Could The Dodgers Make A Run At Prince Fielder?

Published: 22^nd Jan 12 1:10 pm

Randy Holt
NHL Network Manager

RANT It!

Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Raise your hand if you thought that at the end of January, Prince Fielder would still be out on the free agent market.

One of the two biggest prizes this winter, along with Albert Pujols, Fielder has yet to sign with a club, weeks after Pujols already did so with the LA Angels of Anaheim.

Prince doesn’t even appear to have had a serious discussion with any team yet, and several teams have already balked at his asking price and dropped out of the running. Fielder is believed to be asking for a contract very similar to the one Pujols received, to the tune of 10 years.

It’s the years, not so much the money, that have caused teams like the Cubs and Blue Jays to drop out. The main three teams that are left, at least publicly, are the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals, as well as possibly the Baltimore Orioles, the latter of which would need him to come down significantly on his asking price.

Recently, though, another team has entered the Fielder speculation: the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Obviously, the Dodgers’ current ownership situation has prevented them from spending big on any free agent, and has led them to load up on journeyman types like Adam Kennedy and Chris Capuano, as well as second baseman Mark Ellis.

That doesn’t mean the Dodgers could be entirely out on Prince Fielder, though. Joel Sherman tweeted that there are several executives throughout the league that believe the Dodgers will be in the mix to sign Fielder, when talks finally start to get serious about the hefty first baseman.

There is also plenty of speculation that signing Prince could drive up the value of the Dodgers for a potential new owner, and that signing him would make the team even more attractive to prospective buyers.

The Nationals are still considered the favorite, by many, but it’s still a very intriguing situation to watch. There’s logic in the argument that Fielder could allow Frank McCourt to drive up the value of his franchise, which is expected to be sold within the next couple weeks.

Fielder has to be signed within the next month. Not literally, but he wants to be signed before camps open up at the end of February. As talks start to heat up, it’s clear that the Dodgers are a team you’ll want to keep an eye on.