How Did Detroit Tigers Do in Grading of Prince Fielder Free Agent Super Deal?
The Detroit Tigers sped up their rebuild with an unprecedented run in the second half of the 2024 season.
After being sellers at the deadline, trading away several of their veterans on expiring deals, the team caught fire. They were the best team in the American League over the last two months of the season, riding that into the playoffs.
In the ALWC they swept the Houston Astros before falling to the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.
That performance has many fans hopeful for what the future holds, as young players on the team gained valuable experience with high-stakes baseball in September and October.
It also changed their game plan for the offseason, as they are now buyers looking to upgrade the roster. Several areas of the roster are in need of an upgrade, and the front office is ready to spend.
However, there are some limitations to how much the team is willing to spend.
They have a tried and true strategy with their pitching staff, as they don’t spend major money on the free agent marker. Over the last few years, they have opted to sign bounceback candidates to short-term pillow contracts.
Adding depth to the pitching staff is important, but it is the lineup that was in dire need of an upgrade.
Fans would love to see the team get aggressive and sign a player the caliber of Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. He would bring invaluable championship experience to a clubhouse lacking it prior to this season.
But, there could certainly be some hesitancy to handing out a long-term deal that would be amongst the biggest in baseball history based on the last time the team made such a move.
Back in 2012, the Tigers signed first baseman Prince Fielder away from the Milwaukee Brewers with a nine-year, $214 million contract. It was a deal that Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report gave a so-so grade of “C” to in a recent piece.
“Fielder slugged 230 home runs in seven seasons with the Brewers before hitting the open market, and he signed a massive free-agency deal to join Miguel Cabrera in the middle of the Detroit lineup. After solid offensive seasons in 2012 (154 OPS+, 30 HR, 108 RBI) and 2013 (122 OPS+, 25 HR, 106 RBI), he was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Ian Kinsler. He played just 289 games over the next three years before a neck condition prematurely ended his career.”
Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, especially when he had proven to be durable throughout his career. Fielder played in at least 157 games from 2017, his first full season as a pro, through 2013, before Detroit traded him.
An All-Star in both of the seasons he played with the Tigers, this was trending toward a very solid deal for the team before the change was made.
When healthy, he was one of the most feared hitters in the game, mixing power with a good eye at the plate, making him someone very difficult for opposing pitchers to work against.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.