The salary request for Prince Fielder and Scott Boras’ upcoming
arbitration will be announced tomorrow, along with the Brewers request.
This is going to be interesting. Last
year, Ryan Howard asked for $10m while Philly offered 7. Howard won. This year is supposed to be a down year for
salaries, though it hasn’t really played out that way across the board. The Brewers can point to Pat Burrell’s
contract, while Boras can point to Teixeira.
Jason Stark:
You
just wonder, one agent mused, "how close can a slugger get to Howard's
[salary] number of last year without the awards?"
He makes a good point. Fielder, although
he seems like a similar player, has NOT had Howard's career. Howard already has
a rookie of the year award, an MVP award, a second-place MVP finish and (once
they measure his ring size) a World Series ring. Fielder owns one third-place
rank in the 2007 MVP voting. Period.
The MVP was a big deal, though Fielder is almost four years younger than
Howard was last year (however on a one year contract that impact should be
minimal). Regardless, Teixeira never won an mvp.
Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel covers it from Milwaukee’s point of
view:
Folks throughout the baseball industry
are waiting to see how bold agent Scott Boras will be Tuesday when filing his
salary arbitration request for Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder.
Not even the Brewers are sure how
aggressive that figure will be.
“We’re as interested to see what the
number is as anybody,” said assistant general manager Gord Ash.
The bar was raised last winter when Philadelphia first
baseman Ryan Howard filed for $10 million and won his case.
Boras considers Fielder to be in the class of
Howard and has statistical evidence to support that claim.
This confrontation has been building
since last spring, when the sides couldn’t agree on a 2008 contract, prompting
the Brewers to renew Fielder’s salary at $670,000. After becoming the youngest
player ever to slug 50 home runs the previous season, an irate Fielder publicly
complained about that figure while issuing this warning:
“My time is going to come and it’s coming
quick, too.”
That time has come. Following the
playbook of most elite clients of Boras,
Fielder turned down a five-year, $60 million contract extension offer early
last season to focus on his first year of arbitration eligibility.
"The number we put in has to be
defendable in the event it goes to a hearing," said Ash. "We've been
able to settle these situations in the past and that's our preference, but
we'll go to a hearing if we have to."
"We're not on the same page with
regard to his value," said Ash. "And that goes back to last year."
That last comment is unbelievable. $670k is all they offered for one of the top players in the game last year, of course they arent on the same page. I cant think of many more players that are perfect to build around - considering they offered $100+m to Sabathia who carries far more long term risk, I think that the brewers are really missing the boat here.
Anyway, it looks like he will be dealt as soon as playoff hopes look dim for the Brewers in 2009, or after the season if they go on a run.
I am looking forward to seeing the numbers tomorrow. My guess is that the Brewers will over estimate their ability to convince the arbitraters of Fielder's lack of deffensive ability, intangibles, etc., and the value of those intangibles. But, if they litterally cant afford to lose the arbitration, they might go conservative and submit a higher bid. In the end I think the numbers will look very similar tothe Howard/Phillies numbers last year. Either way, it should be interesting.
