Official Winter Meetings Gameday Thread (Day 4)

[RD]

Everyone carries their weight different, and the effects on their body are different.

Certainly, if you add a substantial amount of weight in a short period of time, its going to have a big impact on your body.

But you have lineman in the NFL playing into their mid 30's and doing fine. And their mobility/agility/reflexes are even more important than a 1b in baseball. I really dont think Fielder's weight will be that big of an issue going forward.

[imref]

Sign Fielder, bring up Harper in June to play LF and trade Morse while his value is high and something else for a CF.  Hopefully, Rendon can make the switch to 2B and let Danny switch to SS. 

i'm not going to complain if we get fielder, but I'm perfectly fine with Morse at 1B and say Upton or Rendon in LF.

[Minty Fresh]

I gained 30 pounds when I was pregnant, in that 9 month time, I got bone spurs in my hips and arthritis in my knees. Prince is carrying an extra 100 pounds, how can that not be a concern?

Prince Fielder isn't pregnant.

[blue911]

let me put it this way, what the hell does him being a vegetarian have to do with anything?

We can haz moar cheeseburgers

[imref]

there are reports that Pujols was annoyed the Cardinals didn't extend him last off-season.  Ryan Zimmerman's ears perking up?

[wpa2629]

Prince Fielder isn't pregnant.

Right, he's just 100 pounds overweight every day all the time.

[Slateman]

Prince Fielder isn't pregnant.

 

[Slateman]

there are reports that Pujols was annoyed the Cardinals didn't extend him last off-season.  Ryan Zimmerman's ears perking up?

Uh ... they tried. Pujols just wanted a ton of money. Not that I blame him.

[PebbleBall]

Are you serious?

Cheese, Ice Cream, Cake, Candy, Pizza, Bread, etc., etc.,

Plenty of ways to be a big fatty without eating meat

Probably even more important is genetics, and it's obvious he didn't get much help in that department.

let me put it this way, what the hell does him being a vegetarian have to do with anything?

All kidding aside, I think it shows awareness of his weight problem and dedication to fight it.  I'm not going to say it shouldn't be a concern to a team offering a contract, but I won't knock him if he's trying to improve his health and extend his life.

[HalfSmokes]

Fielder plays more games per year than our fit face of the franchise- to me his weight is less of a concern than Alberta's age or elbow

[The Chief]

Morse had 1/2 of one good year.  Fielder has pedigree and history.  It's not close.  /smallsamplesizes

I know money is a factor but I choose not to care.   

.298 / .357 / .539 / .896 in 2010-2011 combined, with 46 HR and a 142 OPS+.  That's more than one year fella.  I think we're all still nervous about how he will perform next year, but the days of saying "one good half year" are long over.

[wpa2629]

Everyone carries their weight different, and the effects on their body are different.

Certainly, if you add a substantial amount of weight in a short period of time, its going to have a big impact on your body.

But you have lineman in the NFL playing into their mid 30's and doing fine. And their mobility/agility/reflexes are even more important than a 1b in baseball. I really dont think Fielder's weight will be that big of an issue going forward.

yeah, pretty sure there are no 5'11 275 pound lineman in the NFL

Anyway, I don't mean to bang this drum like it's a deal breaker. Prince is awesome, he's an asset to any club. I'm just saying that the weight could be a valid concern for a team looking to sign him long term.

[Lintyfresh85]

Right, he's just 100 pounds overweight every day all the time.

He's been a big boy since he was 12.

His body is used to the stress by now... and as RD said, OL in football are much bigger than him and their bodies haven't had trouble holding up.

[wpa2629]

Uh ... they tried. Pujols just wanted a ton of money. Not that I blame him.

This is very much a Latin American Male thing too (not to cast aspersions on anyone with that sentiment)

The Cardinals originally offered less money than Mark Texiera, for a player of Albert's caliber and his Latin American roots, that had to be impossibly insulting. I'm pretty sure there was nothing that St. Louis could have done after that to change things.

Albert brought that city tons of press, notoriety, revenue, MVPs and two frickin rings. He owes St. Louis nothing. He's taking his big bag of cash and moving on. Good for him if that's what he wants.

[wpa2629]

He's been a big boy since he was 12.

His body is used to the stress by now... and as RD said, OL in football are much bigger than him and their bodies haven't had trouble holding up.

Yeah, pretty sure there are no 5'11 275 pound lineman in the NFL. Look that much weight has a physiological affect on a body, every body, in one form or another. It's not a problem now, it may never be a problem, but it's certainly a valid concern for a team who wants to sign him long term.

Anyway, I don't mean to bang this drum like it's a deal breaker. Prince is awesome, he's an asset to any club.

[Mr Clean]

Would there be anyone unhappy if the Nats signed Fielder?

He would make everyone in the lineup better with his presence alone.

[hammondsnats]

Would there be anyone unhappy if the Nats signed Fielder?

He would make everyone in the lineup better with his presence alone.

