What is Prince Fielder's worth?

[fondybrewfan]

Lets say it is a year or two before Prince is eligible for FA and he continues to be awesome (40+ homers .290 average) what kind of haul could we expect since in all likelihood we wont be able to extend him? Using the current performance and potential of players would it be concievable that Fielder 3 years from now could net a package like Broxton, Kemp, and Kershaw? Or would that be asking to much.

 

I would also be curious to see what Corey Hart or JJ Hardy would be worth in terms of trades.

 

I am not advocating trading any of these guys but we will be faced with this reality shortly and I am curious what everyone thinks we could get if we traded any of them away. I would think Fielder would be pretty comparable to Cabrera, neither is all that good defensively but both tremendous offensive players

 

I think Hart would have tremendous value as well, basically Soriano but cheaper, and not to many SS can hit 20+ homers with plus defense.

 

With the potential value of these guys I just don't see how we won't be able to sustain successfor a long period of time. We would get such a huge haul even if we traded 3 of Fielder, Weeks, Hardy, Hart, Braun, and Gallardo in teh next 5 years that we would be in the exact same position as we are today, stocked with young and cheap talent

[erbacaine04]

Well I think we will more than likely find out Hardy's value in the next year or so... with Escobar and Irriban coming up fast in the minors...

but Fielder would be alot like Miggy Cabera haul... or Santana type Haul.... because the Big Markets are always looking for a good DH and first basemen... hell David Ortiz is getting up there in age and has injury after injury... think of what a Boston would offer.. if they gave up Hannely Rameriz and a few other good prospects for Becket and a salary dump at the time in Lowell

[Big Reed]

I'd say Fielder is worth a ryan howard or Pujols.

 

the thing about a fielder, is that you will never receive equal value in trade for him. That's one of the reasons Santana hasn't been traded yet. you could trade fielder and get 4-5 prospects of which maybe one will turn out to be half as good as fielder is.

 

the simple rule of baseball , if you have a future hall of famer and you know it, don't trade him. and if you do, move the team to Salt lake City of vancouver. because the fans will be all over your case with I told you sos from the second you trade him. fans can get real ugly when teams trade their favorite player.

[Oldcity]

Nobody is worth Pujols, but Fielder would be right behind that. Probably similar to Miguel Cabrera in trade value.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I'm sure when the time comes, Fielder should net enough players to allow the Brewers to remain competitive without having to rebuild, assuming they can extend a few of the other guys. I think Hardy and Hart, if they stay healthy, will age better than Fielder, and while not necessarily worth more in the W column, will be better long term investments. Fielder isn't "obese", but he's got a body shape that's going to make playing well into his 30's very difficult, especially if he stays in the NL. I'd not be wanting to trade him before FA however, as I really think the Crew should get everything they can out of him before they trade him.

[southpaw121505]

I've been thinking about this same thing. I agree that we should be able to stay successful for a long time even after some of these guys are gone. It will be tricky for Melvin to decide who to try and extend, trade, or just let walk for picks. I think a lot of it will depend on the state of the farm and who is knocking on the door at Miller Park. For example, if Braun does move to left, Laporta might eventually end up back at first.

 

Fortunately, we have at least a few years of enjoying all these guys together.

[TooLiveBrew]

Probably similar to Miguel Cabrera in trade value.

 

This is a great comparison. The thing is that Fielder may well have more value by the time we consider trading him than Cabrera did this offseason. Fielder just has more raw power than Miguel, and that's saying something.

[twobrewers]

Just a side note I have been chewing on lately...

 

Everyone seems to accept the fact that Prince will be leaving the Brewers at some point in the future. While losing his 40+ HR and 120+ RBI will certainly hurt, I have bigger fears.

 

Prince is quickly become the heart and soul of the Brewers team. He is the unquestioned leader. Can we really afford to have our heart and soul ripped out over money?

 

I fear his departure will set a precedence that will resonate for years afterward.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well if it does come down to money, I don't think it'd really be on the Crew. He has the most outrageous agent in the profession, and will command huge dollars eventually. I can't put that one, or really see how anyone could, on Mark A. or any 'committment to winning.' If Prince decides he wants the most money he can make, that won't come in Milwaukee. I agree with you though that he's the leader - and I love that he is such in more of a 'lead by example' kind of way.

[logan82]

Fielder is the first to go in my opinion. I just see him getting so much more that we should be able to keep 2 players instead of Prince. I wouldn't trade him until his last year, but I see replacing Prince as being easier than replacing 2 of our other guys.

[RockCoCougars]

Adam Ethier and Matt Kemp.

[Tbadder]

This is one of those easy answers: he's worth a lot more than the Brewers will ever get for him.

 

But boy oh boy, I wouldn't want to be the team that signs him next. Mo Vaughn Junior is gonna take some franchise down.

[aracko]

Prince is worth AROD money. Prince is worth the franchise. You pay what it takes for the face of the franchise. Brewer for life.

 

In the proper market Prince Fielder would be one of the most marketable baseball players in history. As Milwaukee grows, so will the legend of Prince Fielder.

