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Prince Fielder News & Rumors

FanGraphs ranks Prince Fielder signing second-worst this offseason
February 10
Detroit News
 
"Folks around here seem to like the Tigers' signing of Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million contract. Outside of Detroit, others disagree. One, Dave Cameron of the popular baseball site FanGraphs.com, called the signing the second-worst move of the offseason."
With Tigers as common ground, Prince-Cecil Fielder reunion still looks unlikely
February 5
Detroit Free Press
 
"One of baseball's most enduring themes is its father-son pull at the heartstrings. Check out "The Natural" and "Field of Dreams." Look at the Griffeys, Boones, Bells, Gwynns and Alous. The one thing that made all fans smile about Barry Bonds was his unabashed love for his father, Bobby. But there is one very notable exception to that feel-good story line. And that would be Detroit's own Cecil and Prince Fielder. Tigers owner Mike Ilitch signed both to mammoth contracts for their homer-hitting, run-producing prowess. And there should be no better sports story than a father and son passing the big bat from one to the other like a baseball baton. But that's where the reality of a shattered"
Family feud continues: Cecil Fielder rips son, has no plans to attend Tiger games
February 5
Detroit News
 
"Cecil and Prince Fielder are putting that whole "time heals all wounds" mantra to the test. Last week, Cecil, the former Tigers slugger, had nothing but glowing things to say about his son, Prince, after he signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Tigers. On Friday night, however, the tune had changed. Speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg, Fla. -- where he was inducted into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame -- Cecil said he's disappointed in the man his son has become. And he has no plans to attend Tigers games. "As a father, of course you're proud of what your son's been able to accomplish on the field," Cecil Fielder told the Tampa Bay Times. "But as a father also you"
Cecil Fielder: Relationship with Prince still rocky; 'I say he has to grow up'
February 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"Comments Cecil Fielder made after his son, Prince, signed his nine-year, $214-million contract with the Detroit Tigers gave the impression of an improvement in what had been a strained relationship. "But I do not know if it's improving," Fielder said tonight, before being inducted into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame with former New York Yankees teammate Tino Martinez. "I worry how he's grown as a man." The father expressed "disappointment" with his son over the estranged relationship he said his son had with "the whole family." The father said his son did not communicate with anybody on either side of his extended family. Cecil Fielder, who said his son had him "thrown out" of a"
Tigers GM: Prince Fielder deal mirrored Miguel Cabrera trade
February 2
Detroit Free Press
 
"Signing Prince Fielder continues to remind Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski of trading for Miguel Cabrera. In December 2007, the Tigers traded five players -- including star prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller -- to the Florida Marlins for Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. And the deal, Dombrowski said, materialized with owner Mike Ilitch much like Fielder's signing. "I had brought to his attention that he was a good player out there, a key guy that could be available," Dombrowski told CJCL-AM (590) in Toronto on Tuesday. "But not really with the intent that I thought we'd even trade for him. Because at that point the dollars were very large to extend him ... we had thought.""
Prince Fielder signing stokes buzz for Tigers tickets
January 31
Detroit News
 
"Prince Fielder hits baseballs into the seats. He also puts seats in the seats. As quickly as reports floated last week that a spectacular left-handed slugger was coming to Detroit, phone lines at Comerica Park heated like an oven broiler. Ticket staffers worked as late as 9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday, as fans bent on at least asking about season tickets raided the Comerica Park switchboard. "Interest has been high," Duane McLean, senior vice president for business operations for the Tigers, said Monday. "The call volumes were heavy. We were averaging about 4,000 calls into our ticket department those days when we would typically have a couple of hundred at this"
Nolan Ryan: With Prince Fielder, Tigers a 'force to be dealt with'
January 29
Detroit Free Press
 
"We expect power hitters to be big men. According to Baseball-Reference.com, of the 25 players who have hit at least 500 home runs, only four stood less than 6 feet in height: Willie Mays (5-feet-10), Mickey Mantle (5-11), Mel Ott (5-9) and former Tiger Gary Sheffield (5-11). Prince Fielder, who already has 230 homers, is 5-11. "The thing I find interesting is that your impression is that he's taller than he is," Nolan Ryan said on the phone from Texas. "So his strike zone is smaller. Anytime you have to pitch to a smaller strike zone, the challenges increase." Fielder is the only player who has had at least 30 homers and 100 walks in each of the past three seasons. "One of the biggest"
New Tiger Prince Fielder doesn't let emotions get best of him anymore
January 29
Detroit Free Press
 
