What Is Your Max Prince Fielder Deal?

[Warning Track Power]

Given the mixed reactions to whether or not some want Prince to be re-signed, I thought it would be interesting to start a thread to see what your maximum contract offer to Prince would be given the needs at SS, 3B and RP and possible extensions to Greinke and Marcum. Since we do not know about the ability of the Brewers payroll to expand much further, I will say we have to work within the parameters of a maximum $100MM/payroll. To this end, I will say my maximum offer to Prince would be:

 

7 year/$140MM. ($20MM/AAV)

 

Contract takes Prince through his age 34 season. Makes Braun and him earn the same AAV. Now given the need to extend Greinke as well and Having Braun and Rickie already committed for approximately $30MM year total and Prince at another $20MM, there wouldn't be much room to re-sign Greinke and Gallardo, when the time comes. Greinke would have to receive on AAV around $16-$18MM, which means we would be paying Braun, Rickie, Prince and Greinke approximately $66-$68MM of a $100MM payroll. Is there any way we could field a competitive team if the Brewers shelled out that kind of coin to 4 players? Anyone confident enough in our farm system to take a risk such as this?

[RockCoCougars]

The highest that I'd go is 6/$140 with a player out after 3 years and a $30MM vesting option for 2018 (7th year) based on plate appearances in 2017. I wouldn't start there (I'd try 5/$120 with an out after year 3), but that's what I'd go to. It's not my money though. I highly doubt that he will do much better on the market.

[TheCrew]

Anything over 5 is nuts imo

[StearnsFTW]

Anything over 5 is nuts imo

I agree. I'd go 5/100, but that'd be it. And I know that wouldn't get it done, so bye-bye.

[randybreuerfan]

1year -$23m

2 years - $45m

3 years - $66m

4 years - $85m

5 years - $100m

6 years - $110m

7 years - $115m

[reillymcshane]

My max for Fielder is about $20 million a year for 6 years, and a lifetime of adoration from the state of Wisconsin. Look at Robin Yount and you'll know what I mean.

[chadomac]

5 years, 100 million and not a penny more. Smell ya later Prince, it's been real.

[chickinbrickin]

I'm on the 5 year/ 100 mil bandwagon. Signing him for more would kill this franchise. His bat is great and nearly impossible to replace, but he is a liability on defense. The money he would be paid could be used much more wisely and benefit the franchise much more.

[JohnBriggs12]

$126 million over 6 yrs, with a team option for another year or a $6 million buyout. Total value: $132 million.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm on the 5 year/ 100 mil bandwagon. Signing him for more would kill this franchise. His bat is great and nearly impossible to replace, but he is a liability on defense. The money he would be paid could be used much more wisely and benefit the franchise much more.

 

It could be used much less wisely as well.

[logan82]

5/85

[Hate those Rodents]

6/120. Let him sucker us for one extra year at 20 million from our original offer so he has the pride of "winning".

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'd stick with the original 5 year $100 million as many have stated. There's absolutely no way I'd go over 5 years, and we can't even consider anything over $20 million per year.

[RightFieldCoder]

In 4 or 5 years we might be needing a DH anyway. It really depends on who replaces Selig.

[Invader3K]

6/120. Let him sucker us for one extra year at 20 million from our original offer so he has the pride of "winning".

This is exactly as high as I'd go as well. I'm sure some stupid team will give him a seventh year, though.

[Mr Southpaw]

How about a CC type deal that is front loaded......

 

Year 1 22 mil

Year 2 22 mil

Year 3 23 mil

Year 4 25 mil with a player and team option. Team has a 3 mil buyout.

Year 5 15 mil

Year 6 15 mil

Year 7 15 mil

 

All together a 7 year 132 mil or 4 year 92 mil (if Prince options) or 4 year 95 mil (if Milwaukee options). This kinda reverses Braun's contract so that we keep both for about 30-35 mil a year.

[Invader3K]

Anyone else find it interesting despite all the talk and speculation, nothing has come out about any one team really being interested in Prince yet?

[RockCoCougars]

Anyone else find it interesting despite all the talk and speculation, nothing has come out about any one team really being interested in Prince yet?

