Free-agent slugger Fielder still waits for deal
MILWAUKEE – There are still some 80 unsigned players on major league baseball’s free-agent market, but one is quite conspicuous by his presence on that list.
With one month left before the opening of spring camps, Prince Fielder remains unemployed.
That possibility seemed unimaginable when the slugging first baseman declared his free agency from the Milwaukee Brewers after the 2011 season. Fielder was coming off a magnificent season in which he batted .299 with 38 home runs, 120 runs batted in, 107 walks, a .415 on-base percentage and .566 slugging percentage.
Moreover, Fielder is only 27, an uncommonly young age to hit the market with such an impressive resume in six-plus years: 230 home runs, 656 RBIs, a .390 OBP and .540 slugging. In every sense of the word, he has been one of the most feared hitters in the majors.
“I think everybody thought he would have signed by now,” Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. “In that regard, I’d have to say it’s a little surprising.”
In any other offseason, Fielder and agent Scott Boras might have been fending off suitors with a Louisville Slugger. A confluence of factors made this less than an ideal market for his particular services, however.
Unfortunately for Fielder, some of the game’s biggest spenders were out of play. The New York Yankees have a long-term commitment to Mark Teixeira at first base; Boston signed Adrian Gonzalez to a seven-year, $154 million deal before last season; and Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard is just beginning a five-year, $125 million extension.
The New York Mets were in no position to commit to a blockbuster deal with ownership trying to extricate itself from an entanglement in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme. Financially troubled Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has been too busy trying to sell his club to break the bank on the free-agent market.
Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik, the Brewers’ amateur scouting director when Fielder was selected in the first round of the 2002 draft, has made no secret that he covets his former protegee. But as badly as the Mariners could use an offensive force in their lineup, they reportedly are not in position to make the necessary financial commitment.
The Chicago Cubs, considered a natural suitor for Fielder, particularly after Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum was hired as manager, have insisted they are not ready to commit to a blockbuster deal while beginning a rebuilding project under new leadership. Supporting that claim, the Cubs traded for San Diego first-base prospect Anthony Rizzo.
“Some of the large-market teams are in transition,” Melvin said. “Where in the past they might be involved (in pursuing Fielder), now they can’t get involved.
“Sometimes the market is good for players and sometimes it’s not. A lot of teams are somewhat limited in what they can do.”
Another factor was that Fielder was second in line in the Department of Slugging First Basemen. St. Louis’ Albert Pujols, also on the free-agent market, had no trouble finding his big payday when the Los Angeles Angels surprisingly swooped in with a 10-year, $240 million contract plus millions more in a personal-services agreement.
When that deal went down at baseball’s winter meetings in Dallas in early December, the thinking was that the door was opened to brisk business for Fielder. But just as many doors slammed shut, creating a somewhat sketchy market in which bona fide suitors were difficult to identify.
Though Fielder is more than four years younger than Pujols, there have been reports that clubs are not anxious to commit to a 10-year deal because of worries about how he will age. He was listed at 5-foot-11, 275 pounds last season.
Fielder, who reportedly has looked trimmed down during meetings with clubs this winter, and Boras counter that argument by noting he has missed just one game over the past three seasons. That durability has not stopped the concerns of clubs, however, particularly those in the National League where no designated hitter is used.
Unlike Pujols, who had a strong offer from St. Louis to shop around to other clubs, the Brewers did not participate in the bidding for Fielder. Upon learning what Fielder and Boras were seeking in terms of years and total money, the Brewers never made a formal offer.
As the New Year arrived and Fielder remained unsigned, rumors surfaced that the Brewers offered a one-year deal that would allow him to go back on the market next winter when more suitors might be in play. Someone familiar with the situation labeled that possibility as “old news.”
“I’ve heard that rumor, but we haven’t had that conversation,” Melvin said.
The Brewers informally broached that concept earlier in the winter with Boras, who supposedly immediately shot it down. Afterward, the Brewers moved on, signing free agents Aramis Ramirez (three years, $36 million) and Alex Gonzalez ($4.25 million plus a vesting option for 2013) to play third base and shortstop, respectively.
Another $8 million was committed to reliever Francisco Rodriguez, a Boras client who unexpectedly accepted an arbitration offer from the club as a free agent and settled for that amount Tuesday.
The Brewers also signed Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki to a two-year deal, and though his 2012 base salary is only $1 million, the club paid a $2.5 million posting bid to the Yakult Swallows for the negotiating rights.
The Brewers began the 2011 season with a payroll of nearly $90 million, which later increased to about $95. Their payroll for 2012 projects to exceed $100 million, leaving little if any flexibility for another substantial move, much less the kind of payday Fielder is seeking.
“We’re way over what we projected our budget to be at this point,” Melvin said. “It’s over $100 million. We hoped to be in the low 90s.”
Asked what would happen if Boras called and offered to take a one-year deal at this stage, Melvin said, “I don’t think we could.”
This is not to suggest that Fielder will be left out in the cold this winter. Boras is the master at pulling contractual rabbits out of his hat, and it only takes one team to give him what he wants to declare success.
Many in the industry still believe the Washington Nationals are the favorite to sign Fielder. They have been courting him throughout the winter, with face-to-face meetings reflecting the seriousness of their interest.
Reports out of Washington, however, suggest the Nats prefer not to exceed six or seven years for Fielder.