[RightFieldCoder]

Prince will leave at some point. His agent will ensure that. The only way to keep him would be to sell off all the other talent on this team and make the Brewers like the Giants; just a bunch of guys to play the game around one player. If he walks away we get two draft picks. Trading him should net a better return than those two picks. Unless Prince wants to sign for less money to extend the contract, then we should keep him.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Prince Fielder is an AL gm's dream DH. He's a Boras client, so while it's possible to get him extended to buy out a year or two of free agency due to how young he was when he broke into the big leagues, he'll be too expensive to keep around for his entire career. Milwaukee can't remain competitive by giving what probably would amount to 25% of their payroll to 1 player, so there will be a day when it's time to trade him for as much as they can get.

[badgers2000]

I also have been thinking about this and I while I like Prince as a person on the team, I think we would be better off trading him to the AL. I don't think we can win a WS with him at first base. At 5'11 250+ he does not have the range a MLB first baseman should have. This puts pressure on the other infielders removing their margin of error.

 

With a 6'6 Corey Hart at firstbase as an infielder you would have 6'sq ft more space to throw. I feel this added pressure on Hardy, Braun and Weeks contributed to the poor defense and put added stress on our starters and eventually our relievers. I don't see this ending until Prince is in his natural position of DH.

[brosto1]

If they want they could certainly keep Prince and still contend. Weeks, Hart, Braun, Hall, and Hardy all will have very good value as well. Just because they may deal some of them at some point for prospects that are near major league ready, doesn't automatically equate into full rebuilding mode. What happens if one of the prospects acquired comes out playing well right from his rookie year, sure there is more risk with the inexperienced rookie but it doesn't mean that this team would become like the Giants with Bonds. The Giants have not developed any offensive talent through their system, that has been their biggest problem. I have confidence in the current regime that if they decide to keep Prince that they could trade others for younger and productive talent, along with continuing to develop talent in the minor leagues, and remain competitive with Prince having a large percentage of payroll.

[fallingleaves]

Nobody is worth Pujols, but Fielder would be right behind that.

I personally feel Prince is already worth more than Pujols. I hope the team never looses him.

 

[erbacaine04]

The only way Fielder stays with the Brewers when contract time comes is if he does not listen to Boras.... the Brewers will lose 1 or 2 of our infielders when the time comes....

 

I feel Fielder is a guy that would love to stay with a team his whole career and seems like a guy that really likes Milwaukee.... the problem is His Agent is NOT the type that will sit and negotiate a new contract before Fielder tests the market... which means we lose in a bidding war....

 

Fielder has bad taste in agents...his first agent steals about 3 million of his 5 million dollar bounus(Big daddy dearest Cecil)...and now his next agent will steal his soul...

 

I think Braun seems like the type that would bolt for the warm weather and money at the first crack.... but Fielder seems like he obviously wants to win but also would like to be that main stay... now he needs to drop Boras to give him that chance

 

To me Hardy is the most Expendable of our Infielders... with Escobar and Irriaben coming up....

Weeks has the Highest ceiling of all of our Infielders and I think you will see a Braun-esque performance from him this year...maybe even MVP worthy...

Fielder it will depend on our good of shape he is in with a year left on his contract.... if he is starting to look like his dad then you wont want to sign him long term you would need to send him to the AL.... its like Carlos Lee..do you want to put 5 years into a guy that will not play the postion past 2 years

[TooLiveBrew]

I personally feel Prince is already worth more than Pujols. I hope the team never looses him.

Pujols plays significantly better defense, BBs more, and Ks significantly less. He's in a league of his own - and that's saying something, since Prince Fielder is an offensive juggernaut.

[bcf5575]

I predicate that Prince will be a brewer for a LONG time. He is the franchise. He is (or at least will become) to the brewers what Brett Favre is to the Packers.

 

The Brewers will take care of him like the Packers have always done with Favre and we will never have to deal with his impending free agency.

 

That is my prediction - or at least my hope...

[Big Reed]

as a brewer fan, i would trade Prince for Pujols. As a Cardinals fans, I don't believe I would. When prince turns 30, I just can'rt believe he'll keep up his strict diet and work-out plans and he will start to resemble his dad and big Poppy. he wil l become a liability at first base.

 

if the brewers really want to keep prince in his prime, they should petition now to go back to the AL. I never bought into all the spin/bs about how scheduling prohibited two 15 team leagues. the current schedule is nothing to brag about. throw in a few more interleague games, a few more double headers, and use a smarter computer, and you will get a perfectly fine schedule. I have to believe the people who say it can't be done have never tried to do it.

[homer]

Pujols could also be three years older than he claims. But even if that's not true he only walked 9 more times in roughly the same number of ABs. The big differences were Ks (and given Prince's minor league history I'd bet he greatly improves in that department) and batting average - Pujols had 20 more hits than Fielder a result of hitting 36 more singles than Prince did. As of this second, Prince is not at Pujols level but I don't think it's as different offensively as some may believe. Ask that question this time next year and you might have a different answer.

 

And yes, Pujols does and always will have the edge on Fielder defensively.

[logan82]

he wil l become a liability at first base.

That is part of the problem. He is already a liability at first baes and not likley to get much better.

[Big Reed]

When the brewers first drafted Prince, I said his ceiling would be somewhere between his father and Frank Thomas. for better or worse, I'll think that generalization still applies.