MLB Free Agents 2012: 10 Reasons Albert Pujols Doesn't Compare to Prince Fielder

First basemen Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals and Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers are the top two free agents of the 2012 MLB offseason.

Both men will most likely pull in two of the biggest contracts in baseball history, and rightfully so. They have been and should be key components to whatever team they play for starting in 2012.

While Pujols is universally regarded as the better of the two All-Star first baseman, that may not be the case.

When taking a closer look, Fielder is able to take a slight edge.

Here are 10 reasons why.

Age

Albert Pujols is currently 31 years old but will be 32 by the start of the 2012 season.

Prince Fielder is 27 years old and will turn 28 on May 9.

That four-year difference can be significant, as Pujols has already shown signs of wearing down.

Price

Albert Pujols is likely looking for a deal worth over $300 million over 10 years. That would make him 42 years old at the end of his deal.

Prince Fielder will most likely command a contract in the neighborhood of an eight-year, $180 to $200 million deal.

While both contracts are huge sums of money for one single player, Pujols will be getting vastly overpaid for a player who is entering the backside of his career.

Health

Albert Pujols has been a fairly durable player throughout his career.

Last season however, he missed time with a wrist injury, and given his age, he will undoubtedly miss more time as he gets older.

Prince Fielder has been a workhorse in his six full seasons in Milwaukee, having played no fewer than 157 games in a season. 

Personality

Prince Fielder has a much bigger personality than Albert Pujols, and in the right situation, that can create a great locker room environment.

It is a known fact that Fielder is good friends with Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp. If the two were to be teammates in Los Angeles, not only would it make a very dangerous lineup, but a fun clubhouse to be a part of.

Production

In the 2011 season, Albert Pujols got intentionally walked 15 times compared to Prince Fielder's 32 times. On top of that, Fielder drew 46 more walks than the St. Louis slugger.

Despite essentially getting less pitches than Pujols, Fielder put up fairly equal numbers, including 21 more RBI.

Franchise Cornerstone

At the age of 27, Fielder is still young enough to build a team around. 

By the time all the pieces could be put in place around Albert Pujols, his production would be far below what it was at the time the contact was offered. 

Defense

While Prince Fielder is no defensive slouch, Albert Pujols is arguably the better defender having own two Gold Glove Awards.

But Fielder could very likely be headed to the American League where he can be put at a position where defense doesn't matter—designated hitter.

Pujols' Numbers Dropping

Ever since Albert Pujols hit the age of 28, his numbers have dropped in almost every offensive category.

He had his lowest number of hits (173), walks (61), RBI (99) and batting average (.299) in his entire career.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham put up one less RBI than Pujols in less games and is much cheaper.

Fielder Catching Up to Pujols

While Albert Pujols has been declining with his age, Prince Fielder has been improving.

With the exception of strikeout percentage, Fielder has caught up to or surpassed Fielder in almost every offensive category in this past season. His .299 average was equal to Pujols' batting average and his .415 OBP, .566 SLG and 15.5 BB percentage were all higher than Pujols' numbers.

Even if that is compared with Pujols' decreased numbers, Fielder is a better option because he is cheaper and younger than Pujols.

Value

Prince Fielder is more universally valuable to any team in the league than Albert Pujols.

He is a younger, cheaper option than Pujols, and he will still produce 35 home runs and 100 RBI for the next four seasons. He will work for his contract.

Pujols will be paid for what he has already done. His three MVP awards and his two World Series titles, specifically his last one, will drive up his price and make Pujols give output per million dollars made.

Fielder will provide more for his new team for a longer amount of time at a cheaper price. It's really as simple as that.