The trade value of Prince Fielder (part 1)

[Invader3K]

I agree. Then again, it's hard to get a gauge on if Melvin would decide to trade Fielder or not. I hope he learned his lesson from the Sheets and Sabathia situations after '08 and isn't thinking "Hey, at least we'll get a high draft pick if Fielder leaves." That would be asinine.

[paul253]

I just get the sense he wants them to ride out this season and then

"go for it" again in 2011.

 

This team is not close to being able to "go for it". Their philosophy the past few years has been to out-slug everyone and hope they can score more runs than the other team despite woeful pitching and mediocre defense. Obviously that philosophy isn't working. Mark A. needs to be realistic. Even if it means trading Fielder for one high ceiling pitcher only (which I still think they could get more....at least another low level fairly high ceiling type pitcher). Fielder is not going to re-sign. He's not. Move on and get what you can for him. As I said before, get rid of the players that don't have a future in Milwaukee.

[Invader3K]

I agree with you paul. I just fear that Attanasio and perhaps Melvin do not see it that way.

[pmallon]

if fielder does get traded how come no one ever mentions Braun as his replacement at 1st base. I think that is where he will move once fielder is gone. Other than Gomez our outfield defense is pretty weak. To me that just makes too much sense. Braun did show soft hands while playing third, it was his footwork and throwing that got him moved off. I think he can be a gold glove type first baseman, we already know his bat will play there. I would be looking for a 2/3 rotation pitcher and a starting corner OF in return for Prince.

[twobrewers]

I think the evidence is pretty clear that Melvin tends to favor trading for high floor/low ceiling type players. You know the majority of them will contribute in some fashion, but none of them will likely be an elite player.

That might just be how Melvin rebuilt a team in need of a lot of players. With a much better established MLB team, perhaps Melvin would be willing to trade Prince for one player straight up.

 

Five years ago, we needed "bodies" much more than we do now.

[logan82]

if fielder does get traded how come no one ever mentions Braun as his replacement at 1st base. I think that is where he will move once fielder is gone. Other than Gomez our outfield defense is pretty weak. To me that just makes too much sense. Braun did show soft hands while playing third, it was his footwork and throwing that got him moved off. I think he can be a gold glove type first baseman, we already know his bat will play there. I would be looking for a 2/3 rotation pitcher and a starting corner OF in return for Prince.

It has been brought up several times but not really discussed. I think he has bad fielding instincts. At least in the OF he has the opportunity to use his athleticism to make up for it. I think sometimes people get hung up on trying to get a good bat at certain positions(not necessarily saying you are) instead of putting everybody in the best defensive alignment possible. We are likely to have McGehee, Lawrie, Gamel and Braun all on the team at the same time. It really doesn't matter who plays where defensively as they will all be on the team. The best thing to do is put them in the combination that makes our defense best. I prefer Braun and his athleticism in LF. I didn't think he was a good fielder at 3B unlike Gamel for example who seems to field well but is not really good at throwing.

[Invader3K]

My feeling is that Braun is too athletic to be wasted at first base, kind of like logan said above. I think he will still develop and mature into being a pretty good defensive left fielder. I really see McGehee or Gamel as our future first baseman, barring some candidate from outside the organization.

[nate82]

I have been wondering but what if the Brewers hold onto Prince for this year and then go ahead and trade Prince to the Nationals after this year. The Nationals definitely have the budget to afford Fielder and they will be looking to make a big splash this next off season. I am just not sure who or what the Brewers could get in return for Fielder from the Nationals though.

 

What I really believe is going to happen is that Mark A. is not going to let Melvin trade Fielder away (to much of a cash cow right now) this season at least and maybe not even this off season. I think Mark A. is going to at least try to resign Fielder this off season and if they are not able to get Fielder resigned they will trade him then. I really don't see Mark A. doing a mid season trade for one of the Brewers biggest players which will probably hurt the team but I do see some suitors that will be available like the Nationals and other teams like the Angels, Yankees, and Red Sox will also be in consideration.

[Invader3K]

Well, supposedly they've been trying to sign Fielder to an extension since Spring Training, and we haven't heard too much about it. My guess is that the deafening silence on the talks means that the two sides are well apart. If they can't get a deal done during the season, I don't see it happening this coming winter. You could be right that they might wait to trade Fielder during this coming off-season. I hope they don't try to make one more run with him next year and then deal him mid-season for a lackluster return, or worse, let him walk in free agency and settle for questionable draft pick compensation.

[Rhett16]

With the Angels seemingly losing their first baseman for the rest of the year, this might be a good time to try and take advantage of them if they have any interest in Fielder at all. The Angels haven't been great this year, but I think they're only 3 or 4 games out of first, so I would think they have to belive they have a chance yet at winning the West. I have no idea who we could get from them though.

[HiAndTight]

Trading to the Nationals is definitely a interesting idea.

