MLB Free Agents 2012: Prince Fielder to Nationals Would Bring NL East Dominance

If you're a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, or New York Mets, you may want to avert your eyes.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports, an unnamed player on the Washington Nationals is saying that the team is going after Prince Fielder. The possibility of that must be nothing short of terrifying for any division rivals. 

A lineup that includes Prince Fielder would not only make the Nationals tough to beat now, but it would make them nearly impossible to beat for an awfully long time. Take a look at what their position players would look like in that spot.

(via Depth Chart on team's website)

Pos.	Player	Age
C	Wilson Ramos	24
1B	Prince Fielder	27
2B	Danny Espinsoa	24
SS	Ian Desmond	26
3B	Ryan Zimmerman	27
LF	Michael Morse	29
CF	Roger Bernadina	27
RF	Jayson Werth	32

That's a diverse lineup. They have speedsters up the middle, a quality No. 3 hitter in Zimmerman, and a basher for the cleanup spot in Fielder. And it's only going to get tougher.

Bryce Harper was the No. 1 prospect in 2011's Baseball America rankings. They estimate that he'll be in the majors in 2013. Harper won't hit his 21st birthday until the postseason of the 2013 season. 

That's only going to make the lineup more daunting. That's a heart of the order of Zimmerman, Fielder and Harper. That doesn't offer a break. They'll have men on base to drive in, and men behind them to draw good pitches.

But this team is more than a lineup. Look at the pitching rotation.

Player	Age
Steven Strasburg	23
Gio Gonzalez	26
Jordan Zimmerman	25
John Lannan	27
Chien-Ming Wang	31

That rotation can go toe-to-toe with any in the league. Between their starting lineup and starting rotation, they have two players not in their 20's. Although Michael Morse will be 30 on Opening Day.

This is not a team just built to win now, nor are they built to win in the future. This team could do both. Even without Fielder, they are a tough team. Adam LaRoche is certainly a scary hitter and he's currently the team's starting first basemen. He's just not Prince Fielder. 

Even in a competitive National League East, the Nationals have what it takes to compete. But bringing in Fielder would make them the instant favorites. That applies to 2011, and years after. 

Fans of the NL East's other teams had better hope this never materializes and that Prince goes elsewhere. If he ends up on the Nationals, the rest of the NL East will be hunting for Wild Card spots for a long time.

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