A player on the Nationals said the team was still in on Prince Fielder yesterday, even though GM Mike Rizzo recently said that Adam LaRoche will be their first baseman next year. Rival executives believe Prince will eventually end up in Washington, however. Here's are today's rumors about the best remaining unsigned free agent, with the latest news on top…
- Prince Fielder and agent Scott Boras were in the Baltimore-Washington area when they took their ownership tour this month but did not meet with Orioles owner Peter Angelos, tweets Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com hears that there is no way the Orioles will do eight-plus years at $20MM+ annually for Fielder. The team is also wary of being used as "leverage" against another club, such as the Nationals.
On this, I have a feeling that Scott Boras is going to have to lower his demands, because the number of suitors is getting smaller and smaller, and I don’t think that that “one dumb owner” exists here.
Not to 1 year, but I think that he may have to come down to 4 years and $90 or even 6 years and $135M-140M, because I don’t see any teams biting at 8 years. Prince’s father, Cecil, lasted 14 seasons in the majors.
NL East is going to be a tough division this year
Real tough.
Extremely tough.
unbelievably tough
Tough times two billion ………
Its going to make the AL East look like the NL southwestnorth. Thats how tough it will be.
The Mets will have it the worst, given that every other team improved. I wouldn’t be susprised if the Mets finished in last place.
watch them blow the Nationals and Marlins out of the water
watch Johan Santana throw 220 innings… lol, i can’t even say that with a straight face! poor mets, they are the Orioles of the NL East.
Indeed.
I ain’t countin it out
I don’t remember any of Boras’s big name clients ever really having to lower their demands to get signed. He’s so shrewd at getting teams to bid against themselves. Look what he did with the Yankees and A-Rod. Fielder and Boras will find a way to get a long term, big money deal.
There’s always one dumb owner out there…hopefully they’re just too busy on their private Caribbean isle
I am surprised we arent hearing more from the marlins.
He’s a Boras client. Of course other teams will unwittingly be used as leverage. Ask the Yanks and BoSox about it.
He’s a Boras client. Of course other teams will unwittingly be used as leverage. Ask the Yanks and BoSox about it.
The phrase “mystery team” should be illegal to use. It only helps the agent, and no one else.
I really dont know why more teams just publicly say that they will refuse to do business with Boras. If a bunch of teams did this, especially big spending ones, he’d lose clients and eventually be forced out of the game.
“If a bunch of teams did this, especially big spending ones, he’d lose clients and eventually be forced out of the game.”
Yeah, all you have to do is get hyper competitive people to sit back and not go after the best players while the small market teams snap them up. That’s not going to happen anytime soon. Don’t blame Boras for doing his job well. Teams just need to figure out what a player is worth and not go above that figure.
There’s also the cloud of collusion hanging over MLB organizations. Boras will start screaming about filing grievance if Fielder can’t seem to get the offer he wants. When it might be fact that every team in the market for him has about the same financial interest in his signing. Boras tried this one with Manny Ramirez…and it backfired.
Boras isn’t what he once was, and he’s seen a backlash from his own clients.
Yeah, I was originally going to bring up collusion and the potentially HUGE liability it would open MLB up to but they would have to actually coordinate that.
Yeah, I agree that Boras is seemingly losing it a little. I still can’t believe what happened to Varitek a few years ago. What an agent induced fiasco that was.
It doesn’t take collusion for 30 MLB organizations to realize that Fielder is a big money risk all on their own. I think what that says to Fielder and his reps is that he truly isn’t as valuable as they believe him to be.
The whole situation didn’t play off well for Fielder. Milwaukee won the Central and couldn’t deal him, and other AL teams with the cash flow had high calibre players at 1B. The scenario I saw potentially happening would have been Fielder going to the White Sox. The Dunn signing left ended that.
Arte Moreno generally employs this strategy. He hasn’t signed a Boras client in FA in a really long time.
I don’t know how that has affected Boras and his clients, since Moreno’s thrown around a LOT of money the last two offseasons.
Thats interesting. I wonder if thats why Arte dismissed the idea of signing Beltre last year? If I remember correctly I thought Beltre really wanted to play for the Angels since he lives out there but Arte basically didn’t even want to discuss the deal.