Not really, due to the fact that teams didn't exactly break down the doors of Miller Park when Prince was on the block last winter. I still think that someone unexpected may jump out of the woodwork and overpay in a big way, but my guess is that everyone is waiting for Pujols to sign. Outside of the Miami PR ticket selling campaign, there hasn't been much news on him, either.

[StearnsFTW]

Anyone else find it interesting despite all the talk and speculation, nothing has come out about any one team really being interested in Prince yet?

Not really, due to the fact that teams didn't exactly break down the doors of Miller Park when Prince was on the block last winter. I still think that someone unexpected may jump out of the woodwork and overpay in a big way, but my guess is that everyone is waiting for Pujols to sign. Outside of the Miami PR ticket selling campaign, there hasn't been much news on him, either.

I agree and I think it'll be Seattle.

[yoshii8]

Heres what I think I would do, although it would involve a lot of work, and is probably unrealistic. Trade Wolf, Hart, McGehee and possibly even dangle Marcum. From those trades acquire as much young cheap talent as we possibly can to fill the SS, SP, RF and bullpen roles as we possibly can. Then w/ the savings, lock up Greinke and Prince to long term deals.

 

To me if we have a core of Prince, Braun, Gallardo and Greinke, and then fill in w/ cheap talent in the other spots for the next 5 years or so we will always have a chance to make the playoffs.

 

Oh and to answer the topic question, I would give him 5 years 120 or so.

[Warning Track Power]

Heres what I think I would do, although it would involve a lot of work, and is probably unrealistic. Trade Wolf, Hart, McGehee and possibly even dangle Marcum. From those trades acquire as much young cheap talent as we possibly can to fill the SS, SP, RF and bullpen roles as we possibly can. Then w/ the savings, lock up Greinke and Prince to long term deals.

 

To me if we have a core of Prince, Braun, Gallardo and Greinke, and then fill in w/ cheap talent in the other spots for the next 5 years or so we will always have a chance to make the playoffs.

 

Oh and to answer the topic question, I would give him 5 years 120 or so.

This is EXACTLY what I would do if I were Attanasio, Melvin and Ash.

 

Core of five: Braun, Fielder, Weeks, Gallardo & Greinke. Heavily front load the Prince deal with bigger dollars while Gallardo, Lucroy, Gindl, Green, Gamel, Nyjer/Gomez, SS, Narveson, Axford are still relatively affordable.

 

Is it realistic? I just don't know the Brewers financials well enough to know if they can get creative enough to do something like this.

 

 

[StearnsFTW]

I would be much more on board with that plan if we had any prospects coming. But we don't for a few years. No sure things anyway. If I were, say, Kansas City, I would definitely subscribe to such a plan.

[JumpinMacFlash]

The max I would probably go is 5 years/$110 million with a $20 million sixth year option, which vests based on plate appearances during year five.

 

Realistically, I expect Washington to swoop in and grab Fielder with an 7-year/$180 million contract. Ted Lerner has oodles of cash and isn't afraid to give it out. I don't think they'd hesitate to move Michael Morse to the outfield to make room for Fielder.

[yoshii8]

I would be much more on board with that plan if we had any prospects coming. But we don't for a few years. No sure things anyway. If I were, say, Kansas City, I would definitely subscribe to such a plan.

 

But don't you think we'd be ok between the guys we would get for Hart, Wolf, Marcum and McGehee, and the guys that are close to ready in Gamel, Green, Gindl, Schaefer, Peralta, Fiers and so on?

[TooLiveBrew]

Supposedly Fielder 'offered' to stay in Milwaukee a couple years ago for ~ 8/$176M, per Jon Heyman.

Fielder offered to stay for eight years and $176 million a couple years ago. But the target surely has climbed since then. The asking price is believed to be $200 million for eight years, which would give him the same annual salary as Phillies' slugging first baseman Ryan Howard. The Nationals, Mariners, Rangers, Orioles and Cubs are viewed as among the possibilities for Fielder. Projection: $195 million, eight years.

So 8 yrs./$175-200M would be the starting point in discussions with Fielder & Boras. That's waaay over my max offer, and I'm guessing nearly everyone else's, too.