MLB Rumors: 7 Reasons Why the Mariners Must Stop Pursuing Prince Fielder

It's a well known fact the Mariners are the worst offensive team in the MLB, and one of the worst offensive teams in MLB history, period.  Let's not sugar coat things here.

So on paper, the Mariners trying to sign Prince Fielder makes a lot of sense—a big bat they can slide nicely into the four hole.  Maybe that's what Seattle needs to get this offense jump-started.

He would be the perfect compliment to Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez as a Seattle sports figure, and could potentially lead this team to great things in the future.

Here are seven reasons why this marriage would end in a disaster and why the Mariners should try and avoid him at all costs.

Cliff Lee

You're probably thinking that I'm bringing up Cliff Lee because of the disaster he was in Seattle when the Mariners traded for him.

Well, in fact, it wasn't that bad of a trade at all.

When we traded Cliff Lee to Texas, we got a gem of a young first baseman, and that man's name is Justin Smoak. 

When you trade Cliff Lee for ANYBODY, especially a top-notch prospect, and not an already established player, he had better develop into a great player.

So far Justin Smoak hasn't developed into the Mark Teixeira-type of hitter we thought he would, but the kid is 25 years old, and just for the sake of what we traded for him, we should give him a chance.

Justin Smoak

Imagine how this kid must be feeling right now?

Just a year-and-a-half into his Mariners tenure, and already the team is looking for somebody to replace him.

I know he has only shown flashes of greatness, but Smoak is the complete package—if the Mariners end up getting rid of him, they will regret it.

Smoak is making $419,000 a year, which is a heck of a lot less than what Prince Fielder would demand, which brings me to my next point.

The Money Fielder Would Demand

Very recently, Albert Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million contract, as you all know.  Albert Pujols definitely set the bar for All-Star-caliber first basemen.

After a pay-day like that, I suspect that Prince would demand at least a 10-year, $200 million deal, or at least a long-term deal along the lines of $20 million a year.

The Mariners' team payroll of 2011 was nearly $85 million. 

If the Mariners were to sign Prince to a $20 million yearly deal, then the Mariners will have invested over 70 percent of their payroll in four players.  Ichiro at $18 million, Felix at $12 million, Figgins at $10 million and Fielder at $20 million.

Just because he's a prince doesn't mean he won't demand a king's ransom.

Division Strength

It isn't like the Mariners are one superstar player from being a contender—in fact, they are far from it.

The Angels and Rangers are two of the elite teams in the AL West, and even the Athletics might give the Mariners problems in 2012.

With the Angels signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, and the Rangers retaining most of their World Series roster, it doesn't make sense for the Mariners to pursue Fielder if they still can't win.

Strict Rebuilding Mode

When you rebuild, you don't go halfway, you tear that sucker down.  You have to hit rock bottom before you can build yourself back up.

What if Prince Fielder didn't pan out?  The rebuilding process would be set back several years because of the enormous size of his contract.

Ultimately, the Mariners are trying to build a dynasty, as is every team in MLB. 

While signing Prince Fielder would improve Seattle in the short run, ultimately, in the long run, it would hinder the chances of building a dynasty if he severely underplays. 

Safeco Field

Safeco Field has not been friendly to power hitters.

Safeco is one of the friendliest parks in the league for pitchers—a place where long fly balls die in a sea of outfield green. 

I strongly believe Prince Fielder is not interested playing 81 games in a stadium with one of the lowest home-run rates. 

This might be the biggest reason why he doesn't come to the Emerald City. 

Prince Fielder Hasn't Shown Any Interest

Ultimately, why would Fielder want to come to Seattle? 

Obviously he is looking to play for a winning franchise, so why would Seattle be at the top of his list of places he'd want to play?

Fielder lives in Melbourne, Florida.  So why would he want to play on the complete other corner of the country, so he could play meaningless baseball in half-empty stadiums all while traveling the most miles of any team in baseball?

Even if we offered him an enormous contract, I still don't think that would be enough to get him to come to Seattle. 

The odds of signing Prince Fielder is slim, and with all the other holes Seattle needs to fill, this is a scenario that we simply have to leave behind.