Tigers sign Prince Fielder 9 years $214 Mill

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Being reported on local radio and all over Twitter. Whoa. That is going to be one sick lineup. Too bad Victor Martinez tore his ACL.

[Shoalzie]

Didn't see it coming...really wondered it if was even a possibility given his history with his old man. For old time sake, I'd love it if he wore #45 like Cecil. According to Jon Heyman, Prince will be the 1B so Cabrera will be either DH or even try him again at 3B. V-Mart will be back either late this year or next year. They go from having arguably the best 4-5 with Cabby and V-Mart to now Cabby and Fielder or vice versa.

They're supposed talking to Damon (maybe not anymore after this signing) and Roy Oswalt. I wouldn't be shocked if they add another starter. This team is loading up...scary lineup with a strong rotation and a solid bullpen. They were the best team in the division regardless...they're definitely a World Series contender now.

[WolverineSteve]

Crazy. Illitch is easily the best owner in sports. Next years 3-4-5 with Vmart back could be historic.

[Screw_Michigan]

I'll give Mike his props, he is one hell of an owner and businessman, even though his pizzas are truly god-awful. Good for metro Detroit.

Why hasn't Kenny Williams been fired yet? Dombrowski has just been kicking his ass up and down the division since 2006.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

24 million/year is a lot to pay someone to DH. I don't get this signing at all unless they are trading Martinez next year.

Even then, I still don't get this.... they have 43 million year (55 million for 2012 if you include V-Mart) tied up for just their DH/1B for the foreseeable future. Both dudes are fat fucks and most likely to break down within the next 3-4 years. Has there been a more obese 1B/DH combo in the history of the sport?

Good luck, DeToilet.

[Shoalzie]

For those who love my mini-essays (you know who you are )...

I don't like the terms of the deal either but like the Pujols contract, you're buying these next few years where they're most productive and then you have to eat those final years when they're old and on the steep decline. As long as they've raised a banner or two at the Copa, I can live with it. Fielder is 28...the prime of his career. I'd expect at least 5 or 6 years where he's still a top 10-20 hitter in baseball. The rest of the contract...he'll be the world's most expensive beanbag chair.

Team defense is a bit overrated when you look at both the Rangers and Cardinals were bottom third in defense last year and got to the World Series. The Tigers were right around the middle of the pack and in fact, they were the best defensive team statistically out of the four that made to the LCS...Milwaukee was also bottom third in the league.

By the numbers, Fielder and Cabrera were the two worst in fielding percentage at first out of guys with enough attempts to qualify but we're still talking about 99% efficiency. Cabrera's no Will Clark or Palmeiro over there but he's been serviceable. However, he's plumped up since joining the team and now move him back to third after that experiment failed his first year here...that's the real x-factor in this.

Looking at last year's stats, Mark Reynolds was statistically the worst player the position (sub-90% in 253 total chances). Late in games, they can put Inge in at third as a replacement but do you do that at the risk of losing his bat or do that do something wacky like throw him in the outfield? They've still got Nick Castellanos waiting in the wings...I believe he's moving up to AA-Erie this year. If he can be ready in two years, he plays third and when V-Mart is gone after next year, Cabrera moves full-time to DH with Fielder at first. I can't imagine Martinez is on this team following this contract, which ends in 2013 (I think).

They're a vastly better team going into this year than they were last year...picked as a middle of the division team last year to now being a preseason World Series contender. They'll have a full season with Fister in the rotation, Young as the opening day left fielder, Fielder as an upgrade to V-Mart at the 1B/DH spot and Boesch is healthy again in right...a lefty bat they didn't have down the stretch last year. I can't expect Verlander to win 24 again or Valverde to be perfect in saves or for Avila to be an All-Star catcher again but that division is down enough for them to still win it comfortably.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

Cabrera's no Will Clark or Palmeiro over there but he's been serviceable.

Actually -- he is Palmeiro "over there." Did you know Raffy won a GG in 1999 after playing 28 fucking games at 1B? He won GGs because of his bat... and because there was no one who really stood out at the position at the time. Palmeiro was an average defensive 1B at best.

In fact, Cabrera has a better lifetime fielding percentage at 1B than Palmiero. And he sucks, so what does that make Raffy... besides being even more of a fraud.