For the past couple weeks, word out of Milwaukee has been that the distance between the money Prince Fielder wants and what the Brewers want to pay him was insurmountable. Right now, there's about $2 million between Fielder's demand ($8 million) and MIlwaukee's offer ($6 million). Given the size of the gap and the fact that Scott Boras is Fielder's agent, an arbitration hearing seems inevitable. Doug Melvin, though, seems optimistic that can be avoided and he told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel so this morning. He says that he's been talking to Boras and good progress is being made towards a deal. That's more or less the complete opposite of the indignation shown by Boras and Fielder when the figures were exchanged, but they've still got a while to talk before they go to a hearing.
The question, of course, is how long the Brewers want to deal with this. Boras and Fielder made a scene last year when they felt the Brewers didn't renew Fielder's contract at a fair price. Now they're upset over a contract offer to a player who's slugging percentage dropped over 100 points last year and home run total dropped by 16.
I suppose there are two sides to every argument. Fielder has incredible power numbers for his young age (114 homers and he won't be 25 until May), but he's also a pretty big guy and that doesn't really bode well for a long and productive career.
Looking at all this, I think that the two sides will probably come to a deal this year, but I don't know how much longer the Brewers will tolerate Fielder's antics. They have some holes that could be filled nicely by shipping Fielder off at the trade deadline if they don't find themselves in contention in July this year.
Of course, everyone said almost the exact same things at this time of year last year and here we are.
