Holy Crap Prince Fielder Got a Nine-Year Deal from the Detroit Tigers

First and foremost, we are not happy to be back in Minnesota after a long vacation in Florida. It's disgusting here. But we missed you.

Second, we'd like to ponder why on earth the Detroit Tigers would give a fatass like Prince Fielder a nine-year deal worth $214 million. Just kidding... kind of.

The Tigers agreed to sign the free agent first baseman on Tuesday out of nowhere, adding some more pop to the middle of their lineup with the already hard-hitting Miguel Cabrera in there. This, just days after announcing designated hitter Victor Martinez would miss a bunch of the 2012 season with an ACL tear he endured during offseason conditioning.

Fielder, who batted .282 with 230 home runs and 656 RBI over seven seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, now owns just the fourth $200+ million deal in baseball history with his $23.78 million a season beaten only by Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee, and Albert Pujols, among active players.

While several teams, such as the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals, had thrown their hats into the Fielder bidding ring this winter, Detroit was no where to be found. General Manager Dave Dombrowski and owner Mike Ilitch even denied having any interest in signing him whatsoever. Liars. But having Prince in the lineup makes them even more of a favorite to repeat the AL Central title this season and possibly win their first World Series since 1984. They made a run at it last season after winning their division by 15 games, but ended up losing to the Rangers in the ALDS.

This move also keeps the Fielder name in the Tigers organization, which is pretty neat. His father, Cecil, nailed 51 longballs with Detroit back in 1990 after playing 15 years of Japanese ball. Senior played with the Tigers into the 1996 season while his young son hit bombs during batting practice. More importantly, Fielder finally leaving the National League to become the DH he was always meant to be.

[Detroit Free Press]

Prince Fielder and Scott Boras May Have Overplayed their Hands

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder remains unsigned with spring training set to start in less than 2 months and it appears as if he may be forced to return to the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2012 season. While Fielder’s return would make the Brewers one of the favorites in MLB betting lines to win the National League pennant in 2012, the question does remain open as to whether or not he would have sufficient motivation after expecting the Brinks truck to arrive after his best season ever in 2011 in which the Brewers won their first division title since 1982.

Fielder’s agent is known stick up man Scott Boras, who is hated by MLB owners and loved by players for his ability to command top dollar for his clients, even if it is not always accomplished with polish and good manners.

Fielder’s predicament is also part of the worst possible timing. American League teams such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who would figure to love having the poor fielding Prince as their designated hitter, do not have any need or room on their already power packed rosters for yet another high priced slugger. The one team that did have such a need, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, signed Fielder’s main competitor for superstar first baseman status in Albert Pujols, who led the St. Louis Cardinals to a National League Championship Series win over Fielder’s Brewers and on to a World Series championship against the Texas Rangers. Despite Pujols having a slight drop in overall production compared to his past years with the Cardinals, and despite his being 4 years older than Fielder, he was able to command the riches that Fielder had expected for himself.

Prince Fielder Still a Homeless Free Agent, Where Will He Play in 2012 and Beyond?

It's a little odd that Prince Fielder is still out there on the free agent market. We thought for sure he'd be signed some time during the winter meetings, either before or after the Albert Pujols hoopla. When that didn't happen, we figured he was just being choosy.

A few different teams have been named in the rumor mill, which is full of speculation and lies. We love it.

The Texas Rangers, who clearly have the money to spend after flaunting $51.7 million for rights to negotiates with Yu Darvish and his Nippon Ham Fighters, might be a good fit for the free agent first baseman. First off, The Ballpark in Arlington is a hitter's paradise and Fielder has a huge baseball bat. Second, Mitch Moreland is not Prince Fielder.

Aramis Ramirez Finalizes $36 Million Contract with Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers finalized their three-year, $36 million deal with Aramis Ramirez on Wednesday, giving their lineup some much-needed pop for the next few seasons. The contract also includes a mutual option for a fourth year, just in case Ramirez isn't actually in the twilight of his career as we suspect.

The 33-year-old third baseman spent the last eight seasons with the Chicago Cubs, his brand new division rival and mortal enemy. However, don't expect him to take out a full-page ad in the Tribune or Sun-Times, or for any Cubbies faithful to be seen burning his jersey on Youtube... he wasn't exactly a deity.

