Tag: Prince Fielder (Page 6 of 6)

      Brewers close to a 2-year deal with Prince Fielder?

      January 22, 2009 /

      According to Jon Heyman of SI’s FanNation, the Brewers are closing in on an $18 million deal with first basemen Prince Fielder.

      Prince FielderStar first baseman Prince Fielder and the Brewers are closing in on a two-year contract believed to be worth at least $18 million. An announcement could come as early as today, SI.com has learned.

      Fielder submitted an arbitration figure of $8 million while the team submitted $6 million, but the two sides have been working toward the multi-year agreement since. SI’s Tom Verducci first learned that the sides were in talks for a two-year deal.

      Fielder hit 34 home runs, had 102 RBIs and batted .276 as the Brewers made the playoffs for the first time since 1982 last year. Fielder, only 24, has hit 84 home runs over the last two years.

      This makes sense for both parties. If I have all the rumors straight, Fielder essentially wants to be paid similar to Ryan Howard. But the Brewers don’t want to dole out that kind of long-term money to a defensive liability with weight issues and declining power.

      But Milwaukee also doesn’t want to give up on a young slugger who hasn’t even reached his prime yet. So instead of signing him to a one-year arbitration deal worth between $6-8 mil, they make it a two-year deal for essentially $9 mil a year ($1 mil more than he asked for in arbitration) and buy themselves more time without committing to Fielder long-term.

      Good plan – we’ll have to see if it goes through.

      MLB

      Fraley: Brewers should trade Prince Fielder

      January 20, 2009 /

      Gerry Fraley of SportingNews.com suggests that the Brewers trade Prince Fielder before he (possibly) wins arbitration and soaks the club for millions.

      Prince FielderTheir argument against Fielder would be interesting and potentially incendiary.

      Would the Brewers mention Fielder’s deteriorating defense?

      Fielder and Howard each have 31 errors during the last two seasons. That is the highest total by a major-league first baseman since Kevin Young had 40 errors with Pittsburgh in 1999-2000.

      (The legendary Dick “Dr. Strangeglove” Stuart had 53 errors at first base with Boston in 1963-64.)

      Would the Brewers bring up Fielder’s increasing weight and decreasing power?

      Fielder adopted a vegetarian diet last season, but he seemed to expand while his power shrunk. Fielder went from 50 homers, 119 RBIs and a .618 slugging percentage in 2007 to 34 homers, 102 RBIs and a .507 slugging percentage last season.

      Fielder is a sensitive slugger, especially when his weight is an issue. He can sit in on the hearing as the Brewers make their case. If Fielder was angry when the club exercised its right of renewal last season, what would he be like after listening to a club-built case against him?

      Melvin has the payroll flexibility to keep Fielder this season, even if he wins a big award. The Brewers want to build on last season’s success. Trading Fielder now or during the season would send a bad message to the growing fan base.

      A year from now, the situation will be different.

      Fielder and Boras have rejected one proposal from the Brewers on a multi-year contract and seem set on going into free agency after the 2011 season. The Brewers would be better served moving Fielder then rather than letting him get closer to the walk-away season. Milwaukee is on the clock.

      Most clubs are in constant search for more offensive pop, so trading a young slugger heading into the prime of his career doesn’t make a lot of sense on the surface. But as Fraley points out, the Brewers will be in a bind very soon because of Fielder’s contract situation (Boras is going to rape Milwaukee) and they could get a couple of arms in the right deal.

      If the Brewers make a move now before Fielder shows up for camp (no doubt out of shape) and trade him for a starter (Jake Peavy?), then they could sign Adam Dunn as a stopgap until Mat Gamel (his natural position is 3B, but he’s rumored to be brutal defensively) is major-league ready. Just an idea…

      MLB, Rumors & Gossip

      Things unraveling in Milwaukee – Prince Fielder, Manny Parra fight

      August 6, 2008 /

      Things have gone from great to bad to worse for the Milwaukee Brewers since the All-Star Break. After winning eight of their first nine games following the break, the Brewers dropped five straight, including a four-game sweep at the hands of NL Central rival Chicago. Milwaukee is now five games behind the cubs in the division and even worse, they’re fighting with each other.

      In a 6-3 loss to the Reds on Monday night, Prince Fielder and Manny Parra got into a scuffle in the team’s dugout after Parra gave up multiple runs in the fifth inning. Fielder shoved him twice before being retained by teammates. (Video of the incident can be seen at the link above.)

      Yost downplayed the altercation after the game.

      “It’s not a big deal,” Yost said. “For eight months a year, we’re a family, and at times things happen.

      Tempers flare up. But it’s within the family, and it’s a little bit rude when your neighbors are fighting next door for you to go over and ask what happened. That’s kind of the case here. It’s nobody’s business what happened.”

      “It’s already taken care of,” Parra said. “Nothing needs to be talked about. In the Minor Leagues, there’s no cameras on it, [but] stuff like that happens all the time.

      Frustration is going to boil over when a team is losing. And this situation will probably blow over soon enough. (Fielder has already apologized about the way he handled the altercation.)

      But the fact remains that the Brewers are collapsing while the Cubs continue to stay hot. And what a disappointment it would be for the team to give up multiple prospects to acquire CC Sabathia and they don’t even make the postseason.

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