Fielder

[Five Banners]

Also, if the team wanted to balance out the last 5 years of vastly below-average payrolls over the next five years, it would require about $130 million a year in payrolls through the end of the 2017 season.  AND THAT'S JUST TO BRING THE 10-YEAR AVERAGE UP TO LEAGUE-AVERAGE FOR 2011.

So if the premise is that they've been saving up for when the time is right, it's time to get cracking.

Just saying.

THIS.  And this philosophy should've been at play at the beginning of free agency, which might've landed Burley and/or Reyes and left some of the trading pieces in the minors available for Deals later this offseason or beyond.  Just saying, if it's all about flexibility to the Boswells of the world now, the team shouldn't have been frozen in budget committee stasis heading into an offseason where the team had a chance to take major steps towards real contention were the understanding in place that payroll would necessarily rise with the right moves. 

[tomterp]

Rangers willing to offer an 8 year deal with either side able to opt out after 3 per mlb on xm 

That's essentially a 3 year deal.  I'd be surprised if Boras goes for that.  Anybody aware of a precedent?

[Squab]

Rangers willing to offer an 8 year deal with either side able to opt out after 3 per mlb on xm

Well we should offer a ten year deal if you can guarantee an opt out after three.

[The Chief]

if that rangers thing is for real,  then we are definitely out of it

[PowerBoater69]

Should the Nats have offered 100M a year for eight years to Tex? 80? 60? 50? 30?

Do you think they just didn't offer quite enough (even though it was arguably more than the Yankees offered), that another .5M a year would have done it, and it was cheapness that kept them from offering that little bit extra?

I'm not arguing that the LAnC. I'm just wondering how far you think they should have gone.

The Tex bid was a complete farce, he never had any interest in coming here, it was a total sham put on by the Lerner family to create the illusion that they were willing to spend without actually having to write the checks.

I don't really get that feeling this time, maybe I'm wrong, but I really believe that Lerner is trying to sign Fielder.   Now whether Fielder wants to come here or whether other teams offer more money, it's looking less and less likely that we are going to sign him and more likely that we take a step backwards in 2012 after two seasons of progress.

[tomterp]

if that rangers thing is for real,  then we are definitely out of it

A 3 year deal beats us?

[The Chief]

A 3 year deal beats us?

If they're offering more than we are, obviously.

[Five Banners]

A 3 year deal beats us?

Probably.  At least it's a declared offer; all that gets leaked out of Nats camp is 'we won't do a Pujols deal' combined with an endless staring contest.  If they're putting out one substantive offer with 7 or 8 years involved (w/o option) and they're still being stiffed, then that's another story.  I'm just concerned that we can't negotiate worth anything with this whole committee structure and that other club's abilities to forcefully negotiate without the sideshow doomed this whole thing from the start.

[PANatsFan]

If they're offering more than we are, obviously.

Depends on his pride and willingness to DH also

[zoom]

You just handed hammonds twice the incentive to wish it happens. 

It's a ridiculous offer. I would offer Fielder 115 over 5 years and tell him to take it or go freak himself and Boras.

I don't think it's ridiculous.  Take the hit up front, keep PF until SS and the others starting getting raises.  Then, PF can give this another go.

Take the hit this year and make him the best 4 (3 in my mind) offer available. 

[PANatsFan]

It's a ridiculous offer. I would offer Fielder 115 over 5 years and tell him to take it or go freak himself and Boras.

There's a level where saying no is not cheapness?

[Kevrock]

That's essentially a 3 year deal.  I'd be surprised if Boras goes for that.  Anybody aware of a precedent?

I'd give Fielder a 20 year deal if there's a team opt-out clause after 3 years.

[Kevrock]

I don't think it's ridiculous.  Take the hit up front, keep PF until SS and the others starting getting raises.  Then, PF can give this another go.

Take the hit this year and make him the best 4 (3 in my mind) offer available. 

I think it's ridiculous. No one is going to hand Prince a long term deal when he's 30. He'll be a year from when his pops fell apart. Him signing a 3-4 year deal in three years is the same as signing a 6 year deal now.

[zoom]

but nobody (that we know of) is offering a 6 year deal (without out options).  If the Rangers proposal is true.

[Mattionals]

I don't see an opt out working for Fielder.  Mutual agreement opt out clause maybe, but not a team opt out.

[natsfan4evr]

The Cubs are completely out of the running...not 99% unlikely at the current price either

"There haven't been any discussions with us for Prince, that's just not going to happen," newly installed manager Dale Sveum told a room full of fans at a question and answer session Saturday. "We have our first baseman in Bryan LaHair and [Mike] Rizzo waiting in the wings as well. We're doing OK with big power left-handed hitters right now. "

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7461920/dale-sveum-prince-fielder-chicago-cubs-not-going-happen?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

FWIW: We lambaste Ladson for spelling names wrong...the Cubs beat-writer refers to Anthony Rizzo as Mike Rizzo in this piece.

[Kevrock]

but nobody (that we know of) is offering a 6 year deal (without out options).  If the Rangers proposal is true.

I assume we are.

This just has to be Boras posturing. A three year opt-out would be a horrible deal for his client.

[natsfan4evr]

I assume we are.

This just has to be Boras posturing. A three year opt-out would be a horrible deal for his client.

Boras is going to have a horrendous offseason. E-Jax is not going to get more than 3 years and he already had to take a huge cut for Ryan Madson. Not to mention the other handful of guys he represents (Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, Rick Ankiel, Xavier Nady, etc..) that haven't been signed yet (all of which will make far less than originally anticipated).

[spidernat]

There's a level where saying no is not cheapness?

There's also a level and pattern of cheapness that at some point can neither be denied or defended.

[Mattionals]

The Cubs are completely out of the running...not 99% unlikely at the current price either

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7461920/dale-sveum-prince-fielder-chicago-cubs-not-going-happen?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

FWIW: We lambaste Ladson for spelling names wrong...the Cubs beat-writer refers to Anthony Rizzo as Mike Rizzo in this piece.

How many times did Ladbradoodle call Alex Cora Joey last year?

In other notes, I think the entire baseball world realized that this ends up between the Rangers and the Nats, and is heavily dependent on Darvish and what the Rangers decide to do with Hamilton in the near future.

[mimontero88]

Doesn't Mark Teixeira's contract run out in three years?  If so, that would position him perfectly to go to the Yankees when the opt-out year hits.  The Yankees would give him his money and he could move to DH in the latter years of a contract.

EDIT:  Nope, looked up Teixeira deal.  Teixeira is with the Yanks through 2017.

[PC]

Hell, if either side can opt out after three years, I'd offer him a 1000 year contract for 1 gajillion dollars!

....mostly backloaded, of course.   

[natspride]

Time for the Lerners to be bold.


"Go big or go home".

[Slateman]

Doesn't Mark Teixeira's contract run out in three years?  If so, that would position him perfectly to go to the Yankees when the opt-out year hits.  The Yankees would give him his money and he could move to DH in the latter years of a contract.

EDIT:  Nope, looked up Teixeira deal.  Teixeira is with the Yanks through 2017.

Not to mention that ARod is the future DH of the Yanks

[UMDNats]

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120114&content_id=26349882&vkey=news_was&c_id=was

I guess there's more than a 1% chance...