"Detroit, this is your new Prince. He's a hard-swinging, hard-playing slugger hardwired to hardly miss games. He knows about hard feelings, too. He still holds them for his father. He's quick to laughter but also has flashes of unhinged anger. He's emotional but approachable. He's heavy, but surprisingly athletic. He's a great teammate. A leader. A family man and a doting father. This is Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder. According to people who knew him well and interacted with him daily in Milwaukee, Fielder is all of the above and more. Tony Gwynn Jr. met him in 2003 in Beloit, Wis. Minutes after they met, Fielder asked Gwynn to be his roommate. Both follow in their famous fathers'"
Tigers' Prince Fielder is Mr. Reliable
January 28
Detroit Free Press
 
"On top of everything else, Prince Fielder is durable. Fielder leads all major leaguers in games played in the past three seasons with 485. In those three seasons, he has missed one game. Not only has he played in 485 games the past three years -- he has started 485. In all six full seasons of his career, Fielder has started at least 150 games. Three years ago, he started to become the most durable player in baseball. In 2009, he started all 162 games for Milwaukee at first base. In 2010, he started 160 games at first and served as the DH in one interleague game. And he sat out one game due to flu-like symptoms -- his only missed game in the past three years. In 2011, Fielder again started"
Dodgers made late push to sign Prince Fielder
January 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"Prince Fielder's landing in Detroit was a big surprise, but it turns out the Tigers were not the most unexpected entrant in the sweepstakes. The Dodgers were secretly in at the end too, losing out only when the Tigers upped the ante after learning last week that Victor Martinez had severely injured a knee and probably will sit out the upcoming season. Needing a middle-of-the-lineup bat to protect Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers ponied up a nine-year, $214-million contract and on Thursday introduced Fielder as their newest member."
Prince Fielder to Tigers: How a shot-in-the-dark offer became epic deal
January 27
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Anthony Fenech
"It started with Max Scherzer, a joke and a punch line. Agent Scott Boras phoned Tigers vice president John Westhoff last week to talk about working out a contract extension for the Tigers right-hander. During that conversation, Westhoff had a question: Would Prince Fielder be interested in a one-year deal? "He would," Boras said. "For nine years.""
It took plenty of pepperoni for Detroit to land its new Prince
January 26
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 columnist Bud Shaw
"Consider it a jumbo with extra dough... Take a good look at Prince Fielder, now under contract with the Detroit Tigers for the next nine years. Nine years is 3,285 dinners, counting post-game buffets. Try to remember this is what he looked like before joining a team owned by a pizza magnate. It's possible, I guess, that his Milwaukee years will be known as his salad days. The Pentagon tank budget aside, no one has ever invested so much money ($214 million) in a body this size. The Tigers are heavy favorites to win the AL Central with Fielder and Miguel Cabrera hitting in the middle of the lineup. And he is only 27. But when Victor Martinez comes back in 2013, they'll have three designated"
Baseball prodigy Prince Fielder showed his talent early in Detroit
January 26
Detroit News
 
"In the early 1990s, impromptu wrestling matches were commonplace inside the Tiger Stadium clubhouse, and they had nothing to do with testy player exchanges from another loss by the home team. Tony Phillips, considered the team's super-utility man, would square off against a husky tyke named Prince Fielder for some in-house entertainment. "I'm Hulk Hogan, and I'm going to body slam you!" Phillips recalled yelling to Fielder, son of Phillips' teammate, Cecil Fielder. "Those were the days. Prince was just that good ol' chubby kid who loved to play and smile.""
With addition of Prince Fielder, pressure is on Tigers to win World Series
January 26
Detroit News
 columnist John Niyo
"The only sure thing in baseball is that there really isn't one. And surely the Tigers, who remained the talk of Major League Baseball on Wednesday after the stunning, free-agent signing of slugger Prince Fielder, don't need to be reminded of that. Just last week, in fact, Justin Verlander, the American League's reigning MVP, was reminding us — not the other way around — about the pitfalls of overconfidence. "I look back to 2008 when everybody said we were going to be the best team on the planet," the Tigers ace said, "and it didn't pan out that way.""
Prince Fielder's signing causes domino effect for Tigers
January 26
Detroit News
 
