It took longer than I thought it would, but former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder finally reached agreement with a new team on a long term contract for an enormous amount of money. Fielder came to terms with the Detroit Tigers on a nine year $214 million deal on January 24th, 2012, ending his tenure with the Brewers.
It had been a foregone conclusion that Fielder would be playing elsewhere in 2012. As difficult as it will be to watch the Brewers take the field with someone else at first base this April, I believe the organization made the correct move by not committing $200 million or so to one player, even one as popular and productive as Fielder. It's doubtful they could have paid that much even if they wanted to.
The Brewers have shown that they are willing to spend money and offer long term contracts. Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and Yovanni Gallardo have had contract extensions in recent years, and the Brewers will need money for others such as Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke in the near future. By passing on Fielder, the club will be in a much better position financially to maintain a solid core group of players.
A move to the American League makes sense for Fielder. He can be the designated hitter when he needs a break from playing first base, and could become a full time DH toward the end of his contract. The Tigers won the A.L. Central in 2011, so he's going to a contender. I've always liked Tigers' manager Jim Leyland. The Brewers will play three A.L. Central opponents in interleague play this year but fortunately Detroit is not one of them.
Mat Gamel gets his chance
With Fielder gone, the first base position is now Mat Gamel's to lose. Gamel has hit well in the minors, driving in 88 or more runs four times. Last year at Triple A Nashville, he hit .310 with 28 home runs and 96 RBIs. He hasn't impressed in his 85 games with Milwaukee, batting just .222 with five homers and 23 RBIs. Gamel plays both first and third base and had been stuck behind Fielder and Casey McGehee the last few years, but now it's all on him to show he's ready to play at the next level. It's time to see what he can do.
The only other candidate for first base is Travis Ishikawa, who spent 2011 in the minors. He hit .266 playing for the San Francisco Giants in 2010. The Brewers signed Ishikawa to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training as a non roster player. The Brewers will need a backup first baseman, so Ishikawa has a chance of making the club. The Brewers could also fill the backup role with someone like Corey Hart or even Taylor Green. Hart played 179 games at first base in the minors and Green has played 21.
Another alternative is free agent Casey Kotchman, who hit .306 in 146 games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011. He might be worth a look, and would probably be available for a reasonable amount of money.
A Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, Mark Hudziak has been a fan of the Brewers since they moved to Milwaukee in 1970.
Sources:
Milwaukee Brewers on Yahoo! Sports
Prince Fielder agrees to sign with Tigers
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