FWIW: Fielder Rumblings...

[MrOrange82]

and why wouldn't he?

No guarantees they'll sign/ extend Hamilton. That's $12m...

Napoli is a FA after this season. That's another ~$9m...

Young and his $20m salary is definitely gone after 2013...

It's guaranteed money. Why would he care how much the first two years are worth, if it's still worth the same in the end?

It'd actually be better for Fielder if it's worth more later.

Plus, no income tax in Texas.

[JTrea81]

and why wouldn't he?

No guarantees they'll sign/ extend Hamilton. That's $12m...

Napoli is a FA after this season. That's another ~$9m...

Young and his $20m salary is definitely gone after 2013...

It's guaranteed money. Why would he care how much the first two years are worth, if it's still worth the same in the end?

To get the most overall dollars. The Rangers don't want to go more than 5-6 years anyway.

I doubt they'll pay him $30 million per season for the final years of that deal.

[bnw7870]

I think there is a slight chance i mean DD said he knew nothing about Chen and then we signed him.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

To get the most overall dollars. The Rangers don't want to go more than 5-6 years anyway.

I doubt they'll pay him $30 million per season for the final years of that deal.

Tell that to the Angels

Albert Pujols 1b

10 years/$240M (2012-21)

10 years/$240M (2012-21)

signed by LA Angels as a free agent 12/8/11

12:$12M, 13:$16M, 14:$23M, 15:$24M, 16:$25M, 17:$26M, 18:$27M, 19:$28M, 20:$29M, 21:$30M

The Rangers win the WS and Prince $$$ will be a drop in the bucket. They have a 2 year window before their team starts to progressively get weaker. They'll be happy to pay $30m to Fielder in 2018 if it means a ring in 2012.

[El Gordo]

They can only afford both if Prince plays for peanuts the first two years of the deal.

The advance was likely used up as they had to buy out Greenberg to get rid of him.

What do you base this on? You have aaccess to their books? As the article said they go a 100M advance. With a little creative financing, backloading so most of the money comes after the TV deal kicks in, an opt out,etc., coupled with the fact that Prince prefers TEX, makes it look pretty good for them IMO.

[El Gordo]

To get the most overall dollars. The Rangers don't want to go more than 5-6 years anyway.

I doubt they'll pay him $30 million per season for the final years of that deal.

Suppuse they offer him 5/130 M with a 3 year opt out? He could become a FA again and if he is producing well he could still get his 8 year deal. He'd prefer playing for WAS? You know the O's wouldn't offer more than 6/140 M, if that.

[BilboBaggins]

It's truly amazing that there are still people thinking that the Orioles are in anyway involved in the Prince Fielder derby. There is absolutely zero shred of evidence from any source that there has been any discussions whatsoever. But' date=' as I've said before, this is the best time of the year for O's fans as they can at least pretend that they may sign a quality FA or two. Funny how this guy at some small newspaper in San Diego knows something that [b']not one credible baseball source is ready to report on[/b]. Dream on.

Fixed that for you.

Once again. A friend who works for a small regional paper in the San Diego/La Jolla area has a friend who is on the national beat for another paper and heard something about Fielder's reps and the Orioles talking.

That could mean just that. Talking.

Why are people losing their minds over this? I felt that it was something decent to report and we MIGHT hear something next week about this very thing.

[JTrea81]

What do you base this on? You have aaccess to their books? As the article said they go a 100M advance. With a little creative financing, backloading so most of the money comes after the TV deal kicks in, an opt out,etc., coupled with the fact that Prince prefers TEX, makes it look pretty good for them IMO.

Darvish, on the other hand, requires a posting fee. That amount has to be paid up front, in cash. If you bid $50 million and you win the bidding, you have to put up that $50 million. That's not insignificant, particularly if, as Rosenthal says, the Rangers have a $30 million payment due they have to make to Chuck Greenberg, along with a $12 million expenditure for ballpark improvements. That $42 million figure, right there, is probably pretty close to what will be the winning posting fee for Darvish.

Third, you also have the fact that ownership has had to kick in a lot more money over the past 18 months than was anticipated. The amount they had to pay for the team went up significantly through the auction process (thanks so much, Mark Cuban and Jim Crane), and they are now having to shell out $30 million to buy Greenberg out. That's (back of the envelope math) $100 million or so above what it appeared the buy in would be.

http://www.lonestarball.com/2011/12/13/2633137/on-ken-rosenthal-and-the-rangers-payroll-flexibility

So the Rangers just shelled out $80 million upfront this offseason and are spending another $12 on the Ballpark itself. There goes most of that advance.

Prince doesn't necessarily prefer Texas either. That was a writer's opinion based on him waiting after the Darvish talks were done. Boras likely is using them for leverage IMO to get another team to pay more so it would make sense to try to get them involved.

Heck Boras always goes to the Yankees to get them involved if he can and the Red Sox of course, but he can't so he goes to the Rangers and also the Marlins who have money to burn apparently as the teams to try to get to boost the offers.

The more teams "in" on Fielder, the more leverage Boras appears to have.

[El Gordo]

http://www.lonestarball.com/2011/12/13/2633137/on-ken-rosenthal-and-the-rangers-payroll-flexibility

So the Rangers just shelled out $80 million upfront this offseason and are spending another $12 on the Ballpark itself. There goes most of that advance.

Prince doesn't necessarily prefer Texas either. That was a writer's opinion based on him waiting after the Darvish talks were done. Boras likely is using them for leverage IMO to get another team to pay more so it would make sense to try to get them involved.

Heck Boras always goes to the Yankees to get them involved if he can and the Red Sox of course, but he can't so he goes to the Rangers and also the Marlins who have money to burn apparently as the teams to try to get to boost the offers.

