Fielder

[PebbleBall]

I'm really excited about the potential of signing Fielder.

Though, I was really excited about Teixeira too. 

To be fair, the Nats haven't publicly played any part in driving those expectations like they did with Tex.  It's funny though, how they abhorred the thought of being used to drive up the price on Tex, but not Fielder if that's what's happening. 

[Mr Clean]

I'm really excited about the potential of signing Fielder.

Though, I was really excited about Teixeira too. 

I would bet season ticket sales would skyrocket if and when they sign Fielder.

[Minty Fresh]

Prince Fielder is my second favorite current MLB player after Big Mike Stanton.  Signing him would do wonders for the Nats and I'm not just talking about on the field.

I've liked Fielder for a long time too, and it sure would be nice to see him go to a team NOT named the Yankees or the Red Sox.  It would be a super-bonus if it is us, but this feels a lot like us getting used like the Teixeira thing...   

[Evolution33]

anchor, mill stone, lead weight- chose your cliche metaphor and I'll be happy to change

It is my opinion that a lot of the people that fall back on those cliches are creative enough to say what they mean while avoiding cliches.

[natsfan4evr]

Remember that the Blue Jays were front-runners for landing Yu Darvish.
The media conglomerate that owns the team supposedly bid over 50 million, the problem is...that was news to the Blue Jays' owners.

i don't believe anything from a talking head until it is made official.

[HalfSmokes]

It is my opinion that a lot of the people that fall back on those cliches are creative enough to say what they mean while avoiding cliches.

the cliches take fewer characters than aging outfielder who is already in decline and has enough remaining on his contract hamstring the franchise for years to come

[Mr Clean]

Has anyone mentioned the NL may have the DH in say 5 yrs? 

[Minty Fresh]

Has anyone mentioned the NL may have the DH in say 5 yrs?

How realistic is that?  I had heard that sentiment was to eliminate the DH.

[HalfSmokes]

How realistic is that?  I had heard that sentiment was to eliminate the DH.

the sentiment is to unify the rules- the MLBPA would need to sign off on the elimination (which they won't since you're replacing a decent paid player with a bench bat making the minimum), so no matter what execs and selig prefer, adding it to the NL seems to be the only way to unify

[blue911]

Has anyone mentioned the NL may have the DH in say 5 yrs? 

Can't be 5. Bigger numbers maybe but must be >5

[Minty Fresh]

the sentiment is to unify the rules- the MLBPA would need to sign off on the elimination (which they won't since you're replacing a decent paid player with a bench bat making the minimum), so no matter what execs and selig prefer, adding it to the NL seems to be the only way to unify

Bummer.  I kinda like it the way it is.

[hammondsnats]

Bummer.  I kinda like it the way it is.

+1

[HalfSmokes]

I like the quirky experiment; it's part of what makes baseball great; different park rules, no standardized dimensions

[sportsfan882]

This is the biggest joke I've seen. Can't believe these mother freakers have linked the Nats to Fielder. Going to be one hell of a debacle when he signs elsewhere because of the false hope given to Nats fans.

[Minty Fresh]

This is the biggest joke I've seen. Can't believe these mother freakers have linked the Nats to Fielder. Going to be one hell of a debacle when he signs elsewhere because of the false hope given to Nats fans.

Now I have extra incentive to desperately want them to sign Fielder. 

[spidernat]

Prince Fielder is my second favorite current MLB player after Big Mike Stanton.  Signing him would do wonders for the Nats and I'm not just talking about on the field.

MDS= Rex Grossman= AZ  .   

[sportsfan882]

Boswell on Nats/Prince: http://live.washingtonpost.com/ask-boswell-010312.html

Basically says that it's between RZ and Prince for long term deal and that he can't see them signing Prince for big money.

Q.
Nats - Prince Fielder
Hey Bos, I don't think the Nationals should sign him for top dollar. I don't even think they should sign him for the right price and years. BUT, I think the Nats would be foolish not to CONSIDER signing him for the right price and years.

    –
    January 03, 2012 9:25 AM
    Permalink

A.
Thomas Boswell :

There is certainly a price at which you have to take a Fielder signing seriously. But it is NOWHERE close to >$200M and it's not for nine or 10 years.

One big point gets missed. The Nats may be deciding BETWEEN Fielder and Ryan Zimmerman. One OR the other. Because if you have Fielder, Z'man and Werth on the roster, then they'll be making >$60M for just those three players by the '14 season. So be careful what you wish for.

 

Remember, Nats payroll last year was $68M, only up $5M from ’05 when MLB had the team. The average Lerner Payroll has been $58M. And, right now, they are only obligated to $42.5M for ’12. That will grow, probably by $25M as players like Morse and Lannan are resigned or go to arbitration. But it looks to me like the Nats payroll may be very close to ’11 if they don’t sign any more free agents of consequence. That’s fairly amazing.

 

The Lerners leery are of spending before the revenue is actually in hand. They seldom speculate on what is "probably" going to happen __with more $ from MASN and more attendance. They have to see it first. I nag them. But they have 3-billion reasons to think it's smart business. Are they right?   
 
Werth is due $20M in '14 and $21M in '15-'17. Fielder is going to get >$20M-a-year __it's just a matter of how much over $20M and for how many years. If you want to guesstimate RZim, look at Tulowitzki's deal out through age 35 with five years at $20M/yr and figure Z'man will get maybe 85% of that.
 