Ramirez was a big contributor to any wins the Cubs did have though, batting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI in 2011. His power at the plate is a welcome sight for Milwaukee, considering the loss of big bats Prince Fielder to free agency (and possibly to the Cubs) and Ryan Braun to an imminent 50-game suspension for suspected cheating. We'll keep you posted on whether or not he wins his appeal, which by the way, will never happen.

This seems like some kind of white flag by the Brewers, since their interest in Ramirez didn't peak (at least not publicly) until the whole Ryan Braun fiasco went down. The veteran might not exactly be a last resort, but he certainly wasn't in the middle of their radar up until last weekend. Is this a signing born in desperation, or will the Brew Crew be happy with their new hot corner?

[ National Post]

Watch Out Everyone, the Prince Fielder Sweepstakes Have Officially Begun

Poor Prince Fielder. After all of the hooting and hollering over Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, and C.J. Wilson, we almost forgot about our chubby free agent first baseman. Let's turn our attention to him for a little bit.

The former Milwaukee Brewers slugger and his agent Scott Boras are open for negotiations now that all the other big fish have been reeled in. However, they seem to be searching for a suitor who's willing to spend $200 million over seven or eight years, which is going to be tough to find since most teams out there won't be into the idea of give Fielder more than a five year contract, even though he's apparently only 27.

It's speculated that either the Miami Marlins or St. Louis Cardinals could afford to sign him, considering the ridiculous contracts both teams offered Pujols. However, the Texas Rangers might want his services to help with the imminent battle against their division rival Angels, who are about to dominate the hell out of the American League West. Count on it.

The Miami Marlins Are at it Again, Sign Mark Buehrle to Four-Year Deal

This is getting out of control really quick. Seriously, who the hell do the Miami Marlins think they are? And where THE HELL are they getting all this money? Man they're being aggressive.

Since signing free agent Mark Buehrle Wednesday afternoon to a four-year, $58 million deal, the team has now spent a total of $191 million on Heath Bell, Jose Reyes and now the long time Chicago White Sox ace. What is happening? If they go out and get C.J. Wilson (who might head to the Los Angeles Angels anyway but you never know) I am literally going to go into shock.

One snippet of news to bring them back down to reality with the rest of baseball: rumor has it the Marlins have moved on from pursuing Albert Pujols, who might just end up sticking around St. Louis after all of this nonsense. Of course, this probably just means they'll go after Prince Fielder. We'll keep you posted.

Buehrle went 13-9 with a 3.59 ERA last season in his 12th year with the White Sox, the only team he's ever known. He's going to be a nice addition to the already amazing starting rotation in Miami, including Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco. Not bad.

Speaking of the White Sox, they piped up Tuesday night and made a trade for closer Sergio Santos, sending reliever Nester Molina to the Toronto Blue Jays, in case that interests you.

[Sportsology]

Miami Marlins Pick up Jose Reyes for $106 Million

First of all, what the hell is going on with Jose Reyes' eyebrows? Stop it right now... Then again, I guess you can do whatever you want with your face when you're a multi-millionaire ballplayer.

The All-Star shortstop and reigning National League batting champion became the second top free agent to sign with the Marlins over the last few days, joining closer Heath Bell in the Sunshine State. Though Bell was given $27 million over three years, Reyes commanded much, much more: $106 million for a six-year contract. The deal includes a club option for 2018 that would bring his worth to around $120 million, according to an anonymous source close to negotiations.

Meanwhile, free agent whale Albert Pujols has already toured the spankin' new, $515 million retractable roof stadium in Miami. Prince Fielder, the other giant free agent still on the market, hasn't had a tour yet, but there has been a ridiculous amount of speculation that he may end up there. What are the chances one of these guys will land in Florida with Ozzie Guillen and the stupid new uniforms? Either way, this team is about to become one to reckon with, with or without those two.

Reyes followed the dollar signs out of New York after spending the last 12 years of his life in the organization. The 28-year-old signed there back when he was 16 and went on to bring home the Mets’ first NL batting title when he hit .337 with 16 triples and 39 stolen bases last season. The four-time All-Star and three-time stolen base champ, though a bit injury prone, will likely make Hanley Ramirez move from short stop to third base. Poor guy.