Just as front offices can use “mystery” negotiations with an undisclosed free agent to drive down the price in negotiations with the team’s desired free agent.
Very true, except that there aren’t that many teams with the resources AND an open 1B position left that may be willing and able to sign PF. Add to that the fact that if you want to sign him to the kind of long term deal PF and Boras are looking for, you’d better be an AL team with a DH slot that Prince can slide into in a few years.
PF is definitely trying to get a premium deal in a limited market.
These are probably the save rival “executives” that also said the Jays won the bid for Darvish. I highly doubt the Nationals sign the guy, when they have a 1st basemen locked up long term and there is no DH in the NL.
There is a DH as of next year for most of the game when MLB goes to 15 in each league AND who is the long term answer at 1st? Laroche has this year left (with a mutual option in 2013) , Morse and Marrero both are not long term options at 1st… AND nothing in the minors…
marrero is better than you think….have you seen him on a regular basis??? dude has a sweet swing and his defense is only getting better…the dl stint will set him back but he will be there starting in 13′
werth and fielder in one line-up. Top-notch!
Nothing like having a .230 hitter to protect you!
would actually be morse batting 5th. werth would probably bat either 2nd or 6th
not happening
Prince’s G/WAR totals year by year during his peak years
157/1.3
158/5.1
159/1.7
162/6.4
161/3.4
162/5.5
For a bad bodied guy who’s never had a true MVP type season and cant play defense to save his life, he really doesnt deserve more than 5 years or more than $16M a year. I dont get the hype. Paying this guy tons into his 30s when he doesnt even have the numbers to back it up seems really delusional by Boras, but what else is new. Don’t get me wrong, he’s easily the best DH in baseball, but he’s also a very incomplete player. Incomplete players don’t deserve 8/160.
“Easily the best DH in baseball” Really? David Ortiz disagrees…
128/3.2
150/4.3
159/5.2
151/5.5
149/6.3
109/1.9
150/0.3
145/2.6
146/4.2
Edgar Martinez has almost double the career WAR of Ortiz in just about as many seasons.
Yeah, but Edgar hasn’t gotten many at bats lately. I was just considering active players.
Good point, I still think I’d take Fielder over Ortiz though for active players. Even though I do believe that they may have a somewhat similar number of productive years left despite the age gap. Fielder may have the slight advantage for longevity, but he will probably come with some expensive unproductive years.
I’d sure love to see Boras lay an egg! How ’bout you guys?
2 Things:
1) In order to be used as leverage, someone has to believe you would make a competitive offer.
2) The Orioles are so bad, even THEY don’t think anyone would actually want to sign there.
The poster near the top suggested 4 years for 90, and I think something like that works from a team perspective. Fielder’s lost leverage and appeal. C’mon, a grossly overweight supposed vegetarian…you can’t BE a grossly overweight vegetarian unless your commitment to being in top shape is phantom. You have to eat like a pig (or something close to it). Fielder’s very productive now at bat and adequate in the field. I wouldn’t gamble that lasts more than four years at best. And there’s no place to move him on the Cubs or Nats as there isn’t an everyday DH slot. I’d gamble and go 5 or 6 years at a low 20’s salary but not on a supposed (or actual) vegetarian whose busting out of the seams of his uniform already. He should already show a fierce commitment to being in the BEST POSSIBLE SHAPE. And he hasn’t. That projects as more and more fat and less and less workout, exercise, and physical training.
Moreover, I hear and read he’s not a great clubhouse guy….more concerned with getting a couple hits in a loss than helping his team get a win.
Boras has kind of blown things. Best to take a short contract perhaps–a couple years?–and get the guy in great shape in the interim and make him the FA star of that class. The Boras tactic of waiting has backfired in this case.
Never count Boras out.
He was overweight before he was vegetarian. He’s actually lost weight since going veggie.
But don’t let facts get in the way of a rant…
Heyman of ohtheposs, doncha have a boras press release to rewrite into a rumour?
“Moreover, I hear and read he’s not a great clubhouse guy….more concerned with getting a couple hits in a loss than helping his team get a win.”
