Prince Fielder signs with...

[PrinceFielderx1]

If Fielder's asking price drops to a 5-6 year deal I'd be willing to bet that the Brewers will go hard after him. That's still a big if. The Brewers and Fielder likely got nowhere in the extension discussions because the Brewers were only willing to go 5 maybe 6 years, and Fielder was looking for more years/money then that. The Brewers likely said good luck with that and go ahead and test FA and see if you get it. The Brewers have the option to wait it out because they have Gamel.

 

The Brewers could trade Wolf and K-Rod and save 20 million, then suck up 5 million to cover Fielder. Future raises could likely be covered by increase in TV and ticket revenue.

[narwhalattack]

I'm not advocating the Brewers to sign Fielder. That's a big chunk of money, even if they go 5/130 or 6/150. They probably would have to dismantle the team beyond Wolf and K-Rod and ticket and TV revenue would not do that much either. Prince is a great player, but to dismantle the team just because of one player is pretty short-sighted.

[PrinceFielderx1]

I'm not advocating the Brewers to sign Fielder. That's a big chunk of money, even if they go 5/130 or 6/150. They probably would have to dismantle the team beyond Wolf and K-Rod and ticket and TV revenue would not do that much either. Prince is a great player, but to dismantle the team just because of one player is pretty short-sighted.

I don't believe that.

 

The Brewers new TV contract that they signed is likely going to triple from just under 10 million to around 30 million according to the NY times (exact figures unknown). I do think some of that will offset with potentially a decrease in revenue sharing, but I believe it will still allow them to up their payroll even further from 98 million this season, starting in 2013. Also ticket prices did increase, so that's additional revenue.

 

K-Rod/Wolf are under contract for this year only, then they are FA's. Considering that Braun is likely going to miss 50 games due to a suspension, and that there are cheaper younger alternatives to Wolf in Peralta, and cheaper effective relief pitchers than K-Rod, the addition of Fielder back to the line-up would be a good move for the short term and long term (next 5-6 seasons). Plus, there is the return for K-Rod and Wolf.

 

In my previous post I said "if" (big if) Fielders asking price drops to 5-6 years, then it wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Brewers go hard after him.

[Raw Biz]

Anybody who thinks the Brewers would (or even could) give Prince 5 years at 25/yr is kidding themselves. It's reality and we need to accept it. Sure they could trade a few guys to make it work for this year but there are multiple guys signed for 10+/yr in the next few years. Nobody knows for sure what the new contract will bring but either way, it doesn't change the fact that we still have the smallest market in baseball. A $100 million payroll is likely tops and I don't even know how long that would be sustainable for. To think they could afford $110-$120 million for a few years is crazy, unless Attanasio is willing to lose a lot of money.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Anybody who thinks the Brewers would (or even could) give Prince 5 years at 25/yr is kidding themselves. It's reality and we need to accept it. Sure they could trade a few guys to make it work for this year but there are multiple guys signed for 10+/yr in the next few years. Nobody knows for sure what the new contract will bring but either way, it doesn't change the fact that we still have the smallest market in baseball. A $100 million payroll is likely tops and I don't even know how long that would be sustainable for. To think they could afford $110-$120 million for a few years is crazy, unless Attanasio is willing to lose a lot of money.

Without knowing the details of the TV contract like you say you don't know (likely still the smallest in the Majors) and additional revenue details how would you know what payroll they could afford or what is considered "crazy"? This is a legit question.

 

All I'm saying is that the Brewers were prepared to go 5 years for Fielder and there were rumors that they were willing to stretch it to 6 years. 5-6 years appears to be in the Brewers range.

[nate82]

There is a way for the Brewers to afford Fielder though the contract would have to be almost nearly all the way back loaded for it to work. If Prince wanted an opt out clause after three years that would even be better.

Example of a contract that the Brewers could afford. (note I am not saying the Brewers should do this)

7 years at $175m opt out after year 3.

Year 1: $18m

Year 2: $22m

Year 3: $22m

Year 4: $28m

Year 5: $28m

Year 6: $28m

Year 7: $29m

The best option would be for a team option after year 4 if the player wanted to be able to opt out after year 3. The biggest risk would be Fielder dropping off by a wide margin of production after year 3 and the team would be stuck with a basically unmoveable contract on their hands. Wouldn't be the greatest contract for the Brewers but the team could afford it not sure Prince or Boras would accept this kind of a deal. The Brewers would be getting one of the better 1B in the league at 3-years and $62m if Prince opted out after year 3.