"The Tigers love their poorly kept secrets. For the second day in a row, with fans buzzing about the signing of Prince Fielder to a nine-year contract worth $214 million — the largest contract in team history and fourth-largest ever in baseball — mum was the word. The same statement applied Wednesday as on Tuesday: "The organization has no comment on the situation." In other words, they stopped short of making Fielder's signing official. They didn't even say there's an agreement in principle. Or that one is in the works pending the completion of a physical and whatever contract language still has to be finalized."
With Prince Fielder on board, Tigers lineup options could be hard but unlimited
January 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"Jim Leyland needs to sharpen his pencil and get more notepaper. The Tigers manager likes to jot down potential lineups during the off-season. On Tuesday, Prince Fielder agreed to join Leyland's lineup at first base. Miguel Cabrera said he's moving to third. So Leyland can start afresh on formulating his various lineup combinations for this season. It appears the Tigers won't recruit a full-time designated hitter this year to replace the injured Victor Martinez."
A Prince of a deal
January 25
Detroit News
 
"This is as big as it gets, as stunning as it gets, as resounding as it gets. And the truth is, we probably shouldn't be shocked anymore. Tigers owner Mike Ilitch said he would do this, whatever it took, whoever was willing to listen. And here it came Tuesday, a blast that rocked the baseball world, as the Tigers landed free-agent star Prince Fielder with an expected nine-year, $214 million contract. Go big, go now, or go home. That's the philosophy for Ilitch's Tigers these days, with the owner openly wondering how long he can wait for a World Series championship. From the disaster of the Victor Martinez season-ending knee injury, the Tigers extracted an incredible boost. I dare say,"
Tigers' grab at Prince Fielder could be boom, then bust
January 25
Detroit News
 columnist Lynn Henning
"It was a stunner eight years ago when baseball's best catcher — Pudge Rodriguez — signed with baseball's worst team — the Tigers. A year later another Hollywood hitter, Magglio Ordonez, came aboard when the Tigers were still stuck in the muck a franchise had dumped on itself for two decades. And then there was Miguel Cabrera. He arrived four years ago via a bolt from the blue skies of Nashville's winter meetings, in a trade so outlandish the Tigers never imagined it could happen until a casual remark by Al Avila at The Opryland Hotel set in motion a nuclear blast of a deal that helped transform baseball in Detroit."
Former Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder 'shocked' by Prince Fielder's decision
January 25
Detroit News
 
"You can count Prince Fielder's father, former Tiger Cecil Fielder, among the folks surprised the slugger will be playing for Detroit. "That just shocked me," Cecil Fielder said today in an interview on SiriusXM's MLB Radio. "That's crazy. He's gonna come full circle, after he's been there in Detroit most of his young adult life. I think he's comfortable in that place." Cecil Fielder played from the Tigers from 1990-96, hitting 245 home runs — including an eye-popping 51 in 1990. Always by his side during his days in Detroit was young Prince. Detroit fans first started hearing about Prince as a 12-year-old, when reports started circulating he was regularly hitting home runs at Tiger Stadium"
Fielder to sign with Tigers; Nats still set at first base
January 25
Washington Times
 
