A Franchise on the Brink: Can the Brewers Sign Prince Fielder Long Term?

The top priority for the Milwaukee Brewers' front office this winter was to improve the worst pitching staff in the National League. By re-signing Trevor Hoffman and bringing in free agents Randy Wolf, Doug Davis, and LaTroy Hawkins, there is little doubt that the rotation and bullpen will not have similar results in 2010.

The moves have been received well by the fanbase. The Brewers have already sold 1 million tickets for the upcoming season, the second-fastest time in team history to get to that mark.

In the eyes of the fans, the most pressing need seems to be trying to lock up Prince Fielder to a long-term deal. While many feel it's a mortal lock that Fielder will bolt Milwaukee after the 2011 season, when taking a closer look, one can begin to see a way that the organization can keep the mammoth slugger for the next several years.

Fielder is entering the final year of a two-year, $18 million deal signed prior to last season. Should he put up numbers similar to the past couple of seasons, he'll be in line to make $15 million to $18 million for the 2011 season.

This won't be a problem for the Brewers to pay such a salary. The contracts of Jeff Suppan and Bill Hall come off the books after this year, giving the team more than $20 million in freed-up money.

If Fielder were the only big-name hitter in free agency that season, it would be almost impossible for the Brewers to re-sign him. The Brewers catch a break because he could enter free agency with fellow sluggers Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Adrian Gonzalez.

The biggest advantage going for Fielder is his age. Pujols and Howard will be in their 30s, while Gonzalez will turn 30 in the 2012 season. Fielder won't turn 30 until May 9 in the 2014 season.

Most believe Pujols will remain in St. Louis, but nothing is set in stone until a contract is signed. It's hard to imagine his talent falling off so much in the next two years that he won't be the top prize for every team in baseball.

All would be a great fit for the middle of any lineup. Each will face different questions as teams will try to cut the best deal for themselves.

Fielder's weight will be an issue, but he has proven that he can maintain it during the last few seasons and not gain any significant amount. Regardless, he will likely always have questions about his long-term playing ability because of the size of his waist.

Beginning in 2012, only Wolf and Ryan Braun are under contract. Fielder will still be only 27 and likely ask for a seven- or eight-year deal. There's no doubt the Brewers would be taking a risk, but it's a risk they need to make.

The team offered CC Sabathia a five-year, $100 million contract after the 2008 season. No one in baseball thought he would sign it, but management was at least able to tell the fanbase it offered a player $20 million a season.

Sabathia ended up signing for just a bit more than $20 million a season, but the Yankees offered three extra years—something the Brewers weren't willing to do.

Milwaukee needs to step up and do more than offer a contract that can be spun by the front office as a positive public relations move. They have already signed one star, Braun, to a long-term deal, and they must do the same with Fielder to be taken seriously as a legitimate franchise.

Braun may be the face of the franchise from the front office's point of view, but Fielder is the reason fans come to the ballpark and watch games. Fielder is a clubhouse leader, while several media outlets have reported that Braun is more of a "me" type of guy.

The duo already makes up one of the top hitting combos in all of baseball. If the two were locked up for several more seasons, the Brewers would have a legitimate shot at the playoffs every year.

The Brewers could also sign Fielder long term, then trade Braun. He is under contract through 2015 with a limited no-trade clause the last few seasons.

It is reasonable to keep both players for a few extra seasons. Braun will only make $6 million in 2012, $8 million in 2013, and $10 million in 2014.

Having two players make up a third of the payroll is a dangerous idea, but the Brewers will likely have several young players under team control making very low salaries. Angel Salome, Jonathan Lucroy, Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, Carlos Gomez, and Lorenzo Cain are just a few of the position players likely to see prominent roles in the next few years.

Should Fielder decide to leave Milwaukee, it would be the biggest loss to the franchise since Paul Molitor left for Toronto after the 1992 season. Even with Braun, it would be hard for the team to compete and draw the type of crowds it has for the past few seasons.

Would an eight-year, $180 million contract be enough to keep Fielder in Milwaukee? Maybe, maybe not. That's a deal very similar to what Mark Teixeira signed last winter. It would also serve as the most lucrative deal in Brewers' history by more than $130 million.

Some say no player is worth that amount of money—especially one with concerns over his weight.

Fielder has proven to be an elite power hitter and has significantly improved his play in the field. Most importantly, he is the major reason why fans come to Miller Park in droves every summer, as well as spend their money on merchandise.

Losing Fielder won't kill the franchise, but it will set it back several years in trying to build a consistent winner. The Brewers can't afford to go back to the days of drawing less than 2 million at Miller Park.

No matter the cost, Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin need to lock up Fielder for the majority of his career to remain a Brewer. He's a once-in-a-generation player, and no franchise—even small-market Milwaukee—can afford to let a player like that leave.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.

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