And poor Mets fans.

[New York Times]

Theo Epstein Officially Joins Cubs, Ben Cherington Likely Replacement in Boston

A guest post from our girl Muffin Top to support her new blogging endeavors.

An incredible run that included two World Series Championships (and three extra playoff berths via Wild Card) for the youngest ever general manager in baseball at the time ended on a sour note with fried chicken, beer bellies, and mayhem last month before Theo Epstein decided to abandon ship and head for Chicago.

Not sure it will be any smoother sailing in the windy city, but Theo Epstein is always up for a challenge... except that one time he quit his general manager job for five days upon sneaking out of Fenway Park disguised as a gorilla. We all do things we're not proud of.

Epstein, now 37, officially resigned from his position as Red Sox general manager Friday night and became the president of baseball operations for the Cubs. Of course, fans on the North Side are especially giddy, considering they haven't won a World Series since back in 1908. The one man who seems equipped for the job of bringing that end of the city their first Championship in over a century made it possible for Boston after an 86-year drought before they captured another ring three years later in 2007.

With the Brewers Offseason Officially Underway, What Will Prince Fielder Do?

Now that the Milwaukee Brewers offseason is officially underway, the biggest question surrounding the team this winter is what the hell is going to happen with Prince Fielder.

After a franchise-record 96 wins during the regular and the team's first League Championship appearance in nearly three decades, there's an unresolved issue now that the husky first baseman is a free agent. Don't think it will be taken care of anytime soon either, since these types of things aren't to be discussed during the World Series.

Fielder batted .299 with 38 homers and 120 RBI this season, even stealing a base on time. Throughout the postseason, the lefty hit three bombs and two doubles to help keep the Brewers alive until the St. Louis Cardinals took them out.

Of course, the first question asked by the media after Milwaukee's Game 6 defeat was whether or not he was going to stick around. While Fielder didn't care to respond, principal owner Mark Attanasio has made it clear the team will make a sizable offer in order for him to return to the only organization he’s been with since being drafted back in 2002. Hopefully they can afford him.

After signing a record solo-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player in January, Fielder made $15.55 million this season, including a $50,000 bonus for starting in the All-Star game. The organization has locked up their other young stars, including Ryan Braun through 2020, Rickie Weeks and Yovani Gallardo through at least 2014, and Corey Hart through 2013.

Randy Wolf Pitches Brewers Past Cardinals in Game 4 to Tie Up NLDS

Randy Wolf did a hell of a job Thursday evening keeping his Milwaukee Brewers in the game, helping to tie up the series and force the National League pennant to eventually be decided at Miller Park.

The 35-year-old lefty went seven solid innings in Game 4, surrendering just two runs on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts in his team's 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Pretty sure Wolf, who also nailed a double in the third, was excited to end his embarrassing drought of 342 starts without a playoff victory, which was the most among active pitchers. It's a good thing too, because he didn't take his last loss very well:

“You know, I’ll be honest with you, the day after the Diamondbacks start I didn’t eat or shower. I don’t know if they call that depression, but it was tough to swallow."

Now losing St. Louis pitcher Kyle Lohse moves to second on that crappy list with 298 starts, trailing only Ted Lilly’s 318. Speaking of skids, Game 4 marks the Brewers' first road win of the playoffs and their first postseason victory since Game 1 of the 1982 World Series, also in St. Louis... Some of you weren't even born yet.

Matt Holliday gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the second before Allen Craig added a homer the following inning. The Brewers answered with a two-run fourth to knot it back up when Prince Fielder scored on Jerry Hairston, Jr.'s RBI double and Yuniesky Betancourt drove him home with a shallow base hit to center. Ryan Braun, who now owns a .471 batting average after going 16-for-34 this postseason, brought Nyjer Morgan in on a blooper to left in the fifth before Rickie Weeks scored on a fielding error by Ryan Theriot to complete the scoring.

Wolf tossed 107 pitches before Francisco Rodriguez pitched the scoreless eighth and closer John Axford came in for the save to bring the best-of-seven series even at 2-2.

