me your favorite team?
He’s fat and has a bad attitude. Other than that, I’ll buy that he’s in the “best” shape of his life. It just happens that his shape is still round.
Do you seriously not understand the potential cons of the M’s signing Fielder? First and foremost, Boras will be looking for something in the 6 year, 120-140 million range. That basically leaves the M’s little wiggle room to make other upgrades, and all of it for an overweight designated hitter. That, Patricio, is why I’m torn. Don’t question my fanhood just because I take time to think things through.
His defense won’t get any better, Ike plays GG caliber at the position, and if he continues to develop well as a hitter, I wouldn’t try to throw that away by signing a guy who likely would be better suited as a DH soon enough. You say 5-6 years, I say there’s no way he gets that few with so many potential suitors.
Agreed, Fielder is built just like his Dad almost bigger with a less stupid looking face. And he’s playing everyday right now legs and knees supporting that much weight are better suited for the AL.
Mike Axisa says it’s in his family lineage and I say don’t knock the impact of genetics. Whether its for baseball or just general health Fielder needs to take better care of his body.
Here’s Fielder in Japan this offseason. Looks like he’s taking care of it just fine.
i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb279/sussemilch/Dec20…
wow, he’s dropped a ton of weight.
Hopefully Jim Hendry is fired by then so the Cubs aren’t dumb enough to make a 7-8 year offer to Fielder.
Cecil Fielder did not have a similar build. Why do people keep saying that?
Haters gonna hate.
Uh yes they do, only difference is Cecil fielder didn’t look as fat as Prince did when he was still in his mid-twenties.
Uh yeah, because they have different body types… Cecil was four inches taller and 40 lbs. lighter when he played.
You obviously take merit in what the teams say the player’s weights are. You shouldn’t.
According to official heights and weights John Lester is the same height and 10 pounds heavier than Ortiz. Right.
Fat takes up more space than muscle. Ortiz isn’t in as good a condition as Lester. They can both be the same height and almost the same weight and have completely different body shapes.
And Cecil’s weight caused him to break down at a relatively young age. Prince is even heavier, on a smaller build. That spells even more trouble.
Anyone who signs him to a 5+ year contract is going to regret the last couple of years, especially if it’s an NL team.
I’d rather the Mets keep Ike. His glove has me convinced for at least another year.
His glove was extremely underrated last year and if they decide to put Murphy at 2nd then it would be a MUST to keep Ike. Don’t even get me started on how many throwing errors he’s saved David Wright because of his little lollipop sidearm throws.
his bat is only going to get better. He missed about 6 weeks of the season and still hit 19 HR’s. the best part is that when he hits a HR, its usually well over 400 FT. 8 of his 19 HR’s were over 430 FT. 15 of his 19 HR’s were over 400 Ft.
something tells me this kid is going to be special.
to put it in perspective. if Ike played in Yankee Stadium, he would have had 12 extra HR’s. Upping his total from 19 to 31 HR’s.
“It would go against everything Alex Anthopoulos has done to date though.”
Actually, everything AA has done to date so far is to set up the Blue Jays for a Prince Fielder-ish acquisition. If the Blue Jays can repeat on their 2010 performance and hover in the mid 80s in Ws it’s not unlikely they make a big push for Fielder. They have only 35m committed for 2012 so far and claim they are willing to go to a 120m payroll when the time is right.
I’d rather a first baseman than a DH.
Why would you care if Lind or Encarnacion shows themselves to be competent/good at the position?
