Bye Mr. Prince.

[DuWayne Steurer]

For whatever it's worth, I was listening to the D-List this afternoon; and they played a short audio interview done with Prince after yesterday's game. Prince specifically mentioned that, "Rickie has to be re-signed". The hosts strongly hinted that re-signing Weeks could make Prince more inclined to stay. Probably just speculation on their part, but I thought it was interesting. Prince also re-iterated that, "Boras works for me."

If a deal ca be reached with Weeks (call it 8 years, $70 million - a $10 milion bonus and $7.5 million a year), then perhaps Fielder can be convinced to take a lower figure (say 8 years, $100 million - $10 million bonus and $11.25 million a year). OK, the Brewers might have to find a new position for Lawrie (if Escobar does NOT improve on a .600 OPS, I think Lawrie's new position will be blindingly obvious), but I'd rather have Rickie and Prince slugging FOR the Brewers instead of some other team.

Prince will demand Texieiria type money, and he may well get it from an AL team. Him signing for less than 12 mil per has about a 0 percent chance of happening.

[GAME05]

i'm definitely not buying the thought that Fielder will take a pay cut to stay in Milwaukee with his buddy Weeks. an extra $5M a year from someone is a lot to turn down.

 

i'm not convinced yet that Fielder will be gone in the offseason. DM might very well be happy enough to get one decent pitcher from someone like McGehee. then maybe he'll be so disappointed with the offseason Fielder offers that he'll feel that the Type A comp picks won't be any worse than trading him (or that we'll get as much in a 2011 late-season trade). plus then we'll keep a star player and not risk hurting attendance numbers for next year.

[cadillacjosh]

Would it be that ridiculous to add an extra 5mil on every year for Prince from us? We have a lot of money of the books. I mean we could even give him a front end deal to take advantage of all the cap room we have. If he does decline from weight like a lot of people suggest, I would think a "cheaper" contract towards the end of his years might even work as an advantage to us. This is mostly just speculation though.

 

Either way Prince will be missed and I'm not sure anything will come in return that'll make me forget about all the fun I had watching him.

[Invader3K]

Has any Boras client ever signed a "front loaded" contract? It's not a terrible idea. Just not sure if he'd go for it or not.

[kramnoj]

Arod's contract, per Cot's

 

08:$27M, 09:$32M, 10:$32M, 11:$31M, 12:$29M, 13:$28M, 14:$25M, 15:$21M, 16:$20M, 17:$20M

[logan82]

Boras didn't negotiate that contract if I am not mistaken. I thought I remember A-Rod negotiating directy with the Yankees because Boras wasn't getting anything done.

[Invader3K]

Boras didn't negotiate that contract if I am not mistaken. I thought I remember A-Rod negotiating directy with the Yankees because Boras wasn't getting anything done.

He hired an outside firm to handle the negotiations after the Yankees said they weren't going to negotiate further with Boras.

[TooLiveBrew]

And then he re-hired Boras after that... and fired him again earlier this month.

[RockCoCougars]

Though I still believe a deal is possible, I think that the only way that a deal gets done with Prince is if it is 5-6 years at $25 million or so per.... with a clause that allows Prince to opt out after the first 3 years. Something like this would be a huge risk for the Brewers, and I don't know if it would be worth it or not. I think at this point in the game, after the season that he had, I think that it would be very hard for Prince to turn down 5 years $110 million with an opt out after year 3.

[Invader3K]

$25 million a year actually wouldn't be that big a risk for the Brewers, if Prince continues to hit like he has. An opt out clause might be attractive to Prince; and if he continues to put up a .900+ OPS, he would probably exercise it. That wouldn't be a big deal for the Brewers at that point, as I would hope someone in the minors would be able to take over 1B by that point (I know they have a stud 1B prospect right now in the low minors, whose name eludes me).

 

I really think Prince needs to be traded this off-season though. It seems to be the only realistic way to quickly acquire the quality starting pitching this team desperately needs to become more competitive.

[trwi7]

$25 million a year actually wouldn't be that big a risk for the Brewers

Over a quarter of the payroll to one player is a huge risk and one the Brewers shouldn't even think about doing.

[Baldkin]

I'd much rather see them extend Weeks at 10M per and spend 13M a year on Beltre than sign Prince for 25M per.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'd much rather see them extend Weeks at 10M per and spend 13M a year on Beltre than sign Prince for 25M per.

I've gotta agree with this. All the money to one player is a bad idea. If we spread it to 2 players, they at least still both would have tradeable contracts.

 

[Ennder]

I highly doubt we find anything worth trading Fielder for.

[monty57]

I highly doubt we find anything worth trading Fielder for.

We may not find the value we'd like, but I think he'll be traded. Think about the fan outrage when Soriano wasn't traded by Washington, and even the media coverage over wheter Giambi would be traded by Oakland (and they were in a playoff run).

 

Most fans don't understand comp picks and don't really care about the draft or draft picks. If we hold on to Prince and let him walk "for nothing," I think a large majority of Brewers fans will be calling for Melvin's head. As we saw with Ned Yost, when a large cintingency of Brewers fans shout loud enough, the head will roll. Since I assume Melvin wants to keep his job, I'd guess we'll make a big public offer to Prince shortly after the season's over, and when he rejects it, we'll get the PR biltz of "we tried to sign him, but he's asking too much money, so we have to trade him so we can get something back."

