Prince Fielder is was named the newest Detroit Tiger yesterday, signing a 9 year deal for $214 million. Many Detroiters are praising the signing by Mike Illitch and others have doubted the move to bring Fielder to Detroit.
All I’ve heard on the radio is whether Miguel Cabrera can move to 3rd base and be effective. Calm down everyone, it’s going to be alright. Ok, he’s bigger, less mobile and older now, but seriously? I’ll take a bag of sand at 3rd base if it can hit better than .197, with 3 home runs and 23 RBI’s (Inge’s 2011 statistics). Miguel may need to drop a few pounds, but let’s not forget he has played 3rd before and he’s 28 years old, not 40.
It’s true Cabrera has had worse years fielding than Inge, with a percentage of .957 the year before he came to Detroit compared to Inge’s .964 last year. It’s also true that in 2004 and 2005 Cabrera posted a fielding average of better than .976. That’s two years in a row better than Inge’s average last year. He may not have the Notorious INGE’s range, but after knee surgery and in now well in his 30’s Brandon Inge is no longer making those web gems you remember. There are reports that Inge isn’t a happy camper and that he wants to be an everyday 3rd baseman, perhaps he will…In Toledo.
Other comments that I hear is people comparing this move to Juan Gonzalez in the trade of 1999. In the Gonzalez trade was just that, a trade. The Tigers gave upRHP Danny Patterson and C Gregg Zaun: LHP Justin Thompson, OF Gabe Kapler, INF Frank Catalanotto, C Bill Haselman, LHP Alan Webb and RHP Francisco Cordero.
For Fielder, the Tigers gave up nobody, just a lot of Illich’s money. Maybe the $5 dollar pizza’s at Little Ceasers will have to increase by a dollar, but I willing to make the sacrifice for a guy that hit .299, 38 HR’s and 120 RBI’s last year. Welcome home Prince!
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