photo by Samara Pearlstein
Reports are flying in about the Tigers signing Prince Fielder to some sort of massive, near-decade contract. My mind is imploding. Cartoons to come if this becomes official/once I’ve had a few minutes for my brain to stop screaming at me.
Roar of the Tigers 
We should have known when DD said that it absolutely wasn’t going to happen – that it just might happen. I think my brain is imploding too, though. My mind keeps bouncing between “He was hitting balls over the roof at Tiger Stadium when he was a KID” to “Where in the world is everybody going to PLAY”? DHing is a fine art and not everyone (ahem, Gary Sheffield) adjusts that well to it.
Now I’m reading reports that Prince might play at first, and Miggy at third… Which just drags up bad 2008 memories, as if a huge signing like this doesn’t already…
@heitk1le That was my EXACT reaction. The way everyone is talking, I feel like I should be crazy is excited, but my brain keeps obsessing over what on earth this does to Cabrera. I have many, many questions and concerns that need to be addressed before I can get excited about this. Also, I can’t help but feel a little . . . maybe insulted? for Cabrera. And what happens when Victor his healthy? The reports are now flying that Cabby DH’s, but can he stay in shape without playing a position?
I can say this, though. With a contract like this, if they don’t make it to the WS . . . you thought fans could be a fickle group, before. Something about this smells of desperation for a series title, and that scares me a bit.
My brain hurts.
Reportedly, the Tigers cleared this move in advance with Miguel, who was enthusiastic.
That’s all I need to know!
“What? You want Prince hitting behind me? SOLD!” :-)
“Third base is my natural position,” he told the Venezuelan media.
It’s less insulting when you consider the fact that the Tigers had to sign someone, not to replace Cabrera, but to protect him. They’re not saying, “Hey, you aren’t as good as Fielder,” they’re saying, “Hey, you’re so good that if you don’t get Fielder or his bat-wielding equivalent, nobody will ever pitch to you again.”
So wait, who DHs? Surely not Inge…
Ha ha, Paws no. For now Fielder DHs, switching off sometimes with Cabrera. When Victor comes back, he DHs, while Cabrera and Fielder sort themselves out at 1B and 3B… with Miggy probably taking over 3B.
Defense is going to be an adventure, but you can’t have everything, right?
I am conflicted. On one hand, it’s Prince freakin’ Fielder! On the other hand, that is an insane contract. Will be interesting to see how this plays out, but he certainly helps our lineup.
When do the pin-stripes get added to the uniform? The report I read says $214 million over 9 years…nearly $24 million per year.
That is surely a LOT of pizza!
I mean, I know Mr. I is loaded, but he’s not made of unlimited wealth. Where the hell is this all coming from??
And was this really the absolute best way they could have spent that much money (since apparently they could find it . . .) when we already had an all-star caliber 1st baseman?
To be fair, apparently we’re going to try to move that first baseman over to third… and we definitely didn’t have an all-star caliber third baseman…
Still… wow.
That sound you hear is all the donuts in the Detroit metro area screaming.
This is MLB Network’s Projected Lineup for 2012
CF Jackson
RF Boesch
DH Cabrera
1B Fielder
LF Young
C Avila
SS Peralta
2B Santiago
3B Inge
Personally I would have Cabbie clean-up with Young in front and Prince behind hitting 5th. Raburn playing center and lead-off and Santiago hitting 2nd cause he can bunt