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Prince Fielder

Brewers Agree To Two-Year Deal With Fielder

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2:06pm: The official report came out last night, but for the sake of being thorough, we’ll post it now: the Brewers’ announcement of the deal is official. Haudricourt was close; it’ll be $6.5MM in 2009, and $11.5MM in 2010 for Fielder. There’s also a $1MM signing bonus included.

FRIDAY, 8:47am: Jon Heyman has the Fielder contract details.  Look for an announcement later today.

THURSDAY, 8:51pm: According to Haudricourt Fielder passed his physical so the deal is now official. Exact figures are expected tomorrow, but Haudricourt guesses Fielder will earn $7MM this year and $11MM in 2010.

2:50pm: Tom Haudricourt says the Brewers have a deal in place with Fielder for two years and $18MM, pending a physical.  Fielder will have his last arbitration year in 2011, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency.  It looks like the deal may be announced tomorrow.

THURSDAY, 9:20am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Fielder and the Brewers are closing in on a two-year contract.  Tom Haudricourt expects an announcement today or tomorrow on a deal for at least $18MM.

WEDNESDAY, 9:44pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin has confirmed Verducci’s report.  "We’ve got some positive things going on," said Melvin. "There’s a possibility of doing it."

6:52pm: As reported by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, SI.com’s Tom Verducci said Wednesday on the MLB Network that the Brewers are working on a two-year deal with Prince Fielder.

Fielder asked for a very affordable $8MM in arbitration on Tuesday.  That low bid may have spurred the extensions talks.  Haudricourt has an idea of what the numbers might look like if a two-year deal is hammered out:

"If the sides do agree on a two-year deal, it would probably be for $18 million to $20 million.  When you figure that Fielder filed for $8 million this year and would be expecting a raise next year with another big season, those numbers make sense."

Rosenthal On Perez, Manny, Pirates

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Another new column from the hard-working Ken Rosenthal.

  • Rosenthal doesn’t believe that the market for Oliver Perez is limited to the Mets; it’s more that they’re the only interested team we know about.  Two teams we can cross off are the Rangers and Cubs.  The Mets want to do three years for Perez while Scott Boras wants five.  The Mets’ plan is to sign one of Perez, Randy Wolf, or Ben Sheets and then add a cheaper arm like Freddy Garcia.
  • Rosenthal believes the Giants could justify signing Manny Ramirez as an attempt to "max out" while they still have Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum (they have Cain through 2011, Lincecum through 2013).
  • Rosenthal notes that free agents who accept offers of arbitration do not have guaranteed contracts.  However, players such as Orlando Cabrera and Jason Varitek would’ve had to be released for clear baseball reasons, not to save money.  Otherwise the teams would be in hot water with the Players Association.
  • Rosenthal notes that Scott Boras has worked out two-year deals covering arbitration years for past clients such as Matt Holliday and Mark Teixeira, so the current Prince Fielder talks don’t signify a change.
  • The Pirates have no need to shed payroll.

Rosenthal On Sheets, Cruz, Cabrera, Reyes

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The latest from Ken Rosenthal…

  • Rosenthal recommends the Yankees sign Ben Sheets and Juan Cruz, partially because they’d pay less of a cost in draft picks than any other team.  One exec predicted Sheets would require a $6-8MM base with the potential to earn at least $14MM, and possibly a "lucrative club option."  Despite Rosenthal’s recommendation, the Yanks remain focused on Andy Pettitte (who is not weighing an offer from the Astros).
  • Industry sources tell Rosenthal that the Red Sox have kept their payroll flexible in case mid and low-revenue teams need to dump contracts.
  • The A’s probably cannot afford both Nick Johnson and Orlando Cabrera, so they’ll wait to see what happens with Cabrera before pursuing the trade with Washington.
  • Prince Fielder filed for $8MM against the Brewers’ $6MM; Rosenthal indicates the team feared he’d file higher.
  • One chatter mentioned yesterday that Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed are the exact same player; one GM said the same to Rosenthal.
  • Dennys Reyes has backed off his demand for Jeremy Affeldt money (two years, $8MM).  Affeldt seemed like a bargain at the time.
  • Expected to be in attendance at Kris Benson’s upcoming throwing session: the Dodgers, Rangers, Padres, Rockies, and D’Backs.  Looks like an NL West affair.

Prince Fielder Staying Put

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Adam Mertz of The Capital Times talked with Brewers GM Doug Melvin yesterday.  Melvin was asked whether he would commit to Prince Fielder for the entire year, and the GM replied, "Yeah."  Melvin said he never discussed a Fielder trade and hasn’t received inquiries on his first baseman.  Melvin doesn’t seem too worried about settling Fielder’s ’09 salary with Scott Boras.

Mertz also learned that Melvin expects Ben Sheets to sign elsewhere, though the door remains open.

Rosenthal On Roberts, Hudson, Counsell

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Let’s take a look at the latest from Ken Rosenthal.

