For all the action, (or lack thereof) in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes, one team that has not shown interest (at least publicly) are the San Francisco Giants. Why San Fran hasn’t been linked to the husky slugger is a little bit confusing to me. With Fielder, the Giants would improve a punchless lineup that has prevented them from becoming an elite team and ensure that their talented pitching staff isn’t wasted on a team fighting just to get into the playoffs.
The Giants’ offensive issues were on full display this year as they surrendered their NL West division crown to the Diamondbacks. Admittedly, the team was without Buster Posey for most of the year, but even a current Giants’ lineup that includes Posey is still average at best. While Posey is an elite player, some of his value is positional. Posey will be a good hitter, but he will not be putting up Mike Piazza-like numbers in the middle of a line-up anytime soon. Like Posey, Brandon Belt is another potential future star and projects to be a talented hitter, but given his age and inexperience, counting on him to be the anchor in the middle of the lineup may be a bit premature. And that also assumes that one of Brian Sabean or Bruce Bochy actually decides to give the poor guy the playing time he deserves. In either case, the Giants are still in need of a power bat to lengthen the middle of their lineup.
Fielder is fairly close to being a complete offensive player. He is very consistent, since his rookie year, he hasn’t hit any less than 28 HR and has averaged 38. His gets on base (.390 career OBP) and hits for power (.540 career slugging percentage). If 2011 is any indication, his performance against left handed pitching (.822 OPS) is also turning into a non-issue as well. A middle of the order that includes Fielder, Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt (Belt would have to move to the outfield to accommodate Fielder) sounds a lot better than the Giants’ teams of 2010 and 2011 that were forced to bat Aubrey Huff and Bengie Molina cleanup (true story).
Fielder doesn’t come without his problems. He is not a good defensive player, but he is remember, a first baseman and if there is anywhere on the diamond you can afford to field a below average defender, it’s first base. And let’s be honest, the Giants don’t really balk at the idea of starting below average defensive players these days (Aubrey Huff, Orlando Cabrera). Scott Boras has also made it know that Fielder will come with hefty price tag. The rumour was that Fielder is aiming to sign a contract similar to Mark Tiexeria and Adrian Gonzalez, but with the Cubs acquiring Anthony Rizzo, big market suitors for Prince appear to be waning. Whatever Fielder’s price will be, San Francisco is a big market team ($116 million dollar payroll last year) and have only $7 million in payroll commitments beyond 2013. Yes, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are due for big raises in the near future, but the Giants also have Posey and Belt under club control until 2017, and they should be able to allocate enough of their 120 million payroll to Fielder.
The Giants already have one of the rarest things in baseball: elite starting pitching. Aside from the Phillies (and maybe the Angels depending on what you think of their top four), San Francisco has the best starting rotation in the game. Adding Fielder to a lineup that already includes young stars like Posey, Belt and Pablo Sandoval would help prevent the anaemic Giants’ offence from struggling the way it did in 2012. With the Dodger’s ownership in limbo,and questions surrounding the Diamondbacks and Rockies, there is no clear powerhouse in the National League West. The division is ripe for the taking. Signing Fielder to a long term contract is definitely a risky proposition, but given his record of past performance, the Giants payroll flexibility relative to smaller market teams and their current roster composition, it may be a risk worth taking for a team he could transform from playoff contender to World Series favourite.
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