Hmmmmm, could it have something to do with spending over 100+ million over the length of a 6-8 year contract for a DH is unappealing for most teams?
hes still capable at first and if the second half of the contract hes not working out there he gets shifted…and jerry is right though, alex has said multiple times when the team is close, they will spend…and rogers corporation claims to have the money if he asks for it. the thing alex seems to want to do when he signs a big time contract is to NOT sign a 30 year old becoming a free agent for the first time…he’s looking saving for the kids that reached free agency faster and thats how you keep the team younger. but it doesnt matter if he never reaches free agency…but he will because scott boras is his agent and he wont be allowed to resign prior unless its for a player friendly number.
because in all likelihood, two guys who are not very good defensively, and have never played first base before (save for Lind’s 17 innings or whatever it was last year) won’t show themselves to be good/competent. Prince is not going to age well in terms of defense, simply because he’s huge and only sort of mobile now. I mean, yeah, if Lind/Edwin works out then great, let’s have it; I just don’t see either being overly useful at 1b.
because in all likelihood, two guys who are not very good defensively, and have never played first base before (save for Lind’s 17 innings or whatever it was last year) won’t show themselves to be good/competent. Prince is not going to age well in terms of defense, simply because he’s huge and only sort of mobile now. I mean, yeah, if Lind/Edwin works out then great, let’s have it; I just don’t see either being overly useful at 1b.
I gotta think the Cubs are going to go all in. Right now I still don’t think they can compete in the weak NL Central, but I think with the Garza trade they’re definitely trying to get into position within the next few years.
If I were a Brewer fan I’d be kind of upset about this post, since I’m not a Brewer fan; great great post!!
Travis Hafner 2.0
Uh…?
If he were smart he would sign in the AL just incase he gets too big and slow to play first he can still DH.
With the money he’s seeking it doesn’t matter where he’s going — he’ll sign for the biggest amount of money possible.
Fielder has been bellyaching about money in Milwaukee for years. It started when his dad gambled away his signing bonus and has only gotten worse since.
Fielder and Boras are match made in … wherever Boras is from. It’s all about the money.
What about the Washington Nationals? Yes, I know they have Laroche, but I don’t think having Laroche is a good enough reason to not get Fielder, especially given how desperate the Nats are for any sort of talent whatsoever.
Rizzo claims to be driven by defense. Fielder’s below average now and likely to decline further.
He needs to go to the AL where when he can’t be tolearated at first any more he can shift to DH.
I don’t understand why this guy doesn’t get in shape. I think it also reveals something about his attitude toward giving whatever it takes to be the best player he can be.
Prince is a vegetarian (vegan too maybe?)… Just accept the fact that the guy is big and will be big for his entire MLB career. I’d say he’s best fit for the AL, but just like Dunn will insist he’s a 1B so he doesn’t get stuck not getting paid like Thome or Vlad.
Theres plenty of unhealthy food that isn’t meat. Vegetarian doesn’t mean healthy.
Er. Yea. I guess it all depends on what your definition of ‘is’ is.
Generally speaking, there are less calories in a vegetarian diet. Generally speaking, less calories in a diet translates to less weight stored in the body in the form of fat. Generally speaking, a reduction of calories combined with physical exercise will not lead to weight gain. Generally speaking, multimillion dollar athletes who put so much attention into what they eat so as to go so far as to declare themselves vegetarian can be trusted to do well by their bodies.
Cuz I know if I were a vegetarian multimillionaire whose income depended on the physical performance of my body, with a whole host of physical trainers and dietitians at my disposal, I would go out and find the most unhealthy non-meat products I could find.
I think it’s safe to say Prince does right by his body given his genetic makeup.
I don’t see why Boston isn’t a possibility. They don’t really have many DH options after Ortiz. NY has Posada / Jeter / Rodriguez to get at-bats from the DH spot so maybe they’re out. Do we think Fielder would earn less if he was “marketed” by Boras as a DH option for teams already content at first base, like Boston or LAA?
Boston isn’t a possibility because if they lock up AGon that’s two players with 20M a year contracts AND they still have to lock up Buchholz. Youkilis will be without a contract in a couple years. Ellsbury begins arbitration soon, Bard will eventually. And to finish off why not… it doesn’t make sense to lock 20M into the DH spot, ever. The money will be there to do it, but it really is a waste. Resign Papi or find other alternatives.
