That is a total non sequitur. This years team had an MVP candidate playing 1B and thus could afford below average production elsewhere.. Any way you cut it, Gamel is an unproven rookie who'll turn 27 in his rookie year. Unless you can guaranty a huge upgrade at 3B and/or SS, you'd be foolish to entrust the 1B job to a rookie. The issue is how do you shore up 1B irrespective of other positions. If you go out and sign Jose Reyes, obviously you stick with Gamel. But assuming at best you place another rookie in Green at 3B and just a guy at SS, that's not enough of an upgrade (if any at all) to offset a Fielder to Gamel downgrade. I agree with JB. I just don't see a scenario where Doug Melvin and Ron Roenecke say, here you go Mat the bat, 1B is yours. Competition will be brought in and depending on money we might get someone with a little more insurrance. If we lock up 1 or 2 of Greinke / Marcum, we might not have any money left to get a bigger name so I would then look for platoon options.