Off Season Move, Trading Fielder

[zzzmanwitz]

I was thinking about this today and if we were to trade Fielder I think the best move would be with Cleveland for Grady Sizemore. We fill a need in CF and at Leadoff. LaPorta can come in and play 1B.

 

Maybe this move wouldn't work straight up since the Crew will be looking for a Starting Pitcher it would seem, but I think this would be a great starting point. What do you guys think?

 

Sizemore's contract:

• 06:$0.5M, 07:$0.75M, 08:$3M, 09:$4.6M, 10:$5.6M, 11:$7.5M, 12:$8.5M club option ($0.5M buyout)
• 2012 option may escalate to $10.5M if Sizemore wins Gold Glove or Silver Slugger, makes All Star team or ranks high in MVP vote
• award bonus: $0.1M for Gold Glove in 2008
• if Sizemore is traded:
  • [li]
  he receives $0.5M assignment bonus
• salaries for remaining seasons increase by 10%

• 2012 option becomes a player option & buyout is forfeited if Sizemore declines the option

[/li]

[sbrylski]

I'm not sure its a match. I'd love to have Sizemore, but both teams are going to have a SP on the top of their offseason lists, rather than swapping offensive players.

[zzzmanwitz]

I think its definitely a fit for the Brewers, maybe not so much for the Indians, but they seem to need some power in that lineup with the decline of Hafner and Martinez's lack of HRs this season. The are currently 18th in the league in HRs with 71, but Sizemore is leading the team with 17, so maybe they wouldn't want to deal their biggest power threat... oh well, wishful thinking I guess.

[And That]

It is certainly an interesting idea and if the Brewers didn't have LaPorta and Gamel in AA I'd look at it more closely. But I think Corey Hart is going to be a fine CF for a long time in Milwaukee with Braun and someone else (LaPorta, Gamel, Gillespie, Brantley, Nelson, Errecart and on and on) beside him. OF (or guys who may end up playing OF) is the strength of a strong minor league system.

 

I'd rather trade Fielder in a deal for a very good pitcher, say Linecum or Halladay.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

as of today, June 26th 2008, the Brewers own the rights to Prince Fielder for the next 564 games of his career. Melvin would be loco to trade Prince with the best years of his pro career still to come.

 

unless it was for

 

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/madisonbrewerblue/hobbs.jpg

[NievesNoNO]

I like the thought, but I don't think it's a good match. I seems like Cleveland fully intends on having Sizemore as the face of their franchise and why not he's a stud. He's signed to a contract that I think the Brewers would like to sign Fielder to. I don't like the idea of trading Fielder at all, but I thought I'd be open minded about it this time for the sake of debate. How about trading him to Toronto in the off season for Overbay, one of McGowan or Marcum, Travis Snider and David Purcey. To be fair I don't really know anything about either Snider or Purcey except that Snider appears to be their best position prospect and Purcey somewhat resembles McClung.

[zzzmanwitz]

I guess to me, it seems like Prince will be gone either this offseason or soon there after. Maybe this trade doesn't fit for both teams, but to me, it seems like a very good starting point.

[endaround]

I think you are severely undervaluing Sizemore. And If the Brewers can't afford Fielder in 2012 no way can they afford Sizemore. He's a good defensive CFer with a career OPS of .859 and is hitting as well as Fielder is this year.It would take Fielder and LaPorta to get the Indians to listen.

[Brewbadger]

One thing is for certain if Sizemore did make his way to Milwaukee; the female fanbases heads would explode. They're already smitten with Hardy, Braun etc...jersey t-shirt sales for Sizemore would skyrocket our payroll north of 90 million! hehe ... on a baseball related note, I would love to see Grady in Milwaukee for obvious reasons ( good leadoff hitter, good defensive CF etc. etc.) but I also feel it is doubtful that just Prince alone would be able to garner Grady. I'm not comfortable with the idea of packaging Prince + Laporta either because that just then leaves us with a hole at 1B again.

[Oldcity]

I think you are severely undervaluing Sizemore. And If the Brewers can't afford Fielder in 2012 no way can they afford Sizemore. He's a good defensive CFer with a career OPS of .859 and is hitting as well as Fielder is this year.It would take Fielder and LaPorta to get the Indians to listen.

I actually think I would want the Brewers to make that deal, maybe. Could use Gamel at first, acquire one or maybe use Nelson as a stopgap.

 

[GoldGloveSS06]

I know it's been mentioned on here before by someone, but I say go after David Price!!! One problem is that means Fielder has to DH with Pena at first, but that would prolong Prince's career. I don't know how available Price is or what his value would be right now. With Tampa contending this year, I think it would be hard to see them trading away a potentially huge asset for the next few years. What would we have to do? Fielder and a mid to high ceiling pitcher not named Jeffress?

[interestobserver]

Mets fan here. I had read the rumors of Prince Fielder potentially being available in the NY Post. I doubt any trade would happen before the off season, but I thought the Mets could be in the bidding. The Brewers would only trade Prince if they didn't want to give him a long term deal and wanted to get more value by moving him now. Next year he's arbitration eligible and due for a big raise.

 

The players I'd remove would from consideration would be

 

Wright

Reyes

Santana

Maine

Church

Beltran

Pelfrey

 

So that's basically a cheaper prospects for arbitration eligible expensive player. So would the Brewers take Fernando Martinez, Mike Carp, and Jon Niese for Prince? All are about major league ready by the end of the year being in AA currently.