The two sides will play one more game at Busch Stadium (where the families of Brewers players will be seated God knows where) at 8:05pm ET Friday night on TBS before the series moves back to Milwaukee. Jaime Garcia will face Zack Greinke for the second time this series, the last being Game 1 in which Greinke managed to get the 9-6 win even though he didn't pitch all that well.

[Brew Crew Ball]

Albert Pujols, Cardinals Tie up NLCS in 12-3 Rout of Brewers

“Sometimes, you’re going to get spanked a little bit.” - Nyjer Morgan

Thanks to five RBI by Albert Pujols and some additional run support from guys like David Freese and Nick Punto, the St. Louis Cardinals evened up the National League Championship Series at a game a-piece with a 12-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night.

After producing just one run in his team's first six postseason games this year, Pujols went 4-for-5 with a home run and three doubles to power St. Louis past Milwaukee. That must have felt pretty good after screwing up royally during Game 1 when he hit into a broken-bat double play representing the tying run in the seventh.

Rickie Weeks nailed a two-run shot in the fourth and Ryan Braun went 2-for-4, but failed to drive in any runs. Prince Fielder did his part with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth, but unfortunately for the Brew Crew, it was too little, too late. Nyjer Morgan and all of his trash-talk is 0-for-4 against the Cards so far this round.

Both bullpens got a lot of work in after both starters were chased in the fourth inning. Milwaukee’s Shaun Marcum looked just plain ugly out there, coughing up five runs on seven hits and taking the loss. St. Louis starter Edwin Jackson surrendered the Weeks homer along with seven hits and a walk before his exit in the fourth.

The Cards are headed home for Game 3 Wednesday evening with ace Chris Carpenter on the hill against Yovani Gallardo at 8:05pm ET on TBS.

[USA Today]

Brewers Sport their Rally Caps, Beat Cardinals in NLCS Opener

It's pretty amazing the way Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder can turn a game around.

The Milwaukee Brewers rallied in the fifth inning of NLCS Game 1 against their bitter division rivals with huge back-to-back hits by Braun and Fielder to come away with a 9-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Braun launched a 463-foot, two-run bomb in the first inning before adding a two-run double during the huge six-run fifth. Fielder followed up with a homer worth two runs before Yuniesky Betancourt capped the comeback with a two-run shot of his own.

While we were honestly hoping for a few plunkings, maybe a bench-clearing brawl, and definitely some more smack-talk from the two sides, all we got was a small stir-up and an umpire's warning to Tony La Russa after Jaime Garcia hit Fielder immediately after Braun's first inning longball.

Brewers ace Zack Greinke, who made some awkward comments regarding Chris Carpenter and his "phony attitude" on Saturday, hinted that there may have been some heckling coming from the opposing dugout on Sunday:

Diamondbacks Stay Alive Thanks to Rookies Collmenter and Goldschmidt

Putting a rookie on the hill and one in the no. 5 spot of the batting order in a must-win situation is just how Arizona Diamondbacks Kirk Gibson rolls. And apparently it works.

Josh Collmenter silenced the Milwaukee Brewers abusive bats for a second time this season with six strikeouts and two walks, while first baseman Paul Goldschmidt added five RBI, including the third grand slam by a rookie in postseason history, to give the Diamondbacks an 8-1 rout to force Game 4 of their NLDS.

While the 25-year-old Collmenter and his crazy changeup were called up as a reliever back in mid-April before eventually becoming a starter, the 24-year-old Goldschmidt didn't join the team until August 1 when he was called up from Double-A Mobile. Goldy had this to say about the victory:

"It was awesome. Now to be back home and hear almost 50,000 people screaming for us is awesome."

Meanwhile, Ryan Braun, who had been 6-for-8 with a homer and two doubles in the series so far, went 0-for-3 with a walk. Prince Fielder managed only an infield single after being hit by a pitch following Brauny's walk in the first. Brewers starter Shaun Marcum didn't help matters by giving up seven runs on seven hits in just 4.2 innings.

Game 4 begins at 9:30pm ET Wednesday on TBS in a battle of lefties with Randy Wolf taking on Joe Saunders.