Alright so it makes so much sense to lock 20M into a 1B who should be a DH? Same production but if he’s a DH then he’s not hurting the team on defense, which I think would make sense to a team like Boston who yeah admittedly has its own players to worry about in the near future but a couple of big contracts ending during what would likely be in the middle of Fielder’s deal. I guess I just have a hard time seeing Fielder making sense on a 6 or 7 year deal in the NL unless he doesn’t actually decline on defense. And for any AL team it seems like after the first couple of years he’d end up DHing. Playing first base makes him more versatile but how much more valuable does it make him if it’s not done well? I admit I haven’t had a close look at his fielding stats so anyone feel free to demonstrate that he can handle 1B just fine…
I get what you’re saying. IMO, I don’t think he fits but you never know. A lot of crazy things can happen.
Fielder would be scary in either Fenway or Yankee Stadium. In Yankee Stadium and the appealing short left porch in the spring/summer. In Fenway you’re talking 40 hrs and 50 dbls easy.
Don’t see either happening though.
Fielder at Yankee Stadium would average 50 HR a year. Easily.
Boston could, theoretically, be a possibility because of the fact that they would have the DH spot open. But I don’t think they would even consider it for that kind of money, so unless his market completely falls apart and they can get him for DH money (even Ortiz-esue DH money) they wont do it. You have to also wonder if Fielder would consider a full time DH roll when he could still play in the field (I didn’t say play well).
They also have Anderson who, if he shows the continued ability to hit, could slide into the DH spot in ’12 and Lavarnway who could also be a potential DH if his defense at catcher doesn’t continue improving to the point that he can stick at catcher.
My Spidey Sense has always towards Prince going to Boston.
I’m putting my (Monopoly) money on the Cubs.
Is Bryce Harper a potential first baseman or is he projected to be more likely to play elsewhere?
meant to be in reply to glenstein…
Harper was drafted as an outfielder.
Yeah, wasn’t he throwing like 95 from the catcher’s position? I wouldn’t put that arm at first
They drafted his bat. LF (if he can cut it) or 1B (if his bat is ready and he’s rushed) are my bets.
Now if only we could get rid of Reagins before next year’s offseason begins…
I take it you want the Angels to go after Fielder?
That would be sweet. We could have a 1st baseman in Morales who would be in line for a $18-20m/year paycheck (assuming he has a monster year in 2011) and then another $20m+ tied up in the DH spot. That would be terrific.
Cubs, O’s and Mets seem like most likely suitors. Probably in that order too.
the cardinals are more likely to make a run at fielder to replace pujols than the mets would be to replace ike.
they have ike davis, who is 24, has 2 more pre-arb years..then 3 more years of arb…
what fielder is asking for per year, the mets can pay ike for about 5 more years.
besides, u know they are already pressing up those I Like Ike shirts, the wilpons dont believe in getting rid of anything ( see perez/castillo contracts for proof of concept )
only took two sentences to get the fat joke in, lol
Welcome to Camden Yards.
I’m torn on whether or not I want the Mariners to make a serious push for him, but it would at least make a lot of sense to mention them in this article (no DH under contract after this year, the consistent need for a big bat, lots and lots of money coming off the books, etc.)
The Cubs have Fukudome, Silva, Ramirez, Grabow and Pena coming off the books after this year. Boras is Fielder’s agent and Hendry has money to spend…
Help.
I’m surprised some other teams aren’t on here as well.
1. Oakland seems willing to at least put in bids on various big-name players.
2. Seattle could use him if Smoak doesn’t seem to pan out. The Big Veg might do well in the Emerald City.
3. How’s Morneau doing after those concussions?
4. Won’t South Beach have a new stadium by then? Wouldn’t surprise me if Fielder was a LeBron Fan.
5. Atlanta needs a 1B as well no? and Larry should be retiring soon (unless he pulls a Favre).
1 & 2-I think Fielder would be doing a disservice to himself by going to either of those pitcher friendly parks.
3-With Mauer earning $25 mil per I can’t see them in on Fielder.
4-Possible I guess. Can’t see the Marlins throwing down that kind of money though.
5-They have Freeman coming up soon I think.
Safeco is actually fairly hitter-friendly for lefties with pull power. Also, the Marlins have Morrison and Sanchez, so that’s not really a fit.