"The mystery team pulled off another coup. With the Prince Fielder negotiations coming to a head Tuesday, it was not the Washington Nationals or the Texas Rangers or any of the other rumored favorites who secured the slugger. Instead it was the Detroit Tigers, the American League Central champions, who jumped into the race at the last minute and walked away with Fielder for a reported nine years and $214 million. "Our pockets are deep, but they are not that deep," Nationals manager Davey Johnson told reporters at the Baseball Assistance Team dinner in New York shortly after the news of Fielder's signing broke."
Prince Fielder agrees to 9-year, $214M deal with Tigers
January 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"Slugging first baseman Prince Fielder has agreed to a nine-year contract with the Detroit Tigers, the Free Press learned today from an industry source familiar with the deal. The deal is expected to be worth around $214 million, an average of $23.8 million per year, according to the source. Fielder still must pass his physical for the deal to be complete. The Tigers, coming off an AL championship series loss to Texas, apparently have filled the void left by this month's ACL injury suffered by designated hitter Victor Martinez. Regular first baseman Miguel Cabrera said today that he will move to third base."
Reports: Prince Fielder coming to Tigers
January 24
Detroit News
 
"The various complications can be worked out later. For now, this much is clear: In stunning fashion as the so-called "mystery" team in the negotiations the Tigers reportedly have come to terms with first baseman Prince Fielder on a nine-year contract worth $214 million. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the team hadn't yet confirmed the signing — but the Tigers usually wait until a physical is taken and passed before making announcements. It could also be there's some language in the contract still to be worked out. But the framework of a bold free-agent signing is in place."
If Nats want Fielder, now may be perfect
January 24
Foxsports.com
 
"The Prince Fielder sweepstakes finally are nearing conclusion, according to major league sources. The Nationals remain a leading contender for the free-agent first baseman, if not the outright favorite. Which is as it should be. The Nats can get by without Fielder, playing Adam LaRoche at first for one more season, then acquiring a center fielder and moving left fielder Michael Morse to first in 2013. Some members of the Nats' ownership actually would prefer such a plan, sources say; the team committed $126 million to free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth last offseason and soon might award another major contract to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman."
Texas likely out of Prince Fielder free-agent derby
January 24
USA Today
 
"The Texas Rangers believe they are out out of the bidding for free-agent slugger Prince Fielder, according to a person with knowledge of the talks, but not authorized to speak publicly because of the ongoing negotiations. Fielder met Jan. 13 with Rangers' offiicals in Dallas, and they were among his strongest suitors. The Rangers' likely elimination would seem to make the Washington Nationals front-runners for Fielder's services. The Nationals have courted Fielder for months and have had ongoing negotiations, but have waited patiently for the bidding process to unfold."
If Prince Fielder wants to win, Rangers are his only option
January 24
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Rick Gosselin
"Gosselin: I think that would be more attractive for Prince to come here. I think it's still a glaring need, first base. … He's got limited options. We're talking the Rangers and the Nationals. If he wants the money, go to the Nationals. If you want to win, take a smaller deal. And he's got to like what he sees with that order, he becomes probably the cleanup hitter and the pitching staff goes five-deep with starters, three in the pen. If you want to win, this is the place for him to come. This is his only option to come."
Nats should save a princely sum and pass on Fielder
January 24
Washington Times
 columnist Dick Heller
"Let's say it in one simple sentence: The Nats would be nuts to sign Prince Fielder. Nuts as in crazy, insane, daft, wacko, bonkers, loco, mad, et al. For one thing, they don't really need him. For another, such a free agent signing at $150 million or so could seriously impact the Nationals' chances of getting Ryan Zimmerman's name on a long-term contract extension."
What should Prince Fielder's contract look like?
January 24
Washington Post
 columnist Adam Kilgore
"Since 2008, there have been five megabucks contracts handed out to five elite first basemen. Those deals might be instructive as to the kind deal Prince Fielder can hope to expect – and the kind of deal the Nationals may have to fork over in order to land him. These deals came in different ways, at different points of each players' career. Ryan Howard received an extension, and Miguel Cabrera had his final year of arbitration bought out. So these are not all ideal analogies for Fielder, but the figures offer the right picture for the kind of financial stratosphere he fits into."
Nationals, Prince Fielder remain in talks
January 24
Washington Post
 
