Please do not sign Fielder thread

[KCBrewerfan34]

If Prince doesn't get the moster deal wouldn't he better off signing a 1 year $20 million dollar deal with us and then retesting the market next year as opposed to signing a 3 or 4 year deal somewhere else???

[brettac1]

I think he'll take the most years and the most money possible. I can't see why it would be a good idea for him to leave any money or years on the table. There's always the chance of catastrophic injury.

[OglivieHomePerm]

At this point, every day when I make my first visit to brewerfan.net of the day, I am suprised when I do not see a headline saying that "Fielder Signs with ". I certainly never expected him to be on the market this long.

[JohnBriggs12]

If Prince doesn't get the moster deal wouldn't he better off signing a 1 year $20 million dollar deal with us and then retesting the market next year as opposed to signing a 3 or 4 year deal somewhere else???

That's being talked about more and more inside baseball. Most think Boras would want more than $20 million though. There's several teams that could get involved if Boras cried uncle and indicated he'd accept such a deal. One of those teams you would think would be are the Brewers. Sure they are at their budget for payroll this year, but they have movable pieces making significant dollars, specifically K-Rod and Wolf that would free up room to pay Prince for a year. They might have to ink a veteran like Garland or Pineiro cheap to compete for Wolf's rotation spot with guys like Fiers and Peralta. The trade off of a thinner staff is the prospect of having a middle of the order of Braun, Fielder, A-Ram. I've not been excited about A-Ram but as 3rd banana he'd have less pressure and Ramirez thrives with less pressure.

[brwrsfan]

I just can't see any scenario in which Prince/Boras comes crawling back to the Brewers. Even if he wanted a short term deal, I just don't see it happening with us. I wish it would, but it seems pretty unlikely. I'll be pretty surprised if he doesn't wind up in Washington.

[fondybrewfan]

As mentioned the Brewers would have to trade K-rod and Wolf; and with teams knowing Melvin has to dump them he won't get junk for a return. Even if Fielder comes back and says he'll take 1/20 I would guess Melvin says no thanks.

[pretendastronaut]

Despite a report on the team’s official Web site today playing down the Nationals’ chances at signing free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, a person familiar with the situation said the Nationals are “patiently and aggressively” pursuing Fielder — a pursuit that included a new twist today.

 

The Nationals’ push for Fielder continued when Nationals principal owners Ted and Mark Lerner met with Scott Boras, Fielder’s high-profile agent, at the owners’ meetings in Arizona this evening, the person said. The details of the conversation are not known, but the sides previously discussed Fielder this offseason in Washington. In the past, the Lerners have been part of negotiations for lucrative contracts with Boras for Jayson Werth, Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.

 

Boras also met with a handful of other owners at the meetings. While the Miami Marlins have played down interest in Fielder, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was among the small handful of others owners who chatted with Boras.

 

Source

[jeffy]

I can't see why it would be a good idea for him to leave any money or years on the table. There's always the chance of catastrophic injury.

 

But that was also the case when he turned down the safe and secure $100 million for 5 years from the Brewers.

[brettac1]

I can't see why it would be a good idea for him to leave any money or years on the table. There's always the chance of catastrophic injury.

 

But that was also the case when he turned down the safe and secure $100 million for 5 years from the Brewers.

Yes, but I don't think he'll take that risk again. Also, he probably didn't want to stay in Milwaukee.

[Crew2323]

From Bill Shaikin's Twitter:

 

"I'm told #[/s]Brewers invited Fielder to return for 1 year so as to get mega-deal from new #[/s]Dodgers owner next winter. Boras showed no interest."

[B2k1121]

Not sure who BrewerNation is on Twitter, but I think he broke some Brewers news before. He says there is potentially huge Brewers news upcoming. Maybe related to this, I don't know. My guess is a Braun ruling though.

[Crew2323]

Jim Breen, who broke the Grienke trade tweets this:

 

"News: @BillShaikin is reporting #[/s]Brewers invited Prince Fielder back on one-year deal. Can confirm I've heard same thing from two people."

 

And this: "One person said #[/s]Brewers were approached by Boras on a one-year deal for Fielder, but more people saying #[/s]Brewers approached Boras."

[sauveb]

Even if nothing comes of this, I have to admit that Melvin has played this situation perfectly. Prince is still probably gone but, with Melvin and Mark A., to quote the immortal Joaquin Andujar, you can sum it all up with one word. Youneverknow.

