Comments on: Prince’s Swan Song?

By: Barry

Barry — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:19:51 +0000

I agree with a number of the comments on this thread regarding the Red Sox looking at Prince Fielder. The Sox have over $65 million coming off of the books following the 2010 season and $31 million coming off of the books following the 2011 season due to expiring contracts and player owed money despite not being on the roster. If Fielder is targeted which I think he is and the Brewers are looking to deal: The Sox will make the following offer: Casey Kelly, Michael Bowden, Lars Anderson and Michael Exposito. They will offer Fielder a 7-year deal for $27 million aav taking him to his age 35 year. Or, the Sox will wait to the 2011 free agent class when the following are all free agents: Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, and Lance Berkman where it will cost less in terms of Type A draft picks and $20 – $30 million aav. This group of 1B’s is the reason why they had a baseline on a contract offer for Teixeira.

By: Timmah Lincecum

Timmah Lincecum — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:30:17 +0000

No way the Giants part with Posey. He is the offensive equivalent, prospect wise, of Lincecum. They wont part with MadBum for the same reason. Cain, Ishikawa, and someone they dont have in their system does it. Problem is the Giants dont have that extra piece that they are willing to part with to land him.

Brewers are in a bad spot. The Red Sox arent going to give up their #1 pitching and hitting prospects for a guy they can just go and sign in 2 years.

By: cstt75

cstt75 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:38:55 +0000

What about Papelbon and Bucholtz for Fielder (+/- Hardy included)? That would seem pretty fair, and might make sense if Dice-K shows something to end the season and the Brewers want to make the most of Braun’s prime? If the Brewers then signed say, Jon Lackey, nothing spectacular but very consistently good, they could be a favorite for the division in a year or 2. The Red Sox get an alternate DH/1B, Hardy could spell Youk at 3B and allow a platoon at 1B between Youk/VMart/Fielder and keep everyone in the lineup for the most part.

By: tonyei31

tonyei31 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:29:37 +0000

Pedro,

No way can we pull Cain and Baumgartner for Fielder. You are way undervaluing what Cain offers and Baumgartner’s projections. That is another deal that if it was there would have been jumped on. With that said if SF offered that deal Melvin should lose his job if he doesn’t accept. Prince ‘isn’t worth’ that amount of pitching though, at least with this economy and outlooks/projections.

By: Pedro Attanasio

Pedro Attanasio — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:33:11 +0000

Fielder will be traded during the winter meetings. SF is our target. Cain + prospect (#1 Baumgartner, #2 Posey). Cain won’t be signed LT because of Linsecum and Zito (ouch) is already too much for the rotation. Fielder is perfect for McCovey Cove.

At 1B Gamel (cry) or sign retread and wait for Lawrie in 2011.

By: Marlow

Marlow — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:49:39 +0000

By: Marlow

Marlow — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:47:52 +0000

Ridiculous good or ridiculous bad? Because I think I’m on the same page with you, but I want to be 100% certain.

By: tonyei31

tonyei31 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:38:11 +0000

wow nick are you overvaluing Hardy and Prince in a deal to the Red Sox.

If that package were available Prince would already be wearing a Red Sox uniform.

By: tonyei31

tonyei31 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:36:56 +0000

Ed,

You have a great point of prospect value. I think that is the reason the Red Sox would not part with Bard. I do believe if we traded Hardy and Prince to the Red Sox we could get Bucholtz, Anderson and Bowden. That to me would make more than logical sense and be fair both ways. I don’t think I would be, in that proposal, ‘undervaluing’ their prospects or ‘overvaluing’ the return for the Red Sox.

By: tonyei31

tonyei31 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:34:12 +0000

We made their pitch with CC last year. We lack pitching depth in the upper tiers of the minors (and have for awhile) and that has been our issue this year as well. I do think before Jack Z left he really started to address this and Seid has continued.

However when you get down to the lower minors we have quite a bit of talent. Peralta, Braddock, Wooten, Odorizzi, Heckathorn, Arnett, Jeffress, in 2 years we will have some nice impact players and some depth in their pitching in the upper minors and in the majors.

I do believe that Fielder may end up in a Red Sox uniform for a very nice package centered around Bucholtz and Bowden. Realistically, a package of Bucholtz, Bowden, Anderson and others for Fielder and others is more than a remote possibility and more than fair value.

It makes sense to trade Prince this year and shift Gamel to 1st and/or go after Nick Johnson in the offseason.

What we really need to do is get another ‘diamond in the rough’ like we did with McGehee this year. These are the type of pickups we don’t give Melvin enough credit for. Podsednik turned into Carlos Lee. Coffey will be our closer next year. Turnbow gave us 1 and 1/2 years of top 5 closing skills.

Melvin, as long as he continues to thrive with these pickups can afford and should trade Prince Fielder. It will make the ‘fairweather bandwagon’ fans ticked off but these are also the same morons that don’t understand the budgetary constraints of the brewers and simply do not understand baseball.

It is also important for the crew to keep Hardy down till September 1st to increase his trade value as he will have 2 arby years left to whoever the brewers trade him to in the offseason.