Safeco was built for Griffey — lots of room in the outfield for his GG defense, but friendly RF fence for his HR’s. Too bad the guy bolted for Cinci because he was afraid Safeco would tear up his knees. And that’s what you call irony.
I certainly understand the drawbacks as you’ve listed them, but with the Mets (and Ike Davis), Giants (Belt) and Angels (Morales) on the list, you might as well include a few more names. You know Boras will gauge/solicit their interest as well.
Re: Oakland — no park is too big for Fielder’s kind of power.
My money would be on the Cubbies and Dodgers, with Seattle being the best fit, but ultimately not paying enough $.
Maybe it’s just me but if I had to put my money down it would be on the O’s.
Mauer is totally over paid. Mauer has absolutely no home run power. Great defensively but not worth 25m per year. That’s ridiculous.
Atlanta is hoping Freeman turns in a good season.
to me its between the cubs and orioles. you can never rule out a team like the yanks or boston because they sign every imaginable piece they can and dont care if they pay a guy 15+ mil a year to a guy who would hit 6th in their line up. For me it seems like the cubs would make a huge push and then go all in to re-sign pena if he has a decent year and fielder drags his feet on signing. If the orioles rotation develops, then they will go all in on fielder bc it would get them closer to competing consistently. As an O’s fan, id love it but there is no way he isnt signing for at least 6 years because of the fear, from him included, that his body might break down. I say you get him for at least 5, pray for the back end of the contract to be healthy and productive, and rotate him between first base and DH until his early 30s. In the AL east with all the short porches, he is a lock for 40 HR a year. But he is not worth 20 mil a year. The Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth contracts absolutely ruined any chance for a guy like this to sign for a “reasonable” figure. Still scratching my head on those contracts.
You make it sound like the Red Sox and Yankees are reckless spenders. All they want to do is win. Fan support plays a huge role in being able to do so. Ask the Rays fans.
Only way the Angels are in is if they can swing a trade for Morales. I can see it then. Otherwise there is NO way they will tie up so much money in a DH.
i think a team in japan is gonna lock him up as a 1rst basemen/godzilla defense…
The Cubs will definately make a run at him. In another 6 years, when he still has 2 years remaining ato $20mm+, it will just be another one of the many bad long-term contracts that have sat on their books.
I love Ike and he put up some damn fine numbers in his rookie campaign. He was pretty underrated last season, IMO. I know Heyward and Posey were the stand-outs in that rookie class, but everywhere I looked had Gaby Sanchez over Ike. A guy with far inferior defense, pretty much identical offense (wOBA) and 3.5 years older. I think Ike deserves a shot to be the long term first baseman for the Mets and if not Ike then give Duda a shot if he duplicates his 2010 performance in 2011. That kid absolutely mashed in AA and AAA. He may not have the glove Ike has, but you can’t ignore his production if he puts those numbers up again. I’m totally against signing Fielder to the huge contract that Boras is going to demand.
I like San Francisco as a fit. With the opportunity for splash hits I can see him getting a nickname such as “The Cannonball”
The Brewers offered Fielder $100 million over 5 years last April and Boras turned it down. That was when he was coming off a “Pujols-like” 46 HR, 141 RBI year. Last year those numbers dropped to more “Uggla-like” 32 and 83. Another year like that and he’ll regret not having taken the Brewer offer.
Boras wants him to hit FA in the hopes he gets bid up to a big amount around what Howard got. I see the realistic number at around $120 million over 6 and that’s assuming a bounce back year. I’m not so sure the Brewers, who could easily top 3 million fans this season are out of it. Gallardo, Braun, and Hart are all signed to reasonable deals. The Brewers will stay in the bidding as long as the Cubs are in it for the sole purpose of driving up the price if nothing else.
If Gamel reverses course and shows production this year, it could guide a decision re: Fielder. 1B is his only option to stick and this is his last shot.
I’m tempted to say “no chance” but then look at guys like Casey McGhee as proof it can happen.
