Prince Fielder Free Agent News: How Slugger Could Become New York Yankees DH

This offseason, there is a possibility of the New York Yankees facing a major crisis. CC Sabathia, the ace of their rotation and quite frankly the glue holding the team together, can and likely will opt out of the remaining four years and $92 million on his contract. The Yankees will have to either pay him whatever he might demand in an attempt to retain him, or figure out a way to replace him. 

In all likelihood, the Yankees will negotiate with Sabathia for a while, and eventually everything will work out and he will sign a new lucrative contract to remain a Yankee for the remainder of his career. However, as we learned last offseason, sometimes the most likely scenario never comes to fruition.

Last winter, the Yankees set out to sign the crown jewel of the free-agent market, left-handed ace Cliff Lee. The Yankees offered Lee a seven-year deal worth $148 million, and were considered the frontrunners for the entirety of negotiating period. That is, until the morning that it was announced that Lee had signed a five-year, $120 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Yankees had been blindsided. For the first time in recent memory, they had made it clear that they wanted a certain player, courted him, made the highest bid by a considerable margin and were rejected.  Lee had previously played for Philadelphia, had enjoyed his experience with the club and the city and decided that it wasn't about the money. 

The Yankees had just been taught a lesson: not everything goes their way 100 percent of the time, and sometimes having a "Plan B" is necessary. However, there was just one problem. "Plan B" was Andy Pettitte, and he decided that it was time to retire from baseball at the age of 38. 

The Yankees didn't have a "Plan C," so Brian Cashman was forced to piece together a roster with multiple players who could be best described as "temporary fixes." Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and the pricey reliever Rafael Soriano were brought in to help ease the pain of losing out on Lee and Pettitte. 

Surprisingly, this worked quite well, with the Yankees eventually winning the AL East. However, the lack of rotation depth eventually led to a quick postseason exit, as the Yankees were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALDS.

The point I was trying to make is that when the offseason began, no one expected the Yankees to walk away with the best relief pitcher available. Yet Soriano is now a Yankee, and Lee a Phillie. So, that brings us to this offseason. 

Once again, there is a lack of quality starting pitching available—after Sabathia, of course—and should the unthinkable happen and he sign elsewhere, the Yankees will once again have very few options to fix their rotation. This could lead them to act drastically and make a trade for a starter, giving up some of their great young talent in return.

In 2012, rookie slugger Jesus Montero is expected to become the full-time DH in the Bronx. However, that could all change if Sabathia leaves New York. Montero would then become the centerpiece of almost any deal for a starting pitcher. A deal for Tampa's James Shields, Oakland's Gio Gonzalez, Florida's Josh Johnson or, yes, Seattle's Felix Hernandez would absolutely have to include Montero, and most likely others. 

For the sake of discussion, let's say the Yankees deal Montero and two other prospects for Shields. While this would theoretically plug the hole in the rotation, it would create a new vacancy...at DH.

Since the departure of Sabathia would also free up a considerable amount of money, the Yankees would probably look to make a splash via the rich pool of free-agent sluggers that will be available this offseason. While this list includes the likes of Jose Reyes, Lance Berkman and the great Albert Pujols, the most appealing option to the Yankees would probably be Milwaukee's All-Star first baseman, Prince Fielder. 

Fielder would appeal to the Yankees for his strong bat, his willingness to DH full-time and his lack of loyalty to his current club. Fielder seems more than willing to leave Milwaukee and isn't too likely to take a hometown discount like Pujols could. So, the money that used to belong to Sabathia could wind up being transferred to one of his best friends in Fielder.

Adding Fielder to the devastating lineup that the Yankees already have would excite the fans and strike fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers. Imagine a batting order where, following Derek Jeter in the leadoff spot, the Yankees would have Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Fielder, A-Rod, Nick Swisher and Russell Martin, finishing up with the speedster Brett Gardner. 

All-Star after All-Star would wreak havoc, and high-scoring games could become commonplace in the Bronx.

What last offseason taught us was that things don't always go according to plan. Unforeseen circumstances can arise, and when things start to look bad for the Yankees, the organization with the infinite checkbook will do whatever it takes to avoid a disastrous season. 

Fielder will only become a Yankee if they start to get desperate, but the point is it could still happen. Only time will tell, and one thing is for sure: Sabathia holds all the cards, and this offseason will probably be defined by his decisions.