"The Nationals are among a handful of teams still working on signing free agent Prince Fielder, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The sides have yet to reach a deal but remain in communication. The Nationals have been connected to Fielder for weeks, with the owners meeting with Fielder's representative, Scott Boras, on multiple occasions. The Texas Rangers have been the team most commonly regarded as a suitor for Fielder, but another potential landing spot has emerged for Fielder, and one that could pique the Nationals' interest: the Baltimore Orioles."
Rangers should 'do what it takes' to sign Prince Fielder - even if it means letting Josh Hamilton go
January 23
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Ryan Jones
"Josh Hamilton's 10th-inning, two-run homer in Game 6 of the World Series seemed like a storybook ending to a physically trying postseason for the slugger. But little did Hamilton know, it was just the beginning of a run of bad luck. The Rangers slugger ended up on the losing end of a World Series for the second straight year after Texas' bullpen couldn't hold a two-run lead, and Hamilton had to follow the season with surgery to repair a painful sports hernia. He then lost Jerry Narron, his "accountability partner" in Texas, to the Milwaukee Brewers, and saw his father-in-law, Michael Dean Chadwick, hired to replace Narron, only to have Chadwick drop out days later."
Rangers haven't closed door on deal for Prince Fielder
January 20
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Yu Darvish, in some circles of the Texas Rangers' fan base, is yesterday's news, even though he will be introduced as the newest member of the club during a news conference at 7 tonight. Prince Fielder was running only a neck behind Darvish as the top player of interest as the deadline to sign the right-hander approached, and now the free-agent first baseman has pulled away as the center of the fans' attention."
Are Rangers planning a 'surprise attack' for Prince Fielder?
January 20
Dallas Morning News
 
"Could the Rangers have the element of surprise on their side? They certainly hope so. After the club announced on Wednesday that they'd reached a $60 million deal with pitcher Yu Darvish, most clubs, fans included, figured there was little chance the Rangers would go on another spending spree -- all but ending their chances of going after first baseman Prince Fielder, considered by many to be the most coveted free agent in baseball. But as Bob Nightengal of USA Today reports, the silence on the Rangers homefront could be a good thing. After the club reportedly met with Fielder at the Four Season Resort last Friday, rumors started to swirl that the club was taking the first step towards"
The Nationals look like Prince Fielder favorites
January 20
Washington Post
 columnist Adam Kilgore
"My instant analysis from last night concerning the effect of Yu Darvish's contract on Prince Fielder already seems woefully wrong. I still liked the Rangers' chances to land Fielder, and then Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said of signing him, "I'm intimately aware of our budget, and it's very unlikely." I still believe the Rangers have gobs of television money and people who are smart and creative enough in their front office to dance around budget constraints. And hitting at Rangers Ballpark, surrounded by that lineup, has to be enticing for Fielder. I'm still not totally counting Texas out. But that is one undeniably strong statement by Daniels."
Prince Fielder slightly more likely for M's after Rangers sign Yu Darvish
January 19
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
"With the Texas Rangers finalizing a six-year, $60 million deal with Yu Darvish on Wednesday, it's less likely they'll have the funds needed to also sign star free agent Prince Fielder. Which means the Mariners now have a slightly better chance to snag the hard-hitting first baseman than they did before. I say "slightly" because, well, Seattle still has many high hurdles to clear for any deal with Fielder. First of all, there's the money issue. After the Angels signed Albert Pujols for $240 million over 10 years, the salary bar is high for a hot commodity like Fielder. He could be looking for $200 million or more from whatever team eventually signs him. And the Mariners aren't exactly"
Does Yu Darvish's contract change things for Prince Fielder?
January 19
Washington Post
 columnist Adam Kilgore
"The Texas Rangers and Japanese superstar right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish reached an agreement for a six-year contract this evening, reportedly worth $60 million. Combined with the $51.7 million the Rangers bid through the posting system in order to win the rights to negotiate with Darvish, Texas paid more than $111 million to acquire him. The ripple effect for the Nationals comes in relation to Prince Fielder. With the Darvish negotiation settled, the Rangers can fully turn their focus to their approach to Fielder, which should give agent Scott Boras at least a small amount of leverage with his talks with Nationals ownership regarding Fielder, the elite slugging first baseman who has"
With Yu Darvish on team, Prince Fielder looks doubtful
January 19
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"General manager Jon Daniels said on Wednesday that the chances of signing free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder aren't good after the club agreed to terms with right-hander Yu Darvish. The total package for Darvish deal -- six years, $60 million ($56 million guaranteed) and a $51.7 million posting fee --- will push the Rangers' payroll to an all-time high. With the number of core players the Rangers are hoping to sign to extensions and the spare parts that still need to be added before spring training, Fielder doesn't seem like a fit in the budget."
Seven reasons the Rangers are the best fit for Prince Fielder
January 18
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Joe Lemire
"While all eyes are on Yu Darvish Wednesday, a player with a substantially more impressive MLB resume will be waiting in the wings. Prince Fielder, the best hitter left on the free agent market, seems to be biding his time for a Darvish decision to be reached before signing his own massive contract. The wait, it seems, is to see just what the Rangers do. If they end up investing millions in Darvish, they might spend themselves out of the Fielder sweepstakes. Otherwise, they're by far the best fit for the slugger."
Fielder still available as days dwindle before spring training
January 18
Washington Times
 
