The Prince Fielder saga finally came to an end yesterday, with the news that the slugger signed a nine-year contract with the Detroit Tigers for a reported $214 million.
The length of the contract stunned many in the industry.
I was certainly hoping for the Mariners to acquire Fielder, but not on a nine-year deal! He’ll be 37 years old when that contract ends, and it is reasonable to wonder if he will still be a star-calibre DH at that age.
On the other hand, Fielder will be an instant help for the Tigers. Detroit will now be picked to win the weak American League Central division.
It’s interesting that two of the best hitters in the National League moved to the American League this winter: Fielder and Albert Pujols.
Links:
- In The News Tribune, John McGrath thinks that the Prince Fielder contract is ridiculous.
- Now that Fielder has signed with Detroit, Larry Stone writes that the Mariners youth movement will continue.
- Knowing that Fielder isn’t coming to Seattle, Dave Cameron took a stab at setting up the Mariners offense.
- The Voice Of The Mariners blog has some background information on Hector Noesi, and news of a free Mariners autograph signing.
- In a free story, Baseball Prospectus prepares us for ten more months of agonizingly dull political debate by providing us with a list of 12 baseball players they would like to see as president.
- Former Tacoma Tigers pitcher Bill Caudill was the first big free agent client of agent Scott Boras. Sam Miller writes a great history for Baseball Prospectus, but you have to be a subscriber to read it.
- We’ve known since last summer that Reno was getting the 2013 Triple-A All-Star Game, but they had the big press conference just yesterday. Tacoma in 2015?
- Closing with a goofy one, Jeff Sullivan made fun of a bunch of minor league second basemen. He actually got paid to write that.
That’s all for today!