What are the implications for fans that want the Nats to have the best chance to maximize this five-year "window __'12 through '16__ when Strasburg is under team control? Even if Nats draw >30K/game will the Lerners go beyond a $90-to-$100M payroll? Or $110M in a max go-for-it-year. Few teams do unless they have a big and ardent fan base. 
 
When Strasburg and Z'mann become arbitration eligible "everybody" is going to want the Nats to try to do what they did with Z'man __that is, make sure they get eight years, not just six, out of him before he can be a free agent.

 

Except for Boras clients (like SS), who usually go FA after six years, most players want that big insurance policy vs. injury just as RZim (and Markakis) did w his $45M/5yr deal before Opening Day of '09. That may be the situation with Jordan Z'mann, under team control through '15, before the '13 or '14 season. What about Gio Gonzalez? Just let him walk after '15 when he's only 30?
 
A lot of you will want to see Mike Morse (a FA after '13) stay in town if he keeps hitting. And, in 2-3 years, you may want Ramos, Espinosa, Storen kept happy and here. What if Rendon, Purke, make it? I realize you "can't keep 'em all." But if you have huge Werth-Z'man-Fielder obligations through '17 and big Prince and Zim deals out to '18-'19 it is going to impact a LOT of decisions for a long time. That $21-to-25M/yr for Prince can go to a lot of players in a lot of ways for a lot of years. Or it can all go to Prince. (Or much of it to RZim.)
 
IMO, they won't sign Fielder unless it's so cheap they just can't help themselves. It causes too many problems in too many different ways for too long. At, say $126M for 6 yrs, you might HAVE to do it. But the price won't get that low, imo. What about $150M for seven years? I’d say the top figure that still stays in a sane world is what they offered Teixeira: $180M for eight years. Teixeira was a year older but a gold glove 1st baseman, a switch hitter and was into fitness.   
 
What’s the worst case in the current off-season drama? They don't sign Fielder and then they don't get Ryan Z'man extended by Opening Day.
 
When does the “clock” start on worrying about Z’man extension?

[HalfSmokes]

Basically says that it's between RZ and Prince for long term deal and that he can't see them signing Prince for big money.

but we have werth as our $100 million superstar, so we're all set

[Evolution33]

Boswell on Nats/Prince: http://live.washingtonpost.com/ask-boswell-010312.html

Basically says that it's between RZ and Prince for long term deal and that he can't see them signing Prince for big money.

Because 8/$180 is small money. All he says is everything we already know. If a team was willing to sign Prince for 10/$200 he would be signed. There is no team willing to do that and with most teams reported as only willing to go to five years the Fielder market still has a wide gap to cross unless Boras is able to convince an owner they should give in or someone panics, but it still won't be what Boras originally wanted. The Teixeira and A-Gon deals are a good place to start and then add in that teams are scared of Fielder's body type and that this market doesn't contain any of the traditional big money spenders and then you have the Prince deal. If Boras is still seaking 10/$200 then this thing isn't going to resolve itself until pitchers and catchers have reported.

[Minty Fresh]

One big point gets missed. The Nats may be deciding BETWEEN Fielder and Ryan Zimmerman. One OR the other. Because if you have Fielder, Z'man and Werth on the roster, then they'll be making >$60M for just those three players by the '14 season. So be careful what you wish for.

Bos, like everyone else is just speculating.

[PatsNats28]

So prior to the Angels joining the club this offseason, the only two teams with similar commitments - the Yankees and Phillies - also happen to be the only two teams in baseball to participate in the past 3 playoffs.  And this is supposed to be an argument against it?  The Lerners have the wealth and the Nationals have the resources.  So why wouldn't they if the only two examples are big successes?

This argument is fallacious. I suggest looking at how many teams have ever had three 20+ mil players... the Red Sox don't have it this year, but I would guess that they did multiple times during their peak this past decade. Especially if one accounts for inflation, I suspect the list would increase dramatically.

EDIT: I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm disagreeing with Zuckerman.

[PatsNats28]

I like the quirky experiment; it's part of what makes baseball great; different park rules, no standardized dimensions

Same, it's what makes it interesting. Actually, I'd rather eliminate the DH across, but if that can't be done, the current arrangement works. What I don't want would be for the NL to get the DH... at that point, I'd stop following baseball that much.

[HalfSmokes]

Same, it's what makes it interesting. Actually, I'd rather eliminate the DH across, but if that can't be done, the current arrangement works. What I don't want would be for the NL to get the DH... at that point, I'd stop following baseball that much.

I like quirky- I want to go back to giving parks more leeway on ground rules- I was reading something about why some stats from the early game are ridiculous, and different ground rules were a reason; in one park, the owner changed the rules so that a ball bouncing over the wall was a 'ground rule' home run as opposed to a double because he thought it would help his team

[Nathan]

I wish they'd change a ground rule double to clear the bases, not just move up 2 bases.  A lot of times you'd be better off if the ball stayed in.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

PatsNats28

This argument is fallacious. I suggest looking at how many teams have ever had three 20+ mil players... the Red Sox don't have it this year, but I would guess that they did multiple times during their peak this past decade. Especially if one accounts for inflation, I suspect the list would increase dramatically.

No, that's incorrect.  No pitcher for the Red Sox has been signed ever for over $20MM.  As for field players, I think only Manny ever signed for that much before Crawford and Adrian.  Ortiz has never topped $13MM. The rest of the team was cost controlled, cheaper FAs (Lugo, Drew, Rentawreck), or trade acquisitions working off cheap contracts (Bay, V-Mart).