2017 MLB Season Thread

[bdeuce22]

first off, i had no idea this was going down.

even if I thought the tigers were in the market for Prince, I would figure he would not want to come because of his dad and their relationship. Money cures those things.

 

[bdeuce22]

god damn.....i'm excited.......

 

[clarinetplayer]

I learned of the news when a friend called and asked, "Have you purchased your World Series tickets yet?" Since then, I've been singing "Some day my prince will come..."

If V-mart recovers faster than predicted, it will be unbelievable.

 

[Rambo]

I was just listening to Buster Olney saying that Boras basically backdoored the deal with ownership and several members of the front office/staff had NO IDEA that they'd even signed Fielder.

Also mentioned - This is the 4th largest contract in baseball history. EVER. I mean, I love Fielder as much as the next guy, but that's ******* crazy.

 

[clarinetplayer]

Signing Fielder is a great human story: "Boy Returns Home". (Seeing that footage of the young Prince taking batting practice in old Tiger Stadium is priceless.) But it is a colossal risk. (What if Prince gets injured?) Also, can Cabrerra play 3rd base?

 

[edinatlanta]

I'm a Royals fan and this means we'll basically continue to languish at the bottom of the pile, even if the farm system pans out but I just want to say to the Tigers. Prince is a better signing than Albert.

 

[bdeuce22]



I was just listening to Buster Olney saying that Boras basically backdoored the deal with ownership and several members of the front office/staff had NO IDEA that they'd even signed Fielder.
Also mentioned - This is the 4th largest contract in baseball history. EVER. I mean, I love Fielder as much as the next guy, but that's ******* crazy.

it is crazy, but the owner wants to win now. he's 82 years old. he's gone as far as saying he'd trade the 4 stanley cups he's won for 1 WS title. my guess is he told the GM to get er done. the yearly money going to Fielder is a little more than what came off the books this year. yes, you have to live with it 9 years, but $20+ million came off with magglio and guillen leaving. they didn't sign anyone and made a minor trade. with the team basically staying intact, the only player that made an impact on the payroll was Verlander. he goes from $12mil to $20mil this year.

Signing Fielder is a great human story: "Boy Returns Home". (Seeing that footage of the young Prince taking batting practice in old Tiger Stadium is priceless.) But it is a colossal risk. (What if Prince gets injured?) Also, can Cabrerra play 3rd base?

from what you and i have probably been hearing, it sounds like cabrera was the only player (rightfully so) to know about the deal. he said he's OK moving to 3rd. my guess is that is where he starts, but god only knows if it pans out. kind of weird, but if that's the case, we still need a DH. maybe we get a 1 year deal on an aging player like a Vlad or get an older OF and move Delmon to DH. Jackson really needs to step it up at lead off. likely he's going to be hitting front of Boesch, Cabrera, Fielder, Young, and Avila.

 

[Michigan Planner]

I think Cabrera will be fine at 3rd. If I recall correctly, he started out at SS in the minors and then moved to 3rd, and quite a few games with the Marlins his rookie season were at 3rd.

One thing I've heard about this Fielder contract is that there is no out on it. So if there is a big injury or something, the Tigers are just going to eat it. Ouch! But, let's hope it never comes to that. It's not as if Ilitch cannot afford it - I had actually always wondered why he never tried to buy a World Series caliber team like this before. Personally, I think he should invest his entire $1.5+ billion fortune into Tiger contracts before he leaves this mortal coil.

In other news, I'm hoping McDonald's will bring back the $1.69 triple cheeseburger to commemorate this deal.

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[Steve B.]

I think you guys are celebrating a bit early.

The Angels have better pitching, and their hitting isn't far behind the Tigers'. The Rangers have the best hitting in the league, and their pitching is about the same as Detroit's.

 

[bdeuce22]

^hah. i remember that. actually, my dad called me yesterday and asked if i remembered playing against Prince Fielder in little league one summer. i didn't. makes sense tho. we are the same age and lived in the proximity of where he did.

details have yet to be released, but sources are saying there is no PLAYER out, so he can't hit the market to get more money in a couple years. no one knows if the team has options. likely they do. there will be a No Trade Clause for sure. that is a Boras signature item.

 

[Michigan Planner]



I think you guys are celebrating a bit early.
The Angels have better pitching, and their hitting isn't far behind the Tigers'. The Rangers have the best hitting in the league, and their pitching is about the same as Detroit's.

I agree that the Rangers hitting is phenomenal (and they definitely have some Tiger killers on that team... Nelson Cruz anyone?) and the Angels have a solid team as well. Luckily, neither are in the AL Central so we don't have to face them all that often (relatively speaking). My view is that we just need to concentrate on winning the division, which should be much easier now. I think it's too hard to worry about the rest of the AL or the playoffs themselves. There are just too many scenarios that can happen that it's impossible to cover them all.

 

[bdeuce22]

L Central is all that matters for now. Angels do have better pitching from top to bottom. Is Trumbo going to the DH spot? i'd argue that the starting pitching on the rangers is not better, but yes, the hitting is killer. that damn nelson cruz. however, the tigers did take it to 6 games with essentially 2 bench players playing everyday, a crippled catcher, and an injured delmon young and vmart.

Without Victor and before Fielder, i thought the Tigers would've won the Central. now it's that much easier sans injury.

 

[Slopho]

Does Prince still not get along with his dad?

 

[bdeuce22]

^ nope. i guess they talk but that's about it.

 

[Rambo]



I'm a Royals fan and this means we'll basically continue to languish at the bottom of the pile, even if the farm system pans out but I just want to say to the Tigers. Prince is a better signing than Albert.

Ed, the Royals are going to suck no matter what happens.