[Brewcrewin07]

Signing Prince, pays for itself over time though. When you consider the draw he is, his merchandise etc etc. To me it's a no brainer, but it's also not my money.

[RockCoCougars]

The longer this drags on, the worse Boras looks. I'm loving it. The only big client of his that has signed that I know of was Madson with the Phillies.... oh wait.

[brettac1]

He'll come out of it smelling like a rose. He always does. He's the best agent in sports for a reason. As far as Madson goes, he's really not that great. He'll get paid plenty, though, too. It's not like the season starts tomorrow. There's so much time for guys to get contracts. Just because there haven't been a million stories about who's interested in Fielder doesn't mean there aren't negotiations ongoing, probably with multiple teams.

[clancyphile]

Anybody who thinks the Brewers would (or even could) give Prince 5 years at 25/yr is kidding themselves. It's reality and we need to accept it. Sure they could trade a few guys to make it work for this year but there are multiple guys signed for 10+/yr in the next few years. Nobody knows for sure what the new contract will bring but either way, it doesn't change the fact that we still have the smallest market in baseball. A $100 million payroll is likely tops and I don't even know how long that would be sustainable for. To think they could afford $110-$120 million for a few years is crazy, unless Attanasio is willing to lose a lot of money.

You could try to defer salary - Braun took deferred money, and Prince may go with deferred cash for a longer deal.

 

And a World Series title, and a higher profile from playoff runs could pay for itself as well. The Brewers have a chance for a real run.

 

Keeping Prince could guarantee it.

[paul253]

And a World Series title, and a higher profile from playoff runs could

pay for itself as well. The Brewers have a chance for a real run.
Keeping Prince could guarantee it.

But what happens after next season when the Brewers can't afford to resign Greinke and Marcum or keep Wolf? Are we going to be just as good with Peralta and Fiers in the rotation? I doubt it.

 

We are all painfully aware that you can't be a winning team without good pitching. The Brewers deferred money for Braun. They deferred money for Ramirez. Under your idea they'll defer money for Fielder. Eventually these bills are going to come due and we won't be able to afford to pay them all. I'm already concerned that Milwaukee over extended themselves to pay for Ramirez. I really question whether or not they can keep going down the path they are currently going. I much as I enjoyed the 2011 NLCS run I am skeptical that they can keep this up without having any young cheap impact prospects to replace expensive vets.

[Mass Haas]

Well, Cecil feels he's off to Washington (and yes, he and Prince are on speaking terms again...)

[RockCoCougars]

I doubt that Cecil knows any more than the rest of us. That said, it would be funny to have Rock ask Prince if he's 'talked to his old man yet' again.

 

As for Boras, I have a tough time seeing his clients getting close to what they are demanding. We are less than 6 weeks until pitchers/catchers report. Prince will probably get paid, but I bet it won't be as much as he expects. There is no way Madson will even sniff what the rumored deal with the Phillies amounted to.... Edwin Jackson is not going to get big money either, he throws hard, but he's nothing more than a mid-rotation guy... Carlos Pena should have taken arby. Ironically, the one Boras client who will come out smelling like a rose is K-Rod.

[brettac1]

That said, it would be funny to have Rock ask Prince if he's 'talked to his old man yet' again.

Definitely #1 on the all-time Schroeder cringe moments.

[clancyphile]

And a World Series title, and a higher profile from playoff runs could

pay for itself as well. The Brewers have a chance for a real run.

Keeping Prince could guarantee it.

But what happens after next season when the Brewers can't afford to resign Greinke and Marcum or keep Wolf? Are we going to be just as good with Peralta and Fiers in the rotation? I doubt it.

 

We are all painfully aware that you can't be a winning team without good pitching. The Brewers deferred money for Braun. They deferred money for Ramirez. Under your idea they'll defer money for Fielder. Eventually these bills are going to come due and we won't be able to afford to pay them all. I'm already concerned that Milwaukee over extended themselves to pay for Ramirez. I really question whether or not they can keep going down the path they are currently going. I much as I enjoyed the 2011 NLCS run I am skeptical that they can keep this up without having any young cheap impact prospects to replace expensive vets.

