In what was shocking news, the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million deal — the fourth-biggest contract in Major League history. The move has come as a surprise to many, given how late it in the offseason it occured and the limited market for Fielder. The signing is a great deal for the Tigers in the short term, though one that could likely backfire in the long term.
Fielder, at age 28, should provide the Tigers a monster bat for several seasons to come, and will form one of the deadliest middle-of-the-orders in baseball along with Miguel Cabrera. Last season, Fielder batted .299 with 38 home runs, 120 RBI, with a .415 OBP and a .566 SLG over 162 games. Fielder had a 5.5 WAR in 2011, and should be worth five to six wins per season in the short term.
In the long term, this deal could prove to be an albatross for the Tigers. Fielder is a first baseman with no speed and no defensive value, so he’ll likely have to be a designated hitter in the later years of his contract. Fielder’s body type tends to age poorly, and if he doesn’t get his weight under control, there will be a huge drop in his productivity after years four and five.
It was imperative for the Tigers to replace Victor Martinez, out for the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL. Fielder is an upgrade offensively, and should more than make up for the loss of Martinez.
But did the Tigers panic? It might have been more rational to sign a bat like Vladimir Guerrero or Hideki Matsui as a designated hitter if Detroit was looking for short term solutions. What’s more, the Tigers came agonizingly close to the World Series last season; they defeated the Yankees in the ALDS, but lost to the Rangers in six games in the ALCS.
The hope is that Fielder could be the missing piece of the puzzle that put’s the Tigers over the top. The AL Central is a weak division, and the Tigers were probably favourites to win the division anyway. The signing of Fielder will further separate them from Cleveland, Kansas City and Minnesota.
One potential problem in the short term is the changed defensive alignment the Tigers will have to field in 2012. It’s rumoured that current Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera will shift to third base — a position in which he played coming up with the Marlins — to accommodate Fielder at first. An infield with Cabrera at the hot corner and Fielder at first base could be a recipe for disaster, especially on days when Doug Fister or Rick Porcello, both extreme ground-ball pitchers, are pitching.
The rest of the defense will face questions as well. Delmon Young, who shouldn’t even be near the field, will be the Tigers’ everyday left fielder, and Ryan Raburn will likely occupy second base. It seems that Detroit are ready to forget about defence entirely and hope their lineup simply demoralizes their opponents every night.
In the short term, the Tigers added an impact bat and one of the most profound young power-hitters in baseball. After winning the AL Central in 2011, Fielder’s signing slightly increases Detroit’s chances of advancing to the World Series. If the Tigers win a World Series or two over the duration of the deal, Fielder’s monster contract will be justified; if they don’t, there will be another huge financial mess to clean up in Detroit. The Tigers are sacrificing the future for the present with this signing — I doubt Fielder will be worth five to six wins when he is 33 or 34.
The Fielder deal leaves me with a couple of questions. Did the Tigers bid against themselves to sign Fielder this offseason? As expected, there was a limited market for Fielder, and many executives thought he would have to settle for a five- or six-year deal. I doubt a team like the Washington Nationals or Seattle Mariners would have given Fielder nine years, as Detroit did. Clearly agent Scott Boras is a master at his craft, and he once again showed why he is one of the most prominent agents in the game.
If Fielder could get a nine-year, $214 million deal, what type of deal could Canadian slugger and 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto be looking at if he hits the market? Votto is a much better overall player than Fielder, and will definitely age better. Fielder’s Detroit contract seems to point the way for big things for Votto.
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