"At this point, it’s important that we let Scott and Prince test the market."
(Brewers GM Doug Melvin, via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online, 11/13/2011)
So now that that little international incident is over and done with, guess it's safe to turn our attention back to the Hot Stove and guessing Mike Rizzo's next big offseason splash? Any takers on Mike Rizzo making a really, really BIG splash, in the form of (~300? lb.?) Prince Fielder?
Fittingly, Rizzo will be in Milwaukee this week for MLB's GM meetings -- where he'll no doubt continue laying the groundwork for his next move(s). And here's a look at what the Nats 2012 Opening Day lineup *could* look like on April 5 -- with two major additions (screen cap via MLB Network, Nov. 4):
I mean: wow. What's not to love about that lineup (besides the guy leading off)? But it probably doesn't matter anyway. ESPN's Jayson Stark threw a bucket of cold water on the Prince-to-Nationals talk on Friday:
Despite all the predictions we've heard that Fielder could eventually wind up in Washington, teams that have spoken with the Nationals report they seem much more focused on finding A) a veteran starting pitcher and B) a center fielder who could lead off. Their center-field expedition could take them in all kinds of directions. But on the pitching front, one exec who spoke with them says he believes that in a perfect world, they'd prefer Mark Buehrle over either C.J. Wilson or Roy Oswalt, the two starters they've been most linked to on the rumor mill. They're not expected to make a big push on Yu Darvish.
(Jayson Stark, via ESPN.com, 11/11/2011)
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What's not to like? How about being ten games out by May 1, because they're getting bupkis from the 1, 2, and 6 holes, and anything hit to right, left, OR down the first base line is a double?
OK, that was too harsh. But a word about Fielder: No.
Posted by: Sec3MySofa | November 14, 2011 at 09:17 AM
Fielder's name is rather ironic given his UZR, no?
Posted by: WFY | November 14, 2011 at 09:42 AM
Well, Mr. Rizzo pitching and CF were problems you promised to fix going into 2011 and now they are still problems in 2012!!
BTW would love that lineup next year, there would be nobody to pitch around!
Posted by: HARPER_ROY_2012 | November 14, 2011 at 10:26 AM
To be fair, he never *promised* to fix them. He said they were his first priority, and they should have been; center still is. There's no promising in baseball.
Posted by: Sec3MySofa | November 15, 2011 at 08:53 AM