You lose all credibility with that retarded statement. Obviously you have never watched a Brewer’s game. He was the heart and soul of that team. Boras almost always gets his players what they want. Fielder will be no different. Prince will still get 8/150-180
You stated Boras always gets his players what they want is totally false. Look at Beltre. He wanted 6 years 120M, settled for substantially less in Texas, which is just one example. You also said Fielder will get 8 years and I want to know from who? The Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Texas, Phillies, White Sox, Cubs, plus all the other teams with 100M plus payrolls already have a first baseman or they are in rebuilding mode. Either that or they have all their payroll tied up in wanting to extend their own superstars first.
The remaining teams that have the money to give Fielder 20M a season will go five years tops. That narrows the field down to zero, so show everyone the teams that will go 8 – 10 years and 200M. Washington are only in the conversation as posting a 6 year 20 M contract. They have the Werth albatross hanging over their heads and LaRoche is the first baseman according to the GM, who is on record. Since NO team will give Fielder what he wants, are you talking about a Japanese or Korean team?
Boras has two options. Peddle Fielder for five years and 20M or watch him sit at home in 2012, wishing he was playing in the majors. The teams didn’t cave into Barry Bonds demands and they won’t cave into Fielder either, which will make Boras upset. lol.
How do you know what Adrian Beltre wanted last offseason?
Perhaps Beltre wanted $70 million over five years so Scott Boras advised to start the bidding at $120 million over six years.
Beltre settled for $80 million over five years so for all we know the thirdbaseman may have gotten more than he wanted.
Beltre probably took less money to play for a contender. duh
Whenever I saw him on MLB Network he was pretty rude to the hosts. Obviously I don’t know much about him in the clubhouse but when they had him and Braun on the show during the afternoon during the season Braun was much more open and personable. When asked to do their home run dance Fielder didnt wanna do it but Braun did so they ended up doing it. So i don’t love his personality but its a small sample so i could br wrong
I am still waiting for you to post publicly which teams are going to pay him 8 years and 180M, since the only teams interested will pay him 5 years 20M tops. Produce the name or you have lost all credibility with your retarded statement. Hey, its only fair, since you attack others. The ball is now in your court. Put up or shut up.
When players tell the media face to face what they want and the agent repeats it to the media, then the player signs for considerably less, your statement that he always gets his players what they want is false and a lie. Since Fielder turned down a 6 year 120M contract from the Brewers because he wants 8 – 10 years and 200M, I believe the player, not the fans that are out of touch with reality. I have to ask – does no one on these boards have a memory that goes back further than yesterday? lol.
First of all, I called that post retarded because he called Fielder a bad clubhouse guy. Obviously he doesn’t have a clue what he is talking about.
Second, I’m not quite sure who will sign Fielder. I don’t care. I’m just saying that I think he’ll get his money because Scott Boras is pretty good at his job.
Besides, why would Fielder accept 5/100? He could have had that deal from Milwaukee a couple of years ago and turned it down.
I’m baffled by the lack of love for Morse. Offensively, he’s done it for 1 1/2 years which is evidence enough for me that he will continue to hit big league pitching and do so with power. Defensively, he is no LaRoche, but Morse played a very respectable 1B. His September play in LF gave me far more pause about his ability to patrol the OF without damaging the Nats defensively and concomitantly himself at bat as a result. My only reservation about signing Fielder is that it practically ensures that Morse will be traded (in a deal for that elusive rangy, OBP CF’er?) rather than have him clog around in the OF. Nats will have an aging Werth and Harper as fixtures in their OF. I just don’t see Morse in a Nats uniform unless he’s gonna play 1B. Not saying he’s as good a hitter as Fielder (their defense is probably comparable); If there’s a net advantage in signing Fielder, it would seem to have to be to make Morse expendable to fill other holes in the roster.
I loved Morse when he was with Seattle. Sad to see him go… He should be someone to lock down. You’re right, the Nats would be better suited finding someone for the OF and keep Morse at 1st where he can put up numbers that are at least in the ball park to what Fielder can bring.
Sorry, I hear the exact opposite about Fielder…he’s a good clubhouse guy. And your gratuitous use of “supposed” vegetarian tells me all I need to know about how seriously to take your arguments.
Damn, can you guys believe there are only 5-6 weeks left until Spring Training starts? Well, apparently Boras doesn’t have a calender and doesn’t realize it. They should probably get a move on so Prince knows what side of the country he’s reporting to in February.
Seem to be having trouble adding to comments a couple posts above so posting anew….