"In the past few days, the Washington Nationals have been busy with housekeeping. They've extended Gio Gonzalez, a $42 million outlay that'll keep the left-hander in Washington through at least 2016. They've given hefty raises to Jordan Zimmermann and Tyler Clippard in their first years of arbitration, and they boosted the salaries of lefty Tom Gorzelanny and catcher Jesus Flores with modest raises as well. They've left themselves a little work to do with left-hander John Lannan and slugger Michael Morse, who failed to agree to salary terms before Tuesday's deadline for an exchange of arbitration figures. Lannan asked for $5.7 million in arbitration and the Nationals countered at $5"
Rangers would have to go seven years to get Fielder; could club sign Yu Darvish and Roy Oswalt?
January 17
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Evan Grant
"I think Yu Darvish will get either a five or six-year deal from the Rangers, and I think the dollars will be, annually, between $10 and $11 million. He'll end up with a little bit more salary-wise than Daisuke Matsuzaka did, and I think that's a big deal in terms of the Japanese market defining things. With Prince, they're not going to go eight years, but I think the Rangers are going to have to be willing to go to maybe a seven-year guarantee with an escape clause for the player somewhere in the contract, and maybe an escape clause for the club. It's going to take some kind of creative thinking to get a deal done. The Rangers were very impressed with how he looked, and he is very athletic"
Prince Fielder has made it 'very clear' he wants to be with Rangers
January 17
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Evan Grant
"On if the Rangers' pursuit of Prince Fielder is simply a negotiating tactic for Yu Darvish: Grant : I think there's a lot is a lot of negotiating tactic going on here, but I think, when you cut to the chase, I think the Rangers are interest in signing both Yu Darvish and Prince Fielder. I expect the Darvish deal is going to get done. Nolan Ryan has been very upfront about saying he thinks it's going to get done, they feel optimistic about that. But it's very, very clear that this is where he wants to be. He's waiting all winter, guys who normally have the kind of contract demands he has usually sign in December. We're now in the second week of January and he's still sitting there unsigned."
Report: Washington Nationals seriously pursuing free agent Prince Fielder
January 16
Dallas Morning News
 
"If the Rangers were hoping every other serious contender had bowed out of the race for Prince Fielder, they're out of luck. An unidentified source tole MLB.com's Bill Ladson that the Nationals are still heavily pursuing free agent Prince Fielder, and appear to be one of the few teams in serious talks with the first baseman. The source told Ladson that the most likely suitors for Fielder are the Nationals, Rangers and Marlins, and that the Cubs and Mariners, widely rumored to be interested in Fielder, aren't serious contenders at this point."
Rangers might be trying to decide between Hamilton, Fielder
January 15
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Josh Hamilton, feeling fine and potentially a free agent after the 2012 season, said on Saturday that he would gladly welcome the addition of free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder. "To imagine our lineup with Prince Fielder in it, it's pretty ridiculous looking," Hamilton said. "The short porch in right, my man could hit bombs. It would be pretty exciting to throw him in the mix." The goal, said Hamilton, is to put the best team on the field for 2012 and win the World Series after finishing as the runners-up the past two seasons. Fielder would be an upgrade, though at a steep price. So steep, in fact, that having him on the payroll could push a long-term extension for Hamilton out of the"
Nats still in running to land free-agent Fielder
January 15
MLB.com
 