LANC

Again a 3-4-5-6 of Zimmerman-Fielder-Morse-Harper is just worthy

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Again a 3-4-5-6 of Zimmerman-Pujols-Morse-Harper is just worthy

WTF, we traded Zimmerman, Morse, and Harper to the Angels?

[Vega]

I like Prince, but center field is a much more pressing concern at the moment. Right now, I'd rather have Ben Revere, Peter Bourjos, or B.J. Upton than Prince.

[wpa2629]

LANC

Again a 3-4-5-6 of Zimmerman-Pujols-Morse-Harper is just worthy

do you mean Fielder?

[hammondsnats]

WTF, we traded Zimmerman, Morse, and Harper to the Angels?

lol thanks

[tomterp]

Again, I don't care what others think of the club.  Marlins spent a ridiculous amount of dough and they finished in last.  And outside of a few jokers on twitter and fans from opposing teams, most are applauding their efforts. 

Steve Goldman, BP
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15634

Here are a few comments I would describe as skepticism as opposed to applause.

As you walk down the halls here at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, you hear a continuous stream of “Buehrle Buehrle Buehrle” as people pass. It sounds like a dentist just said, “rinse” to 10,000 people. The story of this winter meetings, if there is indeed a story at all, is the Marlins going ape, trying to redo the whole 1997 carpetbagger-palooza. The smart money says that the Marlins don't have the smart money to carry on with this act very long. It will be fascinating if either (a) attendance in Miami isn't what the Fish hope it will be, or (b) they don't go on a sustained postseason run. Miami is filled with unrented condos. The Marlins could, at least metaphorically, join them on the pile. One assumes they know what they're doing—I'm generous like that in I don't assume a guy committed suicide until I hear his friends say, “He seemed depressed”--but between old and new commitments they are on the hook for a great deal of money.

Buehrle is a fine pitcher. He's broadly consistent and he never gets hurt. He has pitched 200 or more innings for 11 consecutive seasons. That's an amazing record. Yet, let me propose a simple truism, all good things must come to an end—hence orgasms, without which no one would ever get anything done. I wish injury on no man, and will be very happy to be wrong about this, but as each healthy Buehrle day goes by, the likelihood of a Buehrle injury increases.

Even were this not the case, Buehrle's strikeout rate is in a scary place. He has great control and gets grounders, but keeping a guy so dependent on command and perfect placement of balls in play into his 36th year strikes me as going beyond the usual gamble. Maybe Buehrle ages like Tommy John. Maybe he doesn't. Seems to me that one of the great challenges of building a team is not only assembling all of the parts that will get you to the playoffs THIS year, it's about limiting your exposure for the future. One of the lessons of the subprime mortgage disaster is that anyone can maintain themselves in a mansion when conditions are absolutely favorable. The point is not to wind up a pauper six months or a year later, when things have changed and all your cash has been sunk into velvet hot tubs and platinum doorknobs.

[hammondsnats]

Steve Goldman, BP
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15634

Here are a few comments I would describe as skepticism as opposed to applause.

wow one negative article, i was totally wrong

the general consensus from the winter meetings is that the marlins are a winner and are better this week than they were last week.

[RD]

You're right. There arent many 5'11 275lb lineman in the NFL. There's one off the top of my head though. Dan Klecko, a college defensive lineman was drafted by the Patriots a few years back but has spent more time at fullback.

But there are a few 5'11 300lb guys, or guys with even worse proportions. Mike PAtterson of the Eagles was 5'11 and change, 300lbs when he was drafted into the league.

Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton are 6'1 350lbs.

There are a ton of lineman in the NFL with much worse body types and body proportions than Fielder, and they have played for quite some time, in a sport that doesn't have the longevity that baseball does.

Fielder's weight is being blown out of proportion.He's a first baseman and a power hitter. I understand the team paying the money will consider it, but its not as big a deal as some make it out to be.

[Kevrock]

Everyone carries their weight different, and the effects on their body are different.

Certainly, if you add a substantial amount of weight in a short period of time, its going to have a big impact on your body.

But you have lineman in the NFL playing into their mid 30's and doing fine. And their mobility/agility/reflexes are even more important than a 1b in baseball. I really dont think Fielder's weight will be that big of an issue going forward.

This.

I'm a huge Prince fan so I'm biased. His dad fell off a cliff at 33, Prince will be 28 in May. Prince doesn't look as big as Cecil to me (baggy jersey could have something to do with it), and modern day MLB teams should have much better conditioning programs than anything Cecil was subjected to when he played.

Honestly, there are certainly challenges with a vegetarian diet and he could be a constant pizza eater for all I know, but I think his vegetarianism is an indication that Prince is relatively conscious about his diet and that his diet could improve as he ages.

As an aside, I hope the Nats employ really solid trainers and dietitians for these guys.

All in all, I don't find a long-term contract for Prince as risky as a few other contracts handed out this year by other teams, or even more risky than the one we gave to Werth last year, not that these should be bench-marks.