The Detroit Tigers went all in signing 1B Prince Fielder to the largest contract in the team's history, and the fourth largest deal in the history of the game. Fielder is now a Detroit Tiger for the next nine years at a total cost of 214 dollars. That works out to 23.77 million dollars per year. Of course we do not know exactly how this contract is structured yet; the back end of it is surely going to cause some grief in Motown.
Many including Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press think this is a great contract for at least 2012. Others are a little skeptical of that. If the reports that Fielder will play first and Miguel Cabrera will play third are true this team is still short a DH. They lost their 2012 DH when Victor Martinez was injured. Sure the lineup already looks fierce, but they are still lacking a full time DH.
With the pieces the Tigers already have it would make more sense for Brandon Inge to play third and Fielder or Cabrera to be the team's DH. Since that is not the reports we are hearing we have to assume more Tigers moves are coming. The simple fact here is by signing this deal, and moving all in to a win now mode the team might as well make more moves.
The Tigers have long been rumored to be in the market for OF Yoenis Cespedes. Even though it will take another massive commitment to get the as yet unproven outfielder. Landing him may make the most sense of all. Cespedes could come in and play LF for this club, making Delmon Young the team's best option at DH.
A move like this makes a ton of sense moving forward. Young is on a one year deal, and the Tigers will likely get Martinez back in 2013. That is one contract they could get off the books while taking a big swing at World Series title in 2012. With the addition of Cespedes the Tigers championship window could widen from the next three years to five years or so.
The simple fact here is Tigers owner Mike Illitch is 83 years old. He was won multiple Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, and now seems inclined to do whatever he can to secure a World Series title for Detroit before his ownership comes to an end.
Since the Tigers are already all in, and the 2012 payroll is already 127 million dollars we should expect more big moves from this team as it works to secure free agents to fill its other significant roster holes.
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