Prince Fielder Traded

[Scottathew]

Click on Sports section and read the announcement at the top of the page.

And that's the sound of me shutting up and making a quiet exit out the back door, hoping no one saw me.

[Lowell]

Trading Scherzer for a bona fide closer should be considered. We have great starting pitching depth and Smiley could fit right in. What good are great starts if the closer can bring it home? The Tigers would have been in the World Series with a solid closer. It was the difference between us and Boston.

I also think Andy Dirks will mature into an more than adequate left fielder. He also has the speed the Tigers desperately need. Let him have it. I would hold off trying to fill that slot. Outfielders are easy to obtain around trade deadline time if needed.

Sidenote... Sports has been reintegrated to the main forum for some time per the announcement on the now dormant Sports forum. It is as much about the story of Detroit as any other facet, spanning business, entertainment, celebrity and in the case of Prince, a genuine Detroit story. This thread will later be converted into a 2104 Tigers thread.

Finally, I liked Prince. He played hard; he played everyday. He earned his keep. He struggled this year and I wish him the best.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Trading Scherzer for a bona fide closer should be considered. We have great starting pitching depth and Smiley could fit right in. What good are great starts if the closer can bring it home? The Tigers would have been in the World Series with a solid closer. It was the difference between us and Boston.

I also think Andy Dirks will mature into an more than adequate left fielder. He also has the speed the Tigers desperately need. Let him have it. I would hold off trying to fill that slot. Outfielders are easy to obtain around trade deadline time if needed.

Sidenote... Sports has been reintegrated to the main forum for some time per the announcement on the now dormant Sports forum. It is as much about the story of Detroit as any other facet, spanning business, entertainment, celebrity and in the case of Prince, a genuine Detroit story. This thread will later be converted into a 2104 Tigers thread.

Finally, I liked Prince. He played hard; he played everyday. He earned his keep. He struggled this year and I wish him the best.

With all due respect, Dirks isn't the answer in LF. He slumped horribly last year. They need to sign or trade for a better outfielder. Guys like Dirks, and DK while good guys, they were Leyland's boys. They need to upgrade their bench with better players, as well as the bullpen.

[401don]

I agree Dirks is a perfect 4th outfielder - good defense, can play all 3 positions, a little pop and average speed [[he just looks fast because you're comparing him to all the other lead-footed Tigers). I would never trade Scherzer for a closer. They will probably sign a free agent like Nathan. How many games did the closer cost the Tigers? The problem was the 7th and 8th inning guys and the Tigers inability to manufacture a run late in tie ballgames.

[Thruster315]

Sidenote... Sports has been reintegrated to the main forum for some time per the announcement on the now dormant Sports forum. It is as much about the story of Detroit as any other facet, spanning business, entertainment, celebrity and in the case of Prince, a genuine Detroit story. This thread will later be converted into a 2104 Tigers thread.

No offense but why? By the time I think serious discussion about the 2014 Tigers team will roll around, is this story really even going to be on anyone's mind any more? We'll probably be talking about the future of the team as opposed to this off season trade. If I can suggest it, leave this thread be and let the Tigers 2014 thread grow and mature on its own. If people still want to discuss Prince Fielder, let them talk about it here. In my mind's eye- he's already a Tiger of the past and in the history books already. Let the new Tigers team have its own discussion area and not be burdened by the past.

Finally, I liked Prince. He played hard; he played everyday. He earned his keep. He struggled this year and I wish him the best.

I liked him as a person too. He never did anything that would've embarrassed this team nor did he say anything off color or harmful. He seemed like a good team mate. Some would argue whether he played hard everyday though. I'm sure there are still those of us that remember him not going whole hog for the flyball in the stands and I've even heard some folks on the radio talk shows questioning his commitment to his own physique. I'm also left wondering if he could've been a better player if he had got his diet in check, lost a few more pounds, be a little more nimble, and worked on his defense. And not that it's fair but compare him to someone like Miggy who lost the weight over last off season and worked at being a better third baseman than any of us thought he could be.

I also feel for Prince in the sense that he played for a blue collar town that values hard work. I'm not so sure he did as much as some of us thinks he could've to being the best out there. He was fun to watch. He was an attraction. When he was deadly he was fun to watch, but there were stretches where he was mediocre at best. His defense was average even on his best days. He was one dimensional as a player.

I don't begrudge him for taking all of that money that the Tigers offered him Who in their right mind would say no to it? But for being the highest paid player on the team, he needed to produce and on the biggest stage too. He didn't and because of his prodigious paycheck, the spotlight was a little brighter on him.

I also know he's currently the Iron Man in MLB for playing every day but is there something admirable about that if one doesn't perform? Is longevity in sports to be celebrated if one is mediocre at a professional level?

So rather than sound like a Prince Fielder eulogy here, I want to thank him for his time here. Thanks for also ditching the no-trade clause. He needed a new start and so did we. Like all good parties, it's best to leave before one becomes a pest and a nuisance. I'm going to wish him well and still hope that the Rangers don't get in our way as we still shoot for the World Series title.

[Spartan]

Trading Scherzer for a bona fide closer should be considered. We have great starting pitching depth and Smiley could fit right in. What good are great starts if the closer can bring it home? The Tigers would have been in the World Series with a solid closer. It was the difference between us and Boston.

Oh lord no. You don't trade a Cy Young winner for a closer. If we could get a closer, 3B and LF, then maybe. A great closer is worth about 2-3 games a year compared to an average one. A great starter is easily worth 5+.

[Hermod]

I also know he's currently the Iron Man in MLB for playing every day but is there something admirable about that if one doesn't perform? Is longevity in sports to be celebrated if one is mediocre at a professional level?

I posted on a baseball forum once that if you added together the lifetime stats of Barney McCosky [[Tigers, Athletics), Dale Mitchell [[Indians), and Billy Goodman [[Redsox, Whitesox) the stats added up to Pete Rose lifetime stats. The three had good, but not outstanding, and short pro careers. My point was that Pete Rose was in their level of quality, he just did it for a longer period of time.

[Lowell]

Oh lord no. You don't trade a Cy Young winner for a closer. If we could get a closer, 3B and LF, then maybe. A great closer is worth about 2-3 games a year compared to an average one. A great starter is easily worth 5+.

A closer and change. Signing Scherzer will now cost a fortune that could be better used to shore up other weaknesses. With just about any other team I would agree with you, but the Tigers are starting pitcher rich. And let's not overlook that while Scherzer's W-L was phenomenal, it didn't hurt that he also lead the majors in run support. His leads could survive our sucky bullpen or his off days.

As for Dirks, he had a not uncommon sophomore slump. I am not totally convinced of him but I like multi-tool versatility, attitude and now that Prince is gone his left-hand bat gains importance.

[401don]

The Tigers need more power than Dirks can provide. They need a middle-of-the-order veteran to hit 4th or 5th. All last year people talked about the powerful Tiger lineup. How many realize the Tigers now have a grand total of one player who hit 20 home runs last year?

[compn]

i rooted for cecil and prince when they played.

both great players and they showed that even with a heavier body type you can still belt that ball into the stands with the rest of them.

[Al Publican]

Any truth to the rumor that Comerica Park's name is going to be changed to Peyton Place Park? This latest gossip about the team is probably the juiciest since Denny McClain was linked to the mob.