Atomic RoadRunners

Prince Fielder went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts as the Brewers lost to the Rangers on Saturday. Fielder flied out with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth to end the 4-3 game. Incredibly, Fielder hasn’t driven in anyone except himself since May 19. His OPS has increased during that span, but his hits have mostly been ill-timed. His last two-RBI game came on May 5, and he has just one three-RBI game all season, that coming in the 20-0 rout of the Pirates on April 22. (Rotoworld)

1B Prince Fielder was the only regular in the Milwaukee lineup to not register a base hit Sunday, as the Brewers beat the Nationals, 11-7. He went 0 for 3 with a walk, lowering his batting average to .244. The struggles of baseball’s most famous vegan continue. He is still looking for his first home run and has clubbed only three doubles so far. To make matters worse, he is not even drawing many walks, though he has been hit by a pitch five times already. Fielder has been through slow starts before, so as frustrating as it may be, he should be kept active in all leagues. (CBS Sports)

Prince Fielder went 2-for-5 in a loss to the Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. He’s only driven in two runs over the Brewers’ first eight games, but manager Ken Macha has quickly realized that Carlos Gomez isn’t much of a No. 2 hitter, so look for the Brewers to try a few options — including Corey Hart, Jim Edmonds, and possibly even Alcides Escobar — in that spot this season. Ultimately, it’s only a matter of time before Fielder begins to put up big power numbers again, and his lack of a long ball shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that he usually doesn’t hit for as much power in April than he does throughout the rest of the season anyway. Fielder has a history of getting off to slow starts in April, and this year is no exception through the Brewers’ first eight games. Fielder is batting .280 with a commendable .400 OBP but has yet to hit a homer and has driven in only two runs. “I still think he’s putting a little too much effort into his swing,” manager Ken Macha said. (Rotowire, CBS Sports)

A source familiar with the talks tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that the $180 million contracts handed out to Mark Teixeira and Joe Mauer are considered “mere starting points” for a contract extension with Prince Fielder. If that’s the case, they might as well kiss him goodbye, especially with Scott Boras as his representative. That’s saying nothing of another source, who told Heyman that Fielder is looking for about $200 million over eight years. In other words, the biggest contract ever aside from Alex Rodriguez. Fielder, who turns 26 in May, will be a free agent after the 2011 season. (Rotoworld)

Brewers 1B Prince Fielder, who went 2 for 5 in the season opener, was even better in the second game of the season Tuesday against the Rockies. He went 2 for 2 with two walks, a double, an RBI and three runs scored, raising his batting average to .571. Fielder has yet to homer this season, but he has shown why he’s more than just a one-trick pony. He draws walks and has the potential to hit .300 to go along with his 40-plus homers. Clearly, he’s an elite Fantasy option and a must-start in all leagues. (CBS Sports)

Milwaukee 1B Prince Fielder went 2 for 5 in the season opener against the Rockies on Monday. Fielder also struck out once while leaving four runners on base. Fielder was the tying run at the plate in the ninth when he lined out. “I was trying to hit it hard, and I did that,” Fielder said. “Unfortunately he (Carlos Gomez) caught it.” Fielder is looking to build on a season that saw him hit 46 home runs and drive in 141 runs. As long as he is healthy, Fielder is an elite Fantasy option that should be starting in all formats. (CBS Sports)

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Monday that contract extension talks with first baseman Prince Fielder are “ongoing.” The talks will apparently continue into the regular season. Fielder’s agent, Scott Boras, met a few times with Brewers management this spring, but it doesn’t sound like anything is being rushed. After all, the big man is currently locked up through 2011. He’s also fresh off a 46 HR and 141 RBI season. (Rotoworld)

Prince Fielder hit a grand slam and walked in his two plate appearances Wednesday as the Brewers beat a Cubs split-squad 12-7. The homer came off prospect Jay Jackson. Fielder has just two homers this spring, but they’ve come in his last four games and he has five doubles in his 55 at-bats. (Rotoworld)

Prince Fielder told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that the Brewers met with his agent Scott Boras on Wednesday. Bingo. Fielder says the two sides talked about an extension, however no offer was made. Fielder, who turns 26 in May, remains under team control through the 2011 season. He’s on tap to make $10.5 million this season. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that general manager Doug Melvin and assistant Gord Ash were out of town on Wednesday for “a meeting.” “I can’t say anything,” said Melvin, regarding the nature of the meeting. “That will have to be a mystery.” Naturally, everyone will assume that this is regarding a possible contract extension for Prince Fielder, but Melvin wouldn’t take the bait when asked by Haudricourt. “All I would say is there haven’t been any negotiations,” said the Brewers GM. (Rotoworld)

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said that he won’t set any “artificial deadlines” for talks on a contract extension for first baseman Prince Fielder. “Prince has said he wants to be here, we have said we would love to have him here and we know our fans would love to have him here,” Attanasio said Saturday. “There is no timetable, no pressure on either side. I know you guys have seen Prince and he’s pretty relaxed. I think I’m pretty relaxed.” The Brewers have already engaged Fielder’s agent Scott Boras in some casual conversations about a contract extension. Fielder, who doesn’t turn 26 until May, figures to land a mega-deal if he hits free agency, however he remains under team control through the 2011 season. (Rotoworld)

MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams recently recapped the latest rumors on a Prince Fielder extension:

It’s good to be Prince Fielder. At 25 years old, he’s one of the most feared bats in the National League, entering the second year of a two-year, $18MM contract, and according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Anthony Witrado, he’s worry-free when it comes to his next contract.

