Now it's REALLY over...Prince to Detroit

[Enjoy Terror]

It's funny to think that the Tigers were probably not even players until VMart went down. This is a desperation move.

[.500_OR_BETTER]

Victor makes 13 million which from what I have read is insured.

Of course it is insured. They still have to pay the $13MM and will get some of it back through the policy.

It's not like they are off the hook for his salary.

[backwardsk]

Victor makes 13 million which from what I have read is insured.

Verlander is getting a raise of 7mm+. So that's a rough net of plus $17mm without looking at other increases.

[weams]

I was "all-in" on getting Fielder, but that is insanity. I am shocked.

I am really glad this stupid contract is in the AL too. In a few years, there will be multiple playoff slots open.

[weams]

Of course it is insured. They still have to pay the $13MM and will get some of it back through the policy.

It's not like they are off the hook for his salary.

Victor had a four year contract, I thought the insurance was only available on contracts of three years or shorter.

[Tony-OH]

Well I didnt take the 2012 doomsday stuff seriously, however it is obvious that the Tiger's have inside information and want to win the last WS.

Finally a good theory on why the Tigers did this!

[mweb]

[.500_OR_BETTER]

Victor had a four year contract, I thought the insurance was only available on contracts of three years or shorter.

I think its more of an insurance against injury not contract maybe.... but heres a quote & link:

Martinez was signed to a four-year, $50 million free-agent deal in November 2010 and is scheduled to make $13 million in 2012. The contract is guaranteed, but teams maintain insurance against such situations. Management declined to discuss the contractual and insurance situation.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20120117/FREE/120119892/tigers-victor-martinez-appears-sidelined-for-entire-season-after-tearing-knee-ligament

[weams]

I think its more of an insurance against injury not contract maybe.... but heres a quote & link:

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20120117/FREE/120119892/tigers-victor-martinez-appears-sidelined-for-entire-season-after-tearing-knee-ligament

Thanks, I am never sure how that stuff works.

[mweb]

[video=youtube_share;RcvaYgWc9eY]http://youtu.be/RcvaYgWc9eY

..........

[EddieMurrayfan]

It's funny to think that the Tigers were probably not even players until VMart went down. This is a desperation move.

Doubtful the Tigers weren't "even" players - and hard to think that a ball club would do a contract like this in desperation. They must have really wanted him.

You really think they just decided a day or two ago to throw out 214 million for Prince?

[Roll Tide]

As much as I wanted Prince Fielder ... 9 years really??? Detroit will lose 3 or 4 years of that at very least.

[weams]

It's fine for impulsive fans and media to look these situations from a narrow perspective and concentrate on how this helps the Tigers right now. But Ilitch and general manager Dave Dombrowski must balance the present with the equally important future.

What happens when Martinez returns in 2013?

What do you do with three defensively limited, slow-footed players you're collectively paying almost $60 million? That's $60 million for three players. The base paths would need an emergency bypass with all the clogging. It's nuts for an organization that admitted its mistakes in attempting to spend as freely as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

http://www.freep.com/article/20120124/COL08/120124057/prince-fielder-detroit-tigers?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports

[.500_OR_BETTER]

Looks like they will get half of the $13MM back.

Contractually speaking, the Tigers, who take out insurance on long-term contracts, will get about half of Martinez’s $13M salary paid back to them since the knee was clean at the time the contract was signed. That provides little comfort to a team that is instantly reeling from his loss.

http://isportsweb.com/2012/01/17/detroit-tigers-victor-martinez-tears-acl/

[tntoriole]

I'm just saying, spending that kind of $$$$$$$$ could also ruin a club for years to come.

Even though this is the conventional wisdom, there is little objective evidence...the Rangers had Rodriguez but they got out of it and have a great team currently, the Yankees and Red Sox have had bad contracts- playoffs virtually every year...the Nats- Werth is likely a bad contract- doesn't seem to be hampering them...you could argue the Cubs have been hurt perhaps, but even there, they can eat the losses of the bad contracts and will still have money to burn...these owners realize billions in profits when you factor in the appreciation of the values of the teams from when they bought them as well as public subsidies in tax structure and the deals from TV/regional networks....any ONE player, no matter how mega the deal is not going to "ruin a club for years to come" unless that club is already poorly run and managed by the people in charge of baseball decisions (not that I would be thinking of any particular organization in saying that). I too would not have gone for Fielder, in part, because I don't think his switching leagues and pitchers is going to be quite the cake walk for him that some might think it is going to be....but if any team really wants to make a statement in this fashion then they certainly, certainly have the resources to do so.