Detroit to Welcome Royalty
Prince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a nine-year deal worth $214 million.
As reported by CBS Sports and Yahoo! Sports, Fielder and Scot Boras came to terms with the Tigers Monday afternoon. The first baseman, who hit 230 home runs in his first seven seasons, will leave Milwaukee for the Motor City.
According to CBS reporter, Jon Heyman, the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals and three mystery teams were in on Fielder. Thoughts were that the Nationals would snatch up Fielder.
Texas was having issues with the amount of years wanted by Fielder. Not to mention, they had recently signed Yu Darvish. Take a second and imagine a Rangers' lineup with Fielder in the middle of it all.... devastating.
The Nationals would have had a pretty dangerous lineup as well. Michael Morse is coming off a great season and Ryan Zimmerman, when playing, is as good as they come. Not to mention the Nats have the kid everybody is dying to see in the Majors, Bryce Harper.
Unfortunately for these two clubs and their fan bases, the mysterious Tigers snatched up Fielder.
Fielder will now join Miguel Cabrera in Detroit.
This might be the most fearsome duo since Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz terrorized the Majors, if Fielder can figure out how to hit in Comerica Park.
Fielder will play first base and fill in for the injured Victor Martinez, who hit behind Cabrera. Many wondered who would take care of this role. Without a big bat protecting Cabrera, chances are that pitchers would try to pitch around him to face Delmon Young. But no worries Jim Leyland, Prince is in town.
Aside from filling in the shoes of V-Mart, who has been a very consistent hitter and produced everywhere he has been, Fielder will also walk in the city where his father, Cecil Fielder, once played.
However, with Prince's calm, cool and collected attitude, there is doubt that he will have trouble filling in for anybody. He might even look forward to hitting a few inside the park home runs in Comerica.
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