Breaking News: Prince Fielder Signs with Detroit Tigers

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, the highest coveted remaining free agent, has agreed to sign with the Detroit Tigers. 

It is reportedly a nine-year $214 million deal.

Fielder will join All-Star Miguel Cabrera in Detroit to form one of the most feared 3-4 punches in baseball.

The addition of Fielder to the Tiger lineup will surely ease the pain of losing Victor Martinez for the entire 2012 season with a torn ACL.

Fielder, still only 27 years old, is coming off a .299, 38 HR, 120 RBI campaign. He was not expected to resign with Milwaukee, but the Tigers were certainly not the expected suitors. Since bursting into the league as a full time starter in 2006, Fielder has hit 228 home runs. But unlike many power guys, Fielder has been able to maintain a respectable average, which is .282 for his career.

Among the teams thought to be in on the Fielder sweepstakes were the Nationals, Orioles, Cubs, Mariners, Rangers, and the Brewers basically by default.

This signing really came out of left field, or should I say first base. There were no reports of a meeting between the two parties, nor any interest really.

The Tigers, who fell just short of reaching the World Series in 2011, certainly have the ALCS on their minds for the upcoming season. With a lineup consisting of Fielder and Cabrera, along with reigning Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, the Tigers are definitely a team to be reckoned with in the American League.

It was a quite winter thus far for the Tigers, but this singing will be sure to make some noise.

Read more at : http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/prince-fielder-tigers-reportedly-agree-to-a-nine-year-214-million-deal/2012/01/24/gIQA30f8NQ_blog.html