Fielder gets nine years, $214m from the Tigers For much of the offseason, the Nationals were considered a prime landing spot for slugging free agent first baseman Prince Fielder.
The 27-year-old would have provided massive, necessary power from the left side of the plate and helped anchor a Washington offense that finished 24th in runs scored in 2011. Instead, Fielder signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday that fills the AL Central champions’ own need for a power hitter, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet complete, told the AP that the deal was subject to a physical.
The deal came as a surprise considering the Tigers were rarely mentioned as a legitimate contender for Fielder’s services. The Nationals, however, were considered a favorite to land the slugger, especially after meetings over the last month with Fielder and agent Scott Boras. Even with the presence of first baseman Adam LaRoche, who missed most of last season following shoulder surgery, Fielder and his left-handed power bat — he hit 38 home runs last season and has 230 in six full big league seasons — would have filled a need for a team with a .691 OPS last year, ranking 23rd overall.
Not that Washington was ever truly counting on Fielder — even if the Nats were extremely interested. Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said in a conference call last month “that is correct” when asked whether he still envisioned LaRoche as his Opening Day first baseman given the team’s rumored pursuit of Fielder. With no major offseason moves to upgrade the offense yet, it appears the team is content to head into spring training Feb. 20 looking for internal improvements at the plate.
“I think that hopefully we have a healthier season out of the gate,” Rizzo said last month. “Hopefully Ryan Zimmerman is there for the full complement of games. We hope that Adam LaRoche is there and has a typical Adam LaRoche season. We hope that Jayson Werth has a typical Jayson Werth season. … We feel that we’re going to get an uptick in offense just from those players improving and getting to their career norms.”
Several teams had shown interest this winter in Fielder, who had spent his entire career with the small-market Milwaukee Brewers. He also visited Texas. Fielder hit .299 with 120 RBI last season. He is a three-time All-Star and led the Brewers to the postseason twice in the last four years. Fielder has averaged 40 homers and 113 RBI over the past five years. He also has been among the most durable players in the majors, appearing in at least 157 games in each of the last six seasons.
The deal is the fourth $200 million contract in baseball history, following Alex Rodriguez’s 10-year, $275 million contract with the New York Yankees; A-Rod’s 10-year, $252 million deal with Texas; and Albert Pujols’ 10-year, $240 million contract last month with the Los Angeles Angels.
Among current players, Fielder’s $23.78 million average salary is behind those of only A-Rod ($27.5 million), Ryan Howard ($25 million), Cliff Lee and Pujols ($24 million each).
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