[AZ Central]

The Milwaukee Brewers are One Win Away from the NLCS

In front of yet another sold-out crowd at Miller Park, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 Sunday afternoon to give themselves a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series for their hometown fans.

In fact, they're the only team to have a 2-0 lead in the playoffs thus far, with every other series tied at 1-1. Oddly enough, this marks the first time in franchise history that the Brewers hold a shutout lead in a postseason series.

Ryan Braun was at it again for Milwaukee, nailing a two-run homer in the first inning before Paul Goldschmidt answered with a solo shot in the second for the Diamondbacks. Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks then drove in a few runs in the third for a 6-1 lead, but Chris Young and Justin Upton each hit homers in the fourth in fifth, respectively, in an attempt to chip away at Milwaukee's rather comfortable position.

Jonathan Lucroy, who his teammates call "Mr. Squeeze", drove in the go-ahead run with a bunt during the Brewers' five-run sixth that busted the game wide open. Corey Hart, Nyjer Morgan, and Braun each singled to chip right back and eventually earn the win for the Brewers.

Yovani Gallardo, Prince Fielder Lift Brewers Over Diamondbacks in NLDS Game One

Backed by a solid outing by Yovani Gallardo, Prince Fielder capped the run support for the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game One of their NLDS.

Gallardo went eight awesome innings, surrendering just the one run on four hits, walking one and striking out nine for his very first postseason victory. He simply out-dueled opposing pitcher and NL Cy Young candidate Ian Kennedy, matching a Brewers record in K's for the postseason.

Jerry Hairston, Jr. kicked off the scoring with a sacrifice fly that scored Ryan Braun in the fourth before Jonathan Lucroy added an RBI single in the sixth. The very next inning, Fielder smashed an effortless bomb into deep right field to give the Brewers a 4-0 lead.

Time Machine: Brewers Win First Division Since 1982

It's been so long since the Milwaukee Brewers won a division title, that the last time they did -- back in 1982 -- was the same year that Cal Ripken, Jr. began his streak of 2,632 consecutive Major League Baseball games played. Yep, some of you weren't even born yet.

Between Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun on Friday night, nothing was going to stop the Brewers from taking home the National League Central title... except maybe the St. Louis Cardinals beating the Chicago Cubs. But those Cubbies did what they do best in September: play the spoiler.

Is this Prince Fielder's Last Season with the Brewers?

Prince Fielder has had a hell of a season. Heading into his Milwaukee Brewers' road trip Friday night, which begins with the Cincinnati Reds and ends with the Chicago Cubs, he is batting .294 with 32 home runs and 109 RBI.

The husky first baseman, who is facing free agency at the end of the 2011 season, has the devil of Scott Boras on his shoulder. In fact, Boras said in an interview with TBS this week that this is "probably [Fielder's] last season with Milwaukee."

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Check out the First-Place Milwaukee Brewers

After sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend, the Milwaukee Brewers have snatched first place in the National League Central.

Prince Fielder smoked his 19th longball of the season, the go-ahead homer in the sixth inning of his team's 4-3 win on Sunday to give the Brewers a 38-28 record and a half-game advantage over the Cards.

Fielder went 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 RBI to give him 58 on the year. Also, he's batting .305 so that's pretty neat. The National League Player of the Week's eighth bomb in the last 10 games helped Milwaukee improve its big-league best home record to 25-9, setting a franchise record for the best home start ever.

The Brew Crew's manager, Ron Roenicke, is trying not to get too pumped up about his team's recent play:

"It’s way too early, but I like how we’re playing."

The 38-29 Cardinals had held down first place since May 19, so it's not like they don't have a shot at reclaiming the top slot in their division. They'll end their road trip this week with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals Tuesday while the Brewers visit the Chicago Cubs for four games at Wrigley Field Monday. I can hardly stand the excitement.

[Josh Q. Public ]

Prince Fielder Got All of That One

Major League Baseball has another "Always Epic" ad out, this time showcasing Milwaukee Brewers first baseman, Prince Fielder. Behold his awesomeness:

If you haven't seen the other Epic commercials, you can check out how amazing Ubaldo Jiminez, Felix Hernandez, and Brian Wilson are in the depths of our archives.

[Brew Crew Ball]