MLB Free Agency: Why the Chicago Cubs Must Sign Prince Fielder

With Albert Pujols off the market, Prince Fielder is the biggest name remaining on the free-agent market. 

There have been several teams rumored to be in pursuit of the power-hitting first baseman, but there is only a few places in the league where he will really fit. In my opinion, there is one team in the MLB that really needs to pursue Prince Fielder. 

I believe Fielder belongs in a Cubs uniform.

The Chicago Cubs are one of the most historically significant teams in the Major Leagues. However, they have struggled to maintain relevance the past couple of years. Prince Fielder is exactly the kind of player that can change the baseball culture in Chicago. 

Here are five reasons why the Cubs must sign him as soon as possible.

1. The Cubs Need a First Baseman

Simple enough reason for any team to pursue a player. 

The Cubs' starting first baseman last year, Carlos Pena, didn't accept arbitration from the team. This puts him in to the market with the rest of the free agents. 

Fielder is the best free-agent first baseman left and as a big-market team, why would the Cubs not want the best available?

This reason doesn't get anymore simple for a team, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a crucial one when making a decision on signing a player. 

2. Theo Epstein Needs To Make a Splash

The Chicago Cubs were able to snag Theo Epstein away from the Boston Red Sox after their historical collapse last season.

Epstein earns much of the credit for building the teams that won the 2004 and 2007 World Series and essentially "breaking the curse" in Boston. His experience with a big-market team in Boston made him the perfect candidate for a Cubs team trying to make a big turnaround.

What comes with that reputation is big expectations both from the Chicago Cubs fanbase and the Cubs' organization. 

Epstein is going to be given the buffer of a few years to implement the kind of changes he wants. It isn't expected that he will be able to swoop in and in one year solve all of the problems that plague this baseball club. 

However, as a high-profile name, it is going to be necessary for him to make a move of some significance.

Signing Prince Fielder would be the perfect fit. 

3. They Need His Power

The Chicago Cubs are desperately in need of a power bat for the middle of their lineup. 

With the loss of Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez, the middle of the Cub's batting order is looking weak. Fielder would provide a power bat that they could build around for years to come.

Fielder has averaged 37 home runs and 106 RBIs a season over the course of six full seasons of baseball. He is one of the few true power hitters left in the league and he is a perfect fit for the Cubs lineup. 

Prince Fielder certainly won't solve all of the Cubs' offensive issues, but he is a great place to start. If you can create a great core for your lineup, the rest of the building process will come much easier. 

4. Dale Sveum Needs Some Help

Dale Sveum takes over one of the biggest teams in the MLB with one of the toughest fanbases in the country. 

Sveum was one of the more highly touted managers available for higher this offseason. There was talk about him landing in several locations including Boston. However, the Cubs grabbed him first.

Sveum had been coaching in Milwaukee mostly as a bench coach and hitting coach. He even had a short stint as the interim head coach in 2008 when Ned Yost was fired. 

Similar to Epstein, Sveum will not catch many breaks with the Chicago fans or media. They are one of the toughest towns in the county when it comes to sports and they will not hesitate to jump on him if they don't see winning baseball.

Sveum and Fielder arrived in Milwaukee around the same time. I'm sure they are familiar with one another and have to have established some sort of relationship at this point.

Who better to join the Cubs with Sveum than Fielder?

Watching Prince Fielder blast home runs out of Wrigley Field should take a large chunk of the heat off of Dale Sveum.

5. The Division Is Up for Grabs

The time is perfect for the Cubs to make a big push in rebuilding their team.

The rest of contenders in the NL Central have taken some big hits this offseason.

The St. Louis Cardinals of course lost Albert Pujols. The Milwaukee Brewers are obviously likely to lose Prince Fielder. The Cincinnati Reds are talented, but still incredibly inconsistent.

It appears to be just the right time for the Cubs to jump back in the race and take control of the division. With two fifth-place finishes the past two years, the Cubs should have an easier time when it comes to divisional play this year.

Fielder is a huge loss for the Brewers, but they could also be losing Ryan Braun for a large portion of the season due to his positive test that violated the league's performance enhancing drug policy. Braun is going to attempt to appeal the suspension due to the possibility that the positive test was caused by a medication he takes.

Regardless, both the Brewers and Cardinals lost the core of their lineups this offseason. There is no doubt that there will be a drop off.

However, what was the Brewers loss could be a huge gain for the Cubs. Fielder could help push Chicago back to the top of the division sooner than expected. 

In order for all of these dreams to come true, the Cubs will first have to lock up the big lefty.