The more teams "in" on Fielder, the more leverage Boras appears to have.

The only money they had to pay at once was the posting fee. All the other payments can be amortized. With the 3 billion TV deal due in 2014 I doubt they would have trouble getteing a loan. The only chance he doesn't sign with the Rangers is if the Gnats step up now with close to the 10/200 M he origninally wanted.

[JTrea81]

The only money they had to pay at once was the posting fee. All the other payments can be amortized. With the 3 billion TV deal due in 2014 I doubt they would have trouble getteing a loan. The only chance he doesn't sign with the Rangers is if the Gnats step up now with close to the 10/200 M he origninally wanted.

Whatever man, don't believe we have a chance if it makes you feel better...

[GoldGlove21]

http://www.lonestarball.com/2011/12/13/2633137/on-ken-rosenthal-and-the-rangers-payroll-flexibility

So the Rangers just shelled out $80 million upfront this offseason and are spending another $12 on the Ballpark itself. There goes most of that advance.

Prince doesn't necessarily prefer Texas either. That was a writer's opinion based on him waiting after the Darvish talks were done. Boras likely is using them for leverage IMO to get another team to pay more so it would make sense to try to get them involved.

Heck Boras always goes to the Yankees to get them involved if he can and the Red Sox of course, but he can't so he goes to the Rangers and also the Marlins who have money to burn apparently as the teams to try to get to boost the offers.

The more teams "in" on Fielder, the more leverage Boras appears to have.

The tax in state income tax in Maryland is a total of 8% and there is no state tax in Texas. What that means for us is that Texas could offer Fielder less money than us and the money would even out while giving Fielder a real shot at a ring. If Fielder was going to sign a deal with a 3-year opt out why would he pick us? He could sign with the Rangers and have the deal he wants while giving Texas a break. Could Fielder not establish more value in Arlington? If they won a World Series than he could easily be the MVP. He would also have a good shot in that lineup IMO. I bring this up because I have a hard time comprehending the mindset that Boras is using the Rangers to drive up the contracts being offered by the Orioles, Mariners and Nationals.

[MrOrange82]

Whatever man, don't believe we have a chance if it makes you feel better...

He's right, though. Those are both teams the O's would have to leapfrog to get Fielder. Texas offers the best all-around situation because of the state's lack of income tax, imminently increasing revenue, and extremely strong roster. The Nats are next by virtue of, again, lots of money, as well as being pretty close to competing within their division. And the O's are necessarily far behind both for reasons that should be crystal clear.

[JTrea81]

He's right, though. Those are both teams the O's would have to leapfrog to get Fielder. Texas offers the best all-around situation because of the state's lack of income tax, imminently increasing revenue, and extremely strong roster. The Nats are next by virtue of, again, lots of money, as well as being pretty close to competing within their division. And the O's are necessarily far behind both for reasons that should be crystal clear.

Nats don't have the ballpark that could give him HOF worthy stats nor do they offer the media exposure of playing the Yankees and Red Sox 36 times.

Texas is the only team that has the ballpark that can give him similar stats to OPACY for 81 games. But then he has to go hit in Seattle and Oakland and Angels Stadium, all pitcher's parks according to the park factors here:

http://www.parkfactors.com/

In the AL East, Fielder would not only have OPACY, but Yankee Stadium and the launching pad that is Rogers Centre to boost his offensive stats. Only Tropicana is a pitcher's park.

For the NL East, All the parks play close to neutral except for Citi Fielder which is a pitcher's park. The new Marlins ballpark looks to have pitcher friendly dimensions as well.

The AL East is the best place for Fielder's career numbers and OPACY, Yankee Stadium or Rogers Centre would be ideal home parks.

But Rogers Centre is also turf, and Fielder may not hold up well on that, nor are the Jays interested in more than a 5 year deal.

The Yankees aren't interested.

So that leaves the Orioles, and their home ballpark for the best place for Fielder to have the best numbers of his career.

[MrOrange82]

Nats don't have the ballpark that could give him HOF worthy stats nor do they offer the media exposure of playing the Yankees and Red Sox 36 times.

Texas is the only team that has the ballpark that can give him similar stats to OPACY for 81 games. But then he has to go hit in Seattle and Oakland and Angels Stadium, all pitcher's parks according to the park factors here:

http://www.parkfactors.com/

In the AL East, Fielder would not only have OPACY, but Yankee Stadium and the launching pad that is Rogers Centre to boost his offensive stats. Only Tropicana is a pitcher's park.

For the NL East, All the parks play close to neutral except for Citi Fielder which is a pitcher's park

The AL East is the best place for Fielder's career numbers and OPACY, Yankee Stadium or Rogers Centre would be ideal home parks.

But Rogers Centre is also turf, and Fielder may not hold up well on that, nor are the Jays interested in more than a 5 year deal.

The Yankees aren't interested.

So that leaves the Orioles, and their home ballpark for the best place for Fielder to have the best numbers of his career.

Possible, marginal career-stat improvement vs. more money AND significantly better competitive prospects over the short- and long-term.

You're focused on minor, highly suspect advantages, IMO. Fielder's big moneymaker (no pun intended...dear God, no) is and will be the contract he's about to sign. That's pretty much it. Boosting his career numbers (again, not a point I concede) and "media exposure" are hardly worthwhile considerations when stacked against immediate WS contention and huge dollars.

Tejada put up gigantic numbers with sucky O's teams, but you'd be hard-pressed to argue that AL East exposure did much for him, financially or otherwise.

[Sports Guy]

To get the most overall dollars. The Rangers don't want to go more than 5-6 years anyway.

I doubt they'll pay him $30 million per season for the final years of that deal.

Great chance the Orioles won't either, at least guaranteed years.