I tend to agree Gamel has to show something this year in the 250 or so AB’s he’ll get off the bench. But it’s not out of the question that they’d sign Fielder and trade Hart to open up some money and spot for Gamel who I think is athletic enough and has a strong enough arm to play RF. Another guy they could deal next year to free up cash is Randy Wolf. But they’ll need for him to have a solid year to attract the attention a similar guy like Lilly got last year.
Gamel put up solid numbers at the plate while battling through injuries last season – he’s never had the opportunity to be an everyday player at the major league level. I think that when the time comes, he’ll be ready. The unfortunate aspect of all of this from the Brewers standpoint is that two draft picks is the best deal they can get for Fielder. 15 years ago, they would have received top talent in a trade – damn advanced metrics are ruining the game!
Boras has stated before that he thinks Fielder deserves more than Howard got…. Prince has also implied the same.
I think the Cubs and Orioles make the most sense. Both have the money to give Fielder the huge contract he’ll be looking for.
By the way, anyone concerned about Prince’s weight should Google “Prince Fielder in Japan” for recent pics of him on his goodwill tour there. He’s definitely slimmed down. As a Brewers fan, I look forward to him having a phenomenal 2011 season before he departs.
Exactly!!!!!! he’s slimmed down for his contract year. After signing that fat contract he’s gonna get he’ll stop worrying about his weight and ballon up. Buyer beware… I hope the brewers see thru this and ride his best season all the way to the world series then say thanks for the memories and let someone else deal with his crybaby attitude and expanding waistline.
Boras is brilliant when it comes to identifying the team that is able and willing to over-pay for a his client.
Next year, at about this time, we’ll all be up in arms complaining that Boras got Fielder that many years for that much money.
Destination? Cubs, Angels, O’s, Mets in the order of likelihood. Cubs/O’s because of hitter-friendly parks, Angels/Mets because they have deep pockets and a fan base that needs appeasing. Cubs are in the NL Central, which is familiar territory. Angels or O’s could DH him some now and a lot near the middle to end of the deal.
I think the Angels would be better served to spend that money on Morales and or Weaver.
Not even MLBTR is capable of writing a Prince Fielder article without including a weight joke.
because he’s supposed to be an athlete and he’s FATTTT! have some selfrespect, my god! Name one basebell player to have a long succesful career playing so overweight?
Babe Ruth
Ruth was 6’2″ at 215 lbs. Fielder is 5’11” at 270 lbs. I’m a Brewers fan, but I have to admit, this guy is really fat.
Looking at Ruth, I highly doubt he only tipped the scales at 215lbs. Maybe his rookie year in Boston was when that weight was taken.. Suffice it to say, in the 1920’s Ruth was a fat, fat man when compared to the rest of society. My point is this: hitting a baseball is a very specialized skill, and it has less to do with toned bodies, and more to do with great hand-eye coordination, and instincts. His range at first definitely sucks, but there have been far more, ummmm, shapely(?) first baseman with lead gloves. Obviously his genetics are fighting against him, but Prince has always struck me as a dedicated ball player – perhaps that’s the difference between him and his father – the need to constantly hone his craft.
if loney doesnt pan, prince’s name may come up
No thanks…Ike Davis has a great glove, why lose that? Spend your money on pitching, not Prince.
I’m half-tempted to say I hope the Brewers and Fielder reach on agreement on an extension just so I can be happy about the fact that he’s still playing at a high level offensively when he’s 33.
I feel like the Red Sox could be on this list.
Texas once singed the largest contract in sports history…not LA, not Chicago and not NY. Texas. Prince and Boras have plenty of options. In fact, he is sitting pretty for many reasons, two of which are, he will get to sing a big deal 1 year from now, and $$$ goes up EVERY YEAR. Two, Prince is the last excellent 1b bat on the market…..scarcity.
Would 7 years 140 million get it done for Prince or is that too light? It would seem the Cubs will be all over this guy. The Soriano/Big Z deals will be on the tail end- Pena will hit 200 again and be gone.
Would 7 years 140 million get it done for Prince or is that too light? It would seem the Cubs will be all over this guy. The Soriano/Big Z deals will be on the tail end- Pena will hit 200 again and be gone.