 

Fernando is the Mets top prospect and is 19 in AA. Carp is a lefty first baseman that has reestablished himself after an injury lost year last year and is putting together a nice offensive year. Niese is a lefty who is one of the younger pitchers in his league and doing very well with nice peripherals.

 

 

[jjfanec]

Mets fan here. I had read the rumors of Prince Fielder potentially being available in the NY Post. I doubt any trade would happen before the off season, but I thought the Mets could be in the bidding. The Brewers would only trade Prince if they didn't want to give him a long term deal and wanted to get more value by moving him now. Next year he's arbitration eligible and due for a big raise.

 

The players I'd remove would from consideration would be

 

Wright

Reyes

Santana

Maine

Church

Beltran

Pelfrey

 

So that's basically a cheaper prospects for arbitration eligible expensive player. So would the Brewers take Fernando Martinez, Mike Carp, and Jon Niese for Prince? All are about major league ready by the end of the year being in AA currently.

 

Fernando is the Mets top prospect and is 19 in AA. Carp is a lefty first baseman that has reestablished himself after an injury lost year last year and is putting together a nice offensive year. Niese is a lefty who is one of the younger pitchers in his league and doing very well with nice peripherals.

 

 

If the Brewers trade Prince it will be for pitching I would guess. They have two of the top hitting prospects in all of baseball in Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta and both could factor into replacing Prince. I dont think the Mets make the best trading partners to be honest. It would be a team with a top-end young pitching prospect.

 

[ILuvDaBush]

More than likely, it is going to be a trade similar to the Miggy Cabrera trade, with hopefully more advanced player(s) involved. Maine AND Pelfrey MIGHT get it done, but the Mets' minor league poo-poo platter wouldn't really interest a team whose AA team is pacesetting. Also, if Prince is going to be shopped, I would imagine he would have more value to an AL club, a la Miggy Cabrera.

[logan82]

I think any trade of Fielder should bring us some pitching back. We can plug almost any hole on our MLB team with somebody from the minors if needed at any position except catcher and starting pitching.

[sheetskout]

as of today, June 26th 2008, the Brewers own the rights to Prince Fielder for the next 564 games of his career. Melvin would be loco to trade Prince with the best years of his pro career still to come.

Totally true. You keep Prince and go to arbitration. You only trade a hitter like Prince Fielder when you have to.

 

[PrimeTime955]

I'm in favor of trading Prince in the off season but the centerpiece coming to Milwaukee MUST be a major league ready pitcher with a pretty high celling that can help us win next season.

 

My proposal is to the Yankee's. I would Trade Prince, Gillespie, and Cain for Ian Kennedy or Phil Hughes and David Robertson.

 

Robertson is a 23 year old reliever who had a 1.39 era in 51 innings in AA and AAA this season and has recently been called up to the majors. He has struck out 74 and walked 22. I don't think I need to tell you about Kennedy and Hughes.

 

Our rotation next season will be Gallardo, Kennedy/Hughes, Parra, Suppan, and Villanueva/Bush/McClung.

 

LaPorta moves in at first base where Prince was at the start of 2009.

[igor67]

I always thought the Twins were an interesting match-up. They DHed Mike Lamb and had him bat 9th yesterday.

[Never Outhustled]

Totally true. You keep Prince and go to arbitration. You only trade a hitter like Prince Fielder when you have to.

 

Serious question, what kind of hitter is Prince? We're at the half way point of the season, and he has a 847 OPS. He had a 830 OPS in 2006. Last season he had 1000 OPS. Is Prince due for an earth shattering 2nd half, and match last years numbers, or will he struggle to just get his OPS up to 900?

 

Normally I'd bet on a huge 2nd half, but history is littered with fat guys with 1 huge season and then disappointment, and none of them were as fat as Prince. I'd hate to wait too long to deal him when we have such outstanding replacements on hand.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I think that this upcoming offseason is the perfect time to trade Fielder. We have a fantastic replacement in the system with LaPorta and there are many teams that need a big power bat. I would love to get a guy like Billingsley in a trade for Fielder. The Dodgers clearly need some offense and they could afford to trade us Billingsley in order to get it. I am sure that we will have many suitors for Prince and we will defintely be able to acquire some stud young pitching in return.

[endaround]

LaPorta hit almost as well as Alex Gordon did in AA so he'd definitely come in and mash!

[interestobserver]

That package is at least as good as the one the Tigers got for Cabrera. The Mets were ready to walk on Santana rather than shipping Fernando. By the end of the year I think he'll have more value than Maine or Pelfrey.

[jjfanec]

LaPorta hit almost as well as Alex Gordon did in AA so he'd definitely come in and mash!

Thats the thing. LaPorta would not need to come in and mash. I would say a low-en expectation for LaPorta would be .260 with 25-30 home runs (I could be way off). The main problem I see with replacing Prince with LaPorta is we no longer have a lefty in the lineup. The loss of Prince's production is in my mind made up for by another top-end started that we would trade to get him. However, the lineup is so unbalance unless we could get a lefty in CF and Gamel could play 3B I think we would be hurting.

 

[interestobserver]

The average is about right for a first year guy, but he may not hit with that power right out of the bat.

[jjfanec]

The average is about right for a first year guy, but he may not hit with that power right out of the bat.

I was going off Prince's stats his first full year and LaPorta has shown a little more power throughout his short time with the minors than Prince did. So, I would say 25-30 home runs will be about right.

 

To answer your other statement about the trade you proposed being fair. I think the point everyone is making is an OF prospect isn't what the Brewers are going to be looking for if they deal Prince. It will be top-end pitching.