[RockCoCougars]

I just don't see a one year deal working either way. Prince would have to take out a huge insurance policy in case of an injury, and he's still taking a huge risk. As for the Brewers, I'd love to have Prince back, but I'm really tiring of this year by year stuff. I think that a backloaded 5 year deal that averages more than Pujols with an out after year 3 is the way to go. Obviously Wolf and K-Rod would likely have to be moved, but I'd rather have Prince than those two. I don't think it would be too hard to move Wolf, but K-Rod would be a real challenge.

 

On a semi-related note, let's say that K-Rod is injured this spring. Could the Brewers cut him and give him the 20 percent or whatever without facing a grievance?

[trwi7]

B2k1121 wrote:

---

Not sure who BrewerNation is on Twitter, but I think he broke some Brewers news before. He says there is potentially huge Brewers news upcoming. Maybe related to this, I don't know. My guess is a Braun ruling though.

He's never broken any Brewers news. He's a complete fraud.

[B2k1121]

B2k1121 wrote:

---

Not sure who BrewerNation is on Twitter, but I think he broke some Brewers news before. He says there is potentially huge Brewers news upcoming. Maybe related to this, I don't know. My guess is a Braun ruling though.

He's never broken any Brewers news. He's a complete fraud.
I've been duped, I must have been thinking about Jim Breen.

[fondybrewfan]

Is this some recent event or did the Brewers bring this up 2 months ago? I don't know how the Crew could seriously entertain adding another $20 Million on the payroll without seriously hurting the team in other areas

[brettac1]

Is this some recent event or did the Brewers bring this up 2 months ago? I don't know how the Crew could seriously entertain adding another $20 Million on the payroll without seriously hurting the team in other areas

From Haudricourt a short while ago:

 

I am told the Brewers have not made a 1-year offer to Fielder. This is either old news from earlier this winter or a suggestion.

[Raw Biz]

I think that a backloaded 5 year deal that averages more than Pujols with an out after year 3 is the way to go. Obviously Wolf and K-Rod would likely have to be moved, but I'd rather have Prince than those two. I don't think it would be too hard to move Wolf, but K-Rod would be a real challenge.

A backloaded deal for what it would take to sign Prince would cripple the team. If he wanted to average more than Pujols, he could potentially make more than 30 mil/yr in the final years if you backload it. Add to that Braun's 12/19 per year, Yo's 13, and whatever they have to pay from deferring ARam. It just won't work financially without sacrificing in other areas, most likely pitching. I like Prince and thought he was a great player but like others have mentioned, having Prince, Braun, Weeks, etc. without the pitching is the teams of 2009 and 2010.

I know we have some good prospects coming up but they are still just prospects. I would much rather use the money to resign Greinke. Even if Greinke never pitches like he did in 09 and is closer to what he did last year, he's still a solid #2, which definitely has value.

[Crew2323]

BrewerNation posted an article to follow up his tweet from this morning. It does, in fact, revolve around the reports that have come out about the Brewers and Fielder and a 1 year deal. However, it has a few more details to it.

 

I wouldn't call him a fraud. He does seem to have connections to the Brewer organization. And he was tweeting about this earlier this morning before anyone else was. He states that he couldn't post anything while at work. Take it for what it's worth.

[trwi7]

Crew2323 wrote:

---

I wouldn't call him a fraud.

I'll call him a fraud until he actually breaks something. He's about 0 for 100. He sounded like an idiot when he used to call in on sports radio a few years back too.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Does anybody think Fielder is happy right now that he is still unsigned? If not, if this drags out a couple more weeks, then does he fire Boras? Mitch Williams said on Mlbnetwork tonight as a player Fielder can't be happy right now that he is still unsigned looking at this from the players point of view.

[rluzinski]

It's not unprecedented for high profile players to sign this late. I still think Fielder will end up with a pretty darn good contract.

[brettac1]

Let's also not overlook the fact that Mitch Williams is an idiot and that he's not in contact with Fielder, nor does he know what it's like to be a great player that's a free agent.

[jeffy]

It's not unprecedented for high profile players to sign this late. I still think Fielder will end up with a pretty darn good contract.

 

According to this: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/a...6&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

it is.

 

That indicates that the only big signing that came later was Jan. 26, 2005, the day when Carlos Delgado ended a long free agency by signing a four-year, $52 million pact with the Marlins.

 

Then there is this, indicating things have not gone well for Boras' clients this off-season: http://msn.foxsports.com/...salvage-offseason-011212