 

I doubt we'll get the two top-of-the-rotation arms that Melvin apparently was shooting for this season, but I think he'll be traded. Nothing is certain, but I'd put the odds pretty high.

 

[kilgore37]

I wonder if they let Prince go and go after Adrian Gonzalez. I'd feel better about giving him a 5 yr/100mil contract knowing your getting closer to the same offense and a gold glove at 1st base.

[billyhallfan]

I highly doubt we find anything worth trading Fielder for.

that doesn't mean that he won't be traded.

[greeg35]

that doesn't mean that he won't be traded.

 

 

I think Melvins behavior at the trade deadline shows that is exactly what it means. He seems determined to take the comp picks if all he gets are low-ball offers and I agree with him. Frankly, I think teams in need of offense at the first base position are fools not to do whatever it takes to get Fielder.

[Invader3K]

I think Melvins behavior at the trade deadline shows that is exactly what it means. He seems determined to take the comp picks if all he gets are low-ball offers and I agree with him. Frankly, I think teams in need of offense at the first base position are fools not to do whatever it takes to get Fielder.

This is my line of thinking. Melvin would risk his job and the long term health of the Brewers franchise by taking a low return offer for Prince. He's not going to trade him just to trade him. It's not as if his salary is an issue for the team next season. While I still think Prince will in fact be traded this winter, I could see a scenario play out where the team tries to make one last run with Prince at 1B in 2011; and then trade him at the deadline in July if they're out of contention.

[PrinceFielderx1]

I just thought I'd bring up this thread again. I mean almost everybody assumes that Fielder is not going to be a Brewer next season. Now Doug Melvin makes a comment saying that Fielder isn't being shopped. I'm wondering a few things,

 

1.) Can Boras really get Fielder 8/180 million like he says? Is there a team that will pay that for Fielder especially with the other top 1B man on the market around the same time? I'm starting to question it.

 

2.) Has that 8/180 million figure dropped over the last year? Has Fielders value gone down?

 

3.) The Brewers were prepared to add a 6th year to their 5/100+ million offer to Sabathia according to Doug Melvin. That would have brought the total to 6/120-130 million. I have heard Doug Melvin say that there is more risk with offering a big contract like that to pitchers than hitters, so maybe they will go higher for Prince? I don't think we have seen the final offer for Prince Fielder yet. Maybe a 6 year 150 million contract with an option for a 7th with a big buyout? That would be bigger than what Howard got... I don't see the Brewers going higher than 6 years guaranteed for Fielder.

 

4.) Does anybody think that if Weeks was re-signed that Fielder would be more inclined to stay?

 

5.) Who would be interested in Fielder when he is going to make 16+ million next season and his agent is Boras and he is 1 season from FA? seriously... The Brewers would be better off holding onto him and getting 2 first round picks.

 

 

I'm starting to think that it is either re-sign Fielder or let him walk and take the picks as the options...

[Invader3K]

I wonder if they let Prince go and go after Adrian Gonzalez. I'd feel better about giving him a 5 yr/100mil contract knowing your getting closer to the same offense and a gold glove at 1st base.

The problem is that A-Gon is such a complete elite type player, you know teams like the Red Sox are going to be in on him. We just don't land players like that in free agency.

[Ennder]

Gonzalez is part of why it will be hard to shop Fielder. He is a better version of Prince, one that can play 1B and has a body type that will most likely keep him healthy longer. Until Adrian gets traded I don't think there will be much of a market for Fielder and since there aren't all that many teams that can pull off a trade for these types of guys I just find it hard to believe we are going to find someone to take Fielder.

[RyDogg66]

I think the Brewers should stick with Fielder this season and then let him walk at the end of the season. Our return will be very underwhelming and I would rather have him one more season and hope Rogers or Jeffress or another pitcher can step it up. maybe trade some prospects for a good young pitcher.

[TooLiveBrew]

3) I don't believe that Prince is worth spending $20M per season. His defense cuts into his overall value too much for me to want to see the Crew pay Prince like he's Adrian Gonzalez.

 

4) No. It seems very clear to me that Fielder is after the money here, and that's what'll motivate him. This is probably his one shot at a huge contract.

 

5) A team that's looking to contend in 2011 that wants to upgrade at 1B/DH, and that thinks they'd get > or = value in the comp. picks Fielder will garner compared to the prospects they'd need to pay to land him. The Giants, Rockies, Tigers, Rangers, White Sox, Red Sox, even Blue Jays & Rays are some teams that might be fits in that sense. It'd take eating a big chunk of Fielder's '11 salary to get a good return in some cases (like TB), but if that means the Brewers are getting top-shelf talent in return, they have the money to do that this offseason.

 

While I don't disagree that Adrian Gonzalez complicates matters for the Brewers & Prince, that's only one player. Even if teams concentrate on Gonzalez first, that doesn't mean there won't be significant interest in Fielder once Gonzalez is gone. As long as the Brewers are willing to be creative (read: eat some of his '11 salary), there should be several realistic partners for a Fielder trade.

[Warning Track Power]

5.) Who would be interested in Fielder when he is going to make 16+ million next season and his agent is Boras and he is 1 season from FA? seriously... The Brewers would be better off holding onto him and getting 2 first round picks.

My only fear with this scenario is the CC Sabathia/Mark Texieria situation all over again where a mega money team signs Fielder and an another Type A FA and the Brewers get the compensation sandwich pick and the 2nd round pick. If we get the 1st round pick and the compensation sandwich pick it may be better than what we could get via a trade.