The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- People all over baseball predict that Commissioner Bud Selig will eventually have to act on the Mets' situation, perhaps engineering a "soft landing" that would allow Fred Wilpon a graceful exit.
- A couple executives Stark spoke to don't feel that Adrian Gonzalez's seven-year, $154MM extension with the Red Sox will affect Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder. I imagine there are some teams that will try to say Fielder doesn't deserve significantly more than Gonzalez, but Gonzalez's contract wasn't signed on the open market and he's not represented by Scott Boras. Stark says the "early buzz" is that Boras seeks $200MM over eight years for Fielder. Of course, the early buzz around Boras clients is often way above what the player actually signs for. A few candidates to sign Fielder, in the eyes of SI's Jon Heyman: the Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, Orioles, and Dodgers.
- Though the Nationals could probably afford Pujols or Fielder, one source who has talked with them extensively told Stark they're more likely to spread their money around.
By saying, “[the Nationals] more likely to spread their money around,” do they mean that they are going to sign both Pujols and Fielder? Zimmerman is athletic enough to move to a corner outfield spot and Pujols came up as a third baseman.
Dream team!
-wtk
Who in their right mind would pay Fielder 8 yrs/200mil? Maybe 7 yrs/140 mil.
who in their right mind would pay 7 yr 126 million for werth , wait the same team that will pay more for fielder
Rizzo let Dunn walk away because of his average defense. He wouldn’t sign a soon-to-become-statue Fielder. He also likes athleticism, which Fielder has none of.
Dunn makes fielder look like JT Snow
Actually, he doesn’t. Prince’s yearly UZR (Usually -7 to -9) is drastically lower than Dunn’s. Fielder will never get a long term deal from a NL team.
yeah, your right no NL team will want that guy on there team, yeah right , and uzr doesnt tell the whole story , fielder had a much better fielding percentage , and only had 4 errors last year , i think dunn will get 4 this year at Dh
Fielder may not be athletic, but during the 7th inning stretch he challenges people to eating contests!
Yeah, and gluttony is a great thing to obtain in a huge free agent purchase.
If the Wilpons weren’t in trouble financially, they would. Moves like that are their MO.
“I imagine there are some teams that will try to say Fielder doesn’t deserve significantly more than Gonzalez.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if there are teams that say that he deserves less than Gonzalez. Since 2008 they have been very similar offensive players, and Gonzalez has been significantly better defensively.
Fielder has stolen three times as many bases since ’08!
-wtk
If I were the Nationals I’d sign Pujols if possible..There lineup could be solid in the future with Werth,Harper,and Pujols..Maybe trade LaRoche fro some pitching and trade some players in the minors for a center fielder that they know they could sign long term…But yet who knows I’m a Brewers fan and we’re losing Fielder possibly to the cubs..
Harper is in Single A.
and crushing the ball with his 260 avg
That’s why I said in the future!
2014-2015
That’s why I said in the future!
Not for long. He’ll be in AAA by the end of the season. Next year he’ll get a taste in the bigs, but if he tears the cover of the ball the Nats will cal him up. If I is redy he is ready and the Nats are not exactly a contending team.
If you pay Fielder $200 million, he will definitely eat $180 million of it
He’s worth the $200 million he’s hit 2 inside the park home runs…And it’s funny watching the fat guy run! Everything bounces up and down! With him you even get the occasional charging of the opposing teams dugout!
How fat and unathletic is Prince Fielder going to be in years 6, 7 & 8 of that alleged $200mil deal? I say pretty fat and very unathletic.
I’d stay away from Fielder.
I do not want to see Fielder as a Cub, and I don’t want to pay Pujols the final $150 million of a deal to be solid at best, which is what he’ll be in 5 years.
I say Pena will have a decent year; I’d rather re-sign him if he hits 30+ homers with a .240+ average, re-sign Dempster, and re-sign Ramirez at an affordable rate while obtaining an elite reliever or two.
wow yeah lets resign demp and his 6plus era and status quo on the rest of this lousy team great idea anyone else tired of losing. Maybe charlie sheen can be our next gm
How many people with Fielder’s bodytype (I’m being kind in using that word) are able to keep up their performance as they age? I’d only give him a relatively short-term guarenteed contract for much less annual money, structured with performance bonuses and team options to renew for 1-2 year periods at a time.
If some other sucker wants to pay him more, so be it.
Some sucker desperate for a power bat will give him Teixeira money.
No way do the Rangers get in on the Fielder sweepstakes. Mitch Moreland looks just fine at first base. He consistently turns in the most professional at-bats on the team. That money is better spent elsewhere.
I’ve got Pujols going to the Nats. He’ll give them instant credibility and will make them a contender sooner than later!
The Nats won’t get either one, they need money for the $150+ million contract they’re going to give Zimmerman next year. I’m not an economics major but giving just 3 players close to $500 million over the next 6-8 years probably won’t cause the team to garner too much profit when under 20k attend per game.
If they sign Pujols – that’s abig IF – and keep Zimmerman, and still have Werth, add Harper and a recovered Strasburg, and you won’t see any more nights with less than 25K in the stands. And probably more like nothing less than 35K…