Fielder addressed several reporters today at Brewers On Deck, a day-long fan festival held in Milwaukee. While it’s no secret that his agent, Scott Boras, aims for every dollar possible for his clients, Fielder says he’s not yet concerned with the situation, and that ultimately, it’s not Boras’ decision:

“In the end, it’s my decision. But as my agent, he’s going to make sure that I have the most information possible about what’s going to benefit me and my family. That’s what it’s about first. My family has to be happy, and then I go from there. There’s no urgency right now as far as that.”

Fielder owns Brewers single-season records in home runs (50 in 2007), walks (110 in 2009), and RBIs (141 in 2009). McCalvy writes that the historical significance of those numbers matters to Fielder. While Boras may be dreaming of the open market with dollar signs in his eyes, if you ask the big man himself, he’s happy where he is and would like to stick around:

“I came up here and I love it here. My thing is I want to stay here as long as possible. For now, I’m here for two more years anyway. All that other stuff, hopefully, will work out.”

Fielder is under team control through the 2011 season, as he’ll be eligible for arbitration one last time after the 2010 season. It’s tough to imagine that the Brewers would want to go through that process, as it could be a record-setting case. For comparison, Mark Teixeira received $12.5MM through his final year of arbitration, a 39% raise from the prior year. That type of raise would put Fielder somewhere around $14.5MM for 2011.

There have been no deadlines set on working out an extension to this point. If he were to reach the open market, Fielder would join a group potentially including Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, and Ryan Howard. Now that’s what I call a free agent class!

With protected rosters due in seven days, it’s time to review the options for the 2010 Roadrunners. As I did the past two seasons, I’ve broken the list into five groups:

• The No Doubters
• The Almost Automatics
• The Probables
• The Fringe
• Not So Much

These should be self-explanatory. First up, the No Doubters:

Prince Fielder
2 Years – $29
.299 Average, 103 Runs, 46 HR, 141 RBI, and 2 steals
Fielder was acquired mid-season in a trade with Get Off Kong!, and thus re-joined the Atomic Roadrunners for his sixth overall season, which is impressive, since he’s only 25 years old. After a power dip in 2008 due (possibly) to a vegetarian diet, the homers (and everything else) returned. Signed to a relatively modest $29 contract, he should again earn his keep in 2010.

Josh Johnson
1 Year – $5
15 Wins, 3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 191 K’s
Johnson, who just signed a four-year, $39 million contract extension, was touted early on as a Cy Young dark horse, though that would be tough in Florida. He had a lot of innings (209) coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2008, but was pretty solid, though he did have a few clunkers that damaged his ERA a bit down the stretch. A potential ace worthy of protection for $5.

Clayton Kershaw
1 Year – $9
8 Wins, 2.79 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 185 K’s
Picked up mid-season in a trade with Misogynistic Padres, the 21-year old Kershaw found himself as de-facto staff ace for the Dodgers entering the post-season. He did relatively well, without major flame-outs, but he was gassed after a long season. The toll manager Joe Torre placed on his young arm is worrysome, but Kershaw should definitely deliver $9 worth of value, especially since all reports indicate he’s still improving.

According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Brewers plan to approach Prince Fielder with a long-term extension this offseason. Fielder finished second in the majors with 46 homers in 2009 and tied Albert Pujols with 141 RBI. He finished with an impressive .299/.412/.602 batting line. The Brewers need to find solutions for the wretched starting rotation this winter, but locking up a hitter like Fielder can only be described as wise. (Rotoworld)

Update: Brewers GM Doug Melvin has said he won’t address an extension for Prince Fielder until he fills current needs. Probably Jan. at earliest. – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt’s tweet.

It took about a week, but I was finally able to update the AaRr All-Time Roster spreadsheet to include the pitchers (the hitters had been completed several months ago).  The lists themselves will be added to the archive section during the offseason, but here are some interesting tidbits:

Most Seasons in a RoadRunners uniform:

7 seasons:

• Danny Graves, Reds closer (1999-2005)
• Robb Nen, closer for Marlins and Giants (1994-2001, except for 1998)

6 seasons:

• Rondell White, Expos OF (1992-1997)
• Reggie Sanders, Reds OF (1992-1997)
• Geoff Jenkins, Brewers OF (1999-2001, 2004-2006)

5+ seasons:

• Prince Fielder, 1B Brewers, who will likely make it 6 seasons if he is protected for 2010. (2005-present)

5 seasons:

• Ken Caminiti, 3B (1992-1994 Astros) and (1996-1997 Padres)
• Khalil Greene, SS Padres (2002-2006)
• Damian Miller, C (1999, 2001, 2002 Diamondbacks, 2003 Cubs, and 2005 Brewers)
• Raul Mondesi, OF (1994-1997 Dodgers, 2003 Diamondbacks)
• Salomon Torres, P (1992-1994 starter for Giants) and (2002 and 2004, reliever for Pirates)

4+ Seasons:

• Chris Iannetta, C Rockies, who will likely make it 5 seasons if he is protected for 2010. (2006-present)

Also note that there is something about the Joneses sticking around for four seasons:

• Andruw Jones, OF (2002-2004 Braves, 2008 Dodgers)
• Bobby J. Jones, P (1992, 1999 Mets, 2001, 2002 Padres)
• Chipper Jones, 3B (2006-2009, Braves)
• Todd Jones, RP (1993-1995 Astros, 2004 Reds)

Asked if he was going to trade Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun, general manager Doug Melvin said on Wednesday, “I don’t see that happening.” No real surprise here. The Brewers should be doing everything in their power to lock up Fielder long-term, and Braun’s eight-year, $45 million deal through 2015 remains a huge bargain for Milwaukee. (Rotoworld)