Today marks the day that it’s been 3 years since the Prince Fielder signing by Dave Dombrowski and the Detroit Tigers. After Max Scherzer recently left the Tigers for the Washington Nationals it seems to be the right time to look back on such a huge contract.
Tigers fans view the Prince Fielder signing as historic of sorts. It came out of no where and nearly nobody expected such a contract to come from the Tigers. The amount of money tied into it was jaw-dropping.
More from Detroit Tigers
- Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
- Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
- 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings
- Javier Baez Listed Among Worst Contracts in MLB by The Athletic
- Tigers’ Interest in Kenta Maeda Could be a Disaster for 2024 and Beyond
Though he’s been traded away now to the Texas Rangers the contract given to him was the result of the changing landscape of the Tigers.
They had just lost their DH Victor Martinez to injury as he tore his ACL during off-season training. Martinez’s success in 2011 was one of the main reasons why the Tigers won the AL Central division crown for the first time in franchise history.
Fans and pundits were immediately skeptical of the Tigers’ 2012 World Series chances as the lineup looked significantly worse. Names like Hideki Matsui were even tossed around as a possible replacement to the DH position.
More from Detroit Jock City
- Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
- Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
- Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
- This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
- 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings
Nearly everyone expected a small signing or two to fill the vacancy left by Martinez. The Tigers at the time were trying to save money instead of spend as the payroll was becoming increasingly hefty.
The Fielder signing blew up all the speculation though. It meant tons of things to the front office and Illitch’s mindset as a whole.
For one it meant the Tigers had money. And lots of it. Before the contract there were little to no rumors between Fielders and the Tigers. Much less contract talks.
Not only did it mean they had the money to contend but they were also willing to spend it. Dombrowski gave the impression that the Tigers were trying to save as they were near their personal cap in salary.
Motor City Bengals
In its essence the Fielder signing is the first time the Tigers and Owner Mike Illitch seemed to be “all-in”. They had just captured their first division crown in years and were willing to spend more to keep the run going.
With Illitch’s age and health declining it was clearly evident how much he wanted to win a World Series. Since he already won a Stanley Cup with his Detroit Red Wings, winning the Fall Classic was his next step as sports owner.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the press conference introducing Fielder was his supposed involvement. He mentioned how invested he was in winning a World Series title.
Based on his remarks and the enormous contract it gave the perception that the Tigers were either World Series or bust. It seemed that with a division crown and the MVP/Cy Young Justin Verlander expectations were sky-high among analysts and fans alike.
Though it was an exciting day in Tigers history it didn’t have its faults. Many were skeptical of how long the contract was for a player who would be a DH near the end of his career.
The actual contract wasn’t the sticking point of the whole ordeal though. The Tigers’ boldness and win-now mode was plentiful during their 2012 World Series run.
Prince Fielder is no longer a Tiger as he was shipped in a big trade last winter to the Rangers that brought over Ian Kinsler. He did struggle at times during his tenure but it was clear that he did strengthen the Tigers lineup at a point of need.
Now, your thoughts. How do you remember the Fielder signing? Good? Bad? Did you even like the guy? Whatever the case, the Tigers win-now mentality was at its strongest when they went and signed Fielder off the Free Agent