Win a couple of pennants and/or World Series, and the franchise will get the money.

 

There's also Jungmann and Bradley as options, not to mention Thornburg, Scarpetta, Bucci, Gagnon, and Heckathorn.

[narwhalattack]

You're putting way too much trust that the Brewers will win more pennants. Do they have a chance? Definitely. But is it a guarantee? Far from it. And plus Jungmann, Bradley, Thornburg, and Peralta are still just prospects and are far from sure things to succeed in the majors. To go with that mindset is to take a large gamble, a gamble that can easily backfire.

[jerichoholicninja]

You're putting way too much trust that the Brewers will win more pennants. Do they have a chance? Definitely. But is it a guarantee? Far from it. And plus Jungmann, Bradley, Thornburg, and Peralta are still just prospects and are far from sure things to succeed in the majors. To go with that mindset is to take a large gamble, a gamble that can easily backfire.

Isn't Gamel "just a prospect" and "far from a sure thing to succeed" as well?

[Raw Biz]

You're putting way too much trust that the Brewers will win more pennants. Do they have a chance? Definitely. But is it a guarantee? Far from it. And plus Jungmann, Bradley, Thornburg, and Peralta are still just prospects and are far from sure things to succeed in the majors. To go with that mindset is to take a large gamble, a gamble that can easily backfire.

Isn't Gamel "just a prospect" and "far from a sure thing to succeed" as well?

Not as much as those others. Gamel has proven that he can play at a high level in AAA. Jungmann and Bradley haven't pitched professionally yet, Thornburg has only made it to High A and Peralta has made 5 starts at AAA. Obviously Peralta has "proven" himself the most out of the pitchers but I still think he could use at least another half-season in AAA. Plus, I think pitching prospects have a higher fail rate compared to position players anyway.

[brettac1]

He is a prospect, but he's closer to being able to help than all of those guys aside from possibly Peralta. It's especially dangerous to pencil in Jungmann and Bradley for rotation spots in 2013 or 2014 right now when they haven't even pitched in the minor leagues yet (aside from Bradley's 8 IP in the Fall League). Gamel has a long history of success at the minor league level that indicates he will be a good MLB player.

[burnzy24]

According to this report Seattle is out of the bidding too and they only have $3-4 more million to spend this off-season. So its Washington and maybe Toronto? Poor Boras is running out of teams to get into a bidding war with.

[paul253]

There's also Jungmann and Bradley as options, not to mention Thornburg, Scarpetta, Bucci, Gagnon, and Heckathorn.

 

Others have brought this up already, but Jungmann and Bradley haven't even pitched yet. Scarpetta hasn't really progressed much with his control the past few years. Heckathorn struggled once he hit AA. There's promise in some of the pitchers we have, but we've always had some prospects with promise. In the last decade though none of them have panned out other than Sheets and Gallardo. So to just rely on these guys like there are sure things is a mistake. You can't just throw three rookies into the rotation with Gallardo and Narveson in 2013 and expect to be a contender.

[RockCoCougars]

According to this report Seattle is out of the bidding too and they only have $3-4 more million to spend this off-season. So its Washington and maybe Toronto? Poor Boras is running out of teams to get into a bidding war with.

Greed is a terrible thing. I wonder if Boras is banking on the new ownership group of the Dodgers? That one would make a ton of sense, but wouldn't we will be well into the season before that became official?

[burnzy24]

Well considering that the bidding hasn't even opened on the Dodgers I would say they would be lucky to have a new MLB approved owner until March or April.

[Invader3K]

I really didn't think we'd be getting into mid January without Prince signing anywhere yet.

[GoudaBrew]

I really didn't think we'd be getting into mid January without Prince signing anywhere yet.

I kind of saw this coming. Take both NY teams, Boston, LAD(ownership/financial issues), both Chicago teams out of the market and you lose out on a lot of deep pocketed suitors. Once Pujols went to LAA and Texas won Darvish it really started looking bleak for Boras and Co.

 

Boras is starting to make concessions this off-season. Ryan Madson fell $30-40 million short of what he was looking for. I think there will be some upset Brewers fans when Prince does sign because it will look like a contract Milwaukee could have done at the beginning of the off-season. Though Boras has pulled a rabbit out of his hat before.