 

 

I wonder if we could pry Jordan Zimmerman out of their hands. It would be a huge risk on our part, but he's a hometown kid(SP I believe), has a very high upside...probably not that of an ace, but he and Gallardo could give us two top end #2 starters.

 

A interesting idea to me would be maybe Prince+something...I have no idea what that would be, perhaps a couple arms they could throw into their rotation or pen next year. Maybe Coffey and Narveson, for Zimmerman and Scott Olsen.

 

Not very likely, just throwing it out there. If I'm the Nationals I think I'd want to keep Zimmerman and Strasburg as a 1-2 and then Storen as my closer. That's a helluva trio to build a staff around.

 

But it's possible with his injury and with the Nats trying to become a bigger draw in the DC area, and a contender, they may look as trading for and subsequently signing Prince as a worthwhile trade for a questionable pitcher coming off a TJ injury, and a pitcher they picked up for nothing this past off-season.

 

On the Brewers side, again, I think Zimm is a #2 and Olsen a #3/4. Some risk there, but a lot of upside.

[paul253]

Is Zimmerman pitching yet? Didn't he have TJ surgery last year?

[pete]

If Fielder is going to be moved regardless if the return is low, its an obvious white flag. You might as well move Weeks, Hart, Parra and several others before the deadline. They'd also have to plan for a lower future payroll as the walk up this year would crater and next year's season tickets would go way down.

[rcon14]

If Prince starts to contribute more, is it possible we could get Casey Kelly from BOS?

[jvrocksaz]

Could Prince be sent to the LA Angels now that Morales is out for a while? Not sure what they have or be willing to give up...

[rcon14]

Could Prince be sent to the LA Angels now that Morales is out for a while? Not sure what they have or be willing to give up...

 

The Angels don't have the ace-potential pitching prospect that I think they're looking for in return for Fielder. Their best guy is a #3 type prospect in Trevor Reckling, he could be a 2, but I want more for Prince.

[BrewCrewForever]

With how bad Carlos Pena has been, I wonder if the Rays might actually be interested in Prince. Coupled with how well the Yanks, Red Sox and even Jays are playing. They could really use Fielder. I'm not saying they for sure would want him, but I think they might at least inquire to Melvin.

[Gobias Industries]

What about Oakland for a possible destination?

 

Beane has shown that he's not afraid to make a big splash for a rental if he thinks his team can contend (also not afraid to dump said player if their window closes), and that division will probably go down to the wire, so they should stay in it.

[TheCrew07]

You really think Beane would trade for Fielder after Moneyball? I don't see him ever trading for the player he thought was too fat even for the A's.

[Teatoe993]

How do the Angels look as trading partners? I've been hearing they've been shopping for a 1B like Konerko & D. Lee ever since Morales got hurt. Do the Angels have any nice chips they'd be willing to part with?

[endaround]

Willing to part with? Who knows, Lee and Konerko are just for this season so likely they don't want to give up much. For pitching you have Garrett Richards who seems to have the best stuff but he's a 22 year old A baller and Trout is tearing up A ball pitching as a 19 year old but is also 19 and years away most likely.

[nate82]

For pitching you have Garrett Richards who seems to have the best stuff but he's a 22 year old A baller and Trout is tearing up A ball pitching as a 19 year old but is also 19 and years away most likely.

The Angels really don't have much to trade for Prince. The Angels will probably trade someone like Reckling for Lee or Kornerko. I'm not sure that the Angels right now would be a good team to trade with if you are looking for something that will help out the Brewers next year both of those players wouldn't be ready by next year the earliest would probably be 2012 and more realistically probably 2013-2014. Not really a trade I would do with the Angels.

[endaround]

Well no, but none of the guys who could be ready next year are very exciting save maybe Conger but the Brewers really don't need to further log jam the catcher situation. Bourjos is interesting but CF is another area where the Brewers don't really need to jam more players. Reckling is struggling in AAA and while young doesn't really look to be a top line guy.

You aren't very likely to get a guy that can step in net year if Fielder gets traded and be expected to have any type of upside. That ship sailed when Ike Davis performed for the Mets.

[Hate those Rodents]

Buster Olney is reporting that Konerko is now available and being shopped. This won't help Fielder's trade value...

[JohnBriggs12]

There's a perception out there by many fans, and some media types, that Yovanni Garrado II is out there and that the Brewers are clinging to Fielder rather than making a deal that would substantially improve the pitching. The truth is that if somebody offered Yovanni Gallardo II or an equivalent, Fielder would already have been traded.

 

It generally takes established pitching to get young pitching and vice versa. Now they might be able to get a low level pitcher with a fairly high ceiling, but they aren't really lacking in those (see Heckathorn, Bucci, Odorizzi et al), but most likely the offers they get would be a decent fill in type bat and a mid level pitching prospect who's at AA or AAA.

 

The problems the Brewers have are not going to be solved by trading Fielder. The GM whiffed on virtually all significant off season expenditures. Why that hasn't put his job in jeopardy is the real problem.