MLB Free Agency: Who Will Score Bigger Contract, Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols

If you are a Major League Baseball general manager this offseason and you need a first baseman, there are two amazing options on the market. I know that they need no introduction, but Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are both going to make a ton of money this offseason.

However, who is going to get more money? There is obviously a legitimate case for both of them, but let's break down the details a little bit more and compare some of the facts.

The Case for Albert Pujols

I am going to say this for both of these men, but his case kind of speaks for itself.

Albert Pujols has been in the major leagues since 2001. He has never hit under .312, 32 home runs or 103 RBI in any season. This season isn't finished yet, but currently he is batting .300 with 37 home runs and 98 RBI. If you like consistency, there is no one better than Pujols.

The downside to offering him a giant long-term contract is that he will be 32 years old at the start of the next season. Historically, players do normally decline as they advance through their 30s. However, some players are still able to continue performing at a ridiculously high level.

I think that given his history of consistency, Pujols will be one of these players. But, age is always something to consider when offering a long-term deal worth a lot of money.

The Case for Prince Fielder

Again, it does not take very much explanation to show why Prince Fielder is going to make a ton of money.

Fielder has always been able to hit the ball hard. In his second complete major league season, he hit 50 home run and he has never hit under 28 home runs in a complete season. His batting average has been a bit lower during some seasons, but he still has a career batting average of .281.

The one major advantage that he holds over Albert Pujols is that he will be 28 years old at the beginning of next season. This essentially means that his best years are theoretically ahead of him. He is batting .293 with 35 home runs and 114 RBI this season. If he is only going to theoretically improve, imagine what is possible.

I would be more than happy with his production right now, but there is that hope that he will become even better.

The Verdict

I would offer more money to sign Albert Pujols if I was a general manager. Pujols is virtually the safest bet available in baseball right now. Signing him is as close to a guarantee as you can get. However, that is only about the on the field production.

I'm also thinking that Pujols will hit his 500th home run in two seasons. This is of course significant from a business perspective. In that sense, I would pay more for Pujols because it is safe to assume that as these milestones approach, the revenue will go up to offset the extra that I had paid for him.

Over the tenure of the contract, he very well could be charging toward the home run record books, and I think that the financial rewards of this chase will allow Pujols to make more money than Fielder.