"The Nationals continue to be in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes, although the club is not willing to give the free-agent first baseman a 10-year deal like the one that first baseman Albert Pujols got from the Angels, according to a baseball source. It appears that the Nationals are, however, willing to give Fielder a no-trade clause. An industry source believes that the Nationals want to give Fielder a six- or seven-year deal. The length of the contract was also a problem when the Nationals were trying to sign left-hander Mark Buehrle. The club wanted to give him a three-year deal, but Buehrle ended up signing a four-year, $58 million contract with the Marlins. The source also said the"
Reports: Prince Fielder talks to Rangers
January 13
ESPN.com
 
"Free-agent slugger Prince Fielder is in Dallas to meet with the Texas Rangers at an area hotel, according to multiple media reports. According to USA Today, the former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels were in the lobby of the hotel. The Rangers are one of a handful of teams interested in the top hitter remaining on the free-agent market, but according to USA Today, the meeting should not be taken to mean that they are the favorite. According to CBSSports.com, Fielder has embarked on a tour of teams."
Boras: Prince will sign before spring's first pitch
January 12
MLB.com
 
"Free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder will sign a contract before the first pitch of the spring, his agent said on Wednesday. "Certainly we're going to have him signed well in advance of Spring Training," said Scott Boras, who was at the Owners Meetings on Wednesday to discuss contracts for his various clients. "I can't give you the exact date. These things take some time. That's why we have January and early February. Spring Training doesn't start until late February." Fielder is the highest-profile free agent left on the market, and Boras certainly has a history of taking things down to the wire. In 2009, Boras negotiated with the Dodgers for Manny Ramirez well into Spring Training."
Nationals still pursuing Prince Fielder, met Wednesday with agent Scott Boras
January 12
Washington Post
 
"Despite a report on the team's official Web site today playing down the Nationals' chances at signing free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, a person familiar with the situation said the Nationals are "patiently and aggressively" pursuing Fielder — a pursuit that included a new twist today. The Nationals' push for Fielder continued when Nationals principal owners Ted and Mark Lerner met with Scott Boras, Fielder's high-profile agent, at the owners' meetings in Arizona this evening, the person said. The details of the conversation are not known, but the sides previously discussed Fielder this offseason in Washington. In the past, the Lerners have been part of negotiations for lucrative"
Nationals unlikely to sign Prince at current price
January 11
MLB.com
 
"There is a "99 percent" chance that the Nationals will not sign free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder, according to a baseball source. The news comes a few weeks after ownership met with Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, in the nation's capital. The source indicated that Fielder's price must come down in order for the team to think about acquiring his services. The Nats are not willing to give Fielder anything close to the 10-year, $240 million contract the Angels gave first baseman Albert Pujols."
Prince stretching free agency into new territory
January 11
MLB.com
 
"Agent Scott Boras continues to pound the market for his prime client, Prince Fielder, and he may yet achieve his goal of a record deal for the free-agent first baseman. Perhaps not financially, although there is a very good reason for believing that Boras is angling for a deal worth something like $24.7 million annually: Albert Pujols' recent 10-year agreement with the Angels breaks down to about $24.6 million a year."
For Mariners, is Prince Fielder speculation 'extremely overblown'?
January 11
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 columnist
"Mariners fans really, really want the team to sign star free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder. But all that speculation may be "extremely overblown." At least, so says ESPN's Jerry Crasnick on Twitter. That's what an agent apparently told him. On 710 AM ESPN Seattle radio Tuesday afternoon, Crasnick said Fielder probably won't be calling Safeco Field home. Two agents told Crasnick that the Mariners "only have $3-4 million left to spend on the roster this winter," he tweeted."
How the Rangers could ink Josh Hamilton and Prince Fielder to long-term deals
January 10
Dallas Morning News
 
"Over the weekend, Rangers writer Evan Grant took a look at big free-agent prize Prince Fielder, who is still floating around on the open market. To read his entire premium column, click HERE. As part of the column, Grant looked at a possible way the Rangers could end up bringing in Fielder while still holding onto Josh Hamilton as well. Here's a highlight of his proposal."