All season long it has felt as if Prince Fielder was simply playing out his senior season with the Milwaukee Brewers. Too good to trade their star first baseman but likely not rich enough to keep him around with a massive contract this offseason, the Brewers simply decided to play out the string. It’s not a move you see very often in baseball. If a star player hasn’t signed 15 months before free agency hits, teams start getting anxious. But Milwaukee has made the postseason just once in 30 years and wasn’t making it back this fall without Fielder. It had to go for it.
Even after Fielder told TBS this week it was “probably” his last season with the Brewers, it still seems like the right move for the club. The 27-year-old has 32 homers with a .294 batting average and .949 OPS. Despite a hiccup or two this month, Milwaukee is 5? games up on St. Louis in the National League Central.
But if the Brewers are willing to let Fielder test the open market, what exactly will he find there? There doesn’t seem to be a perfect big-market fit. The Red Sox (Adrian Gonzalez), Phillies (Ryan Howard) and Yankees (Mark Teixeira) already have established first basemen. The Dodgers and Mets have financial issues. Some teams (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Oakland) need a first baseman but don’t have the cash. Others (Baltimore, Houston, Seattle, Chicago Cubs) are in bigger markets but far from contending. As for the Nationals, it’s hard to see them splurging again after the Jayson Werth contract and with Adam LaRoche and Michael Morse on the roster. So who has the best shot?
Giants » Yes, they have top prospect Brandon Belt. They also have a terrible offense that has scored the fewest runs in baseball. They can find Belt another position.
Rangers » The best bet. Texas looks like a perennial contender with a young, talented roster but has used a rotating series of first basemen in 2011.
Blue Jays » Only four teams have scored more runs. Unlikely anyone would have a scarier offense if Toronto made a splash. Baseball mattered in Toronto once. It can again.
– Brian McNally