  • The Orioles have their ears open Brian Roberts, whose trade value has diminished as he nears free agency.  The White Sox can’t afford him, the Braves are reluctant to give up talent, and the Cubs didn’t discuss him in the Felix Pie talks.  The Roberts market may improve once Orlando Hudson signs.
  • Rosenthal’s source says the Michael Young–Jermaine Dye discussions did take place.  If you read Dave van Dyck’s article, Ken Williams never specifically denied talks with the Rangers.
  • Rosenthal believes that if the Cubs make another big move, it’ll be a Jake Peavy trade.  They’re not in on Hudson.
  • The Dodgers have roughly $50MM in payroll flexibility right now.
  • The Giants may be looking at Manny Ramirez, but they’ve also looked in trades for hitters – "presumably" Prince Fielder or Corey Hart included.  Those talks with the Brewers didn’t go far.  The Giants may be willing to move Jonathan Sanchez, but the Jorge Cantu talks have stalled.
  • So far the Dodgers and Russell Martin have only talked about a one-year deal.
  • The Mariners are Brewers are eyeing Craig Counsell.
  • The Ms "likely are willing" to trade Aaron Heilman.

Fielder To Aim High In Arbitration

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Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel expects Scott Boras and Prince Fielder to aim sky-high when they file his salary arbitration request. Fielder and Boras turned down an extension of 5 years, $60MM last season to "focus on his first year of arbitration eligibility," says Haudricourt. Last season Ryan Howard won his case for $10MM. Haudricourt makes a statistical comparison of the two sluggers in their first year of salary arbitration:

Fielder: .278 AVG, 114 HR, 312 RBI, .533 slugging percentage and .370 on-base percentage in 513 games.

Howard, as of last season: .291 AVG, 129 HR, 353 RBI, a slugging percentage above .600 and an on-base percentage approaching .400, in 410 games.

Assistant GM Gord Ash said, "The number we put in has to be defendable in the event it goes to a hearing.  We’ve been able to settle these situations in the past and that’s our preference, but we’ll go to a hearing if we have to."  Haudricourt adds:

"The Brewers budgeted the expected increase in Fielder’s salary into their 2009 payroll and are prepared to pay it. But the expectation of a contentious arbitration hearing as well as Fielder’s likely exodus as a free agent after the 2011 season have prompted some to suggest the Brewers should trade him now. The thinking is that the closer Fielder gets to free agency, the less the Brewers would get in return for a player they have no chance of keeping long-term. But the club also wants to follow up on its 2008 playoff breakthrough and won’t trade Fielder merely to head off financial conflicts in the future."

Brewers No Longer Interested In Dunn

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MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy spoke to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who indicated the team is no longer interested in free agent slugger Adam Dunn.  The possibility was considered when the Brewers were discussing a Mike Cameron trade with the Yankees (Corey Hart would’ve moved to center field).  Cameron and Hart are staying put.

Another scenario, which Ken Rosenthal discussed a week ago, is trading Prince Fielder and replacing him with Dunn.  McCalvy doesn’t dismiss the idea outright, but notes that the Crew would be treading water in terms of lefthanded bats.

Stark On The Arbitration Class

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark says we’re headed for a historic arbitration class.  Players file today, and the dollar submissions become known on Tuesday.  If the sides can’t come to an agreement, they go to a hearing and an arbitrator chooses one of the two salary submissions.  Be sure to read the article, but here are a few highlights.

  • Ryan Howard’s dad may be behind the player’s unprecedented salary expectations.  Howard may ask for $15-17MM in his second arbitration year.  He could be a trade candidate in the 2009-10 offseason.
  • Prince Fielder’s numbers and accolades don’t match up to Howard’s, so Scott Boras may have difficulty matching Howard’s first arb year record award of $10MM.
  • Cole Hamels could ask for $5MM or more, but seems more amenable to a long-term deal than Howard.  Will the Phillies offer him more than three years?
  • Other interesting names: Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Felix Hernandez, Dan Uggla, Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Russell Martin, B.J. Upton, Ryan Zimmerman, Jeff Francoeur, and Ervin Santana.
  • Looking for a surprise summer trade candidate?  Stark talked to one AL exec who wondered if Verlander could be made available if the Tigers are out of contention.

Cafardo’s Latest: Manny, Dunn, Fielder

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has lots of rumors in his latest article:

  • Apparently the Giants were willing to offer Manny Ramirez a four year deal in the form of a one year deal with three option years. No more details are known, except that the Giants remain interested in Manny.
  • Brad Ausmus has had ongoing talks with the Padres and Dodgers, according to Cafardo’s sources. The Red Sox aren’t interested.
  • The Angels, Giants and Mets are possible suitors for Xavier Nady.
  • Cafardo’s heard other clubs talking about the Red Sox and Rockies restarting the Todd Helton for Mike Lowell trade talk, but hasn’t heard anything similar from the Red Sox.
  • At least one of Cafardo’s sources thinks Prince Fielder would make a lot of sense in Boston. Clay Buchholz could be a starting point if these talks were to start.
  • Ben Sheets is becoming a bargain, so the Braves or Rangers could jump in and sign him affordably.
  • Cafardo calls Atlanta an "emerging" destination for Adam Dunn.
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