McKineey 2: Sorry, I hear the exact opposite about Fielder…he’s a good clubhouse guy. And your gratuitous use of “supposed” vegetarian tells me all I need to know about how seriously to take your arguments.
in response to McKinley2 saying ”
Me:1. I’ve read a number of articles published in the daily press which were linked from MLBtr which contained as an item within the major story that Fielder has been known to have a mini-celebration when he has had a good game, oblivious to the silence and negative emotion his team was experiencing because THEY LOST THE GAME. Some of those articles further characterized him as being conerned with his own daily stats rather than the good of the team and its performance.
2. My words were not simply “supposed” ….but rather later “supposed (or actual) vegetarian.” Though he’s lost some weight, he’s not maintaining that bulbous figure by eating broccoli, salads, and soy products, pasta etc…..he’s likely consuming other foods and high-calorie goodies en massse as well which likely contain food products which are not considered true vegetarianism by many vegetarians.
But the point is the guy, even after changing his diet to whatever extent, has the body profile which history has taught us over recent years is a highway to a much shorter career and diminished performance. If he had the desire to be the best athelre he could, he would have lost the rest of the significant amount of extra weight he continues to carry around atop his thus wearing-out-faster-than-rormal knees, ankles, and feet.
I understand that it is likely you are either a Fielder fan or a fan of a team who may be eyeing Fielder, but please be 1.realistic about Fieler and 2.read others’ posts accurately. (Sounds like you’ may be a Nats fan as you’re familiar with Morse from a post higher-up. The Nats are one of the six teams I root for too, and I’d love to see Fielder play first for them for 2 or 3 years. I just have a pretty good idea of the probable prognosis for his big-bucks career after that.)
On the other hand, maybe you’re not such an emotionally-attached fan but instead you’re Manny Boras, Mo Boras, or Jack Boras. :)
Commissioner Bart – you need to reduce waste in your department and keep your comments to a few sentences. No one reads articles here.
I’ll take that suggestion to heart, Ronlacroix. Hard to adjust to a changed world of ideas in which communication has devolved to twitterverse depth. Sad but that’s the way it is No wonder we are about to get steamrollered economically and intellectually by the Chinese.
Yes, it is the trend, though I see in today’s news the Chinese started saucy reality TV shows that were hits, but the Gov’t stopped them! Ha ha!
Scott Boras is working hard on this rumors right now.
I think it’s funny how for these last 2 years the orioles and Nats are fighting for a 1st baseman.
I don’t think the Orioles have a really good shot at signing Fielder. also since they’re rebuilding for yet another season… sigh..
I saw him eating a steak tonight in Miami.
I saw prince fielder eating 2 steaks and mashed potatoes in Texas with Jon Daniels and Scott Boras!! looks like the championship is going to Texas!!
I’m a huge Nats fan, but I hope they don’t sign Fielder to anything more than 4 years. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Fielder in Washington for the next few years. He would turn them in to an instant contender. Problem is Fielder’s weight. He’s ok now, but he’ll get fatter and happier after signing a huge multi-year deal. I’d rather see the Nats sign the new and improved Dmitri Young for a year than Fielder for 8.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Boras just walked through the streets of DC with Fielder and ate at some popular restaurants just so he was sighted there.
in d.c., that would be one HELL of a food bill……hope he brings an armored truck for all the cash he is going to need
This silence inclines me to believe that Boras is just talking to one GM.
Orioles just make it happen, please. I just want to compete!!
even with fielder and the collection of #4 and #5 starters isn’t going to help all that much….so fielder makes it so you win 60-65 games???
The Times Square ball drops at midnight–will Boras drop news by then? Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday will be slow news days due to the holiday so a signing would get more play in the press.
ok… everyone in MLB knows that Scott Boras “leeks” false info… when the Rangers signed Arod, Boras had Rangers Management convinced they were in a bidding war… the next lowest offer was over $100M less that what the Rangers paid…. nice.
Latest Prince Field Rumor: Doughboy and Boras are still waiting for some suc– I mean a team to offer him a 10 year contract that he’s not worth the gamble long term. Common sense prevails and teams only offer him five-six year contracts. Projections indicate he’ll sign late Jan, early Feb when they realize no one is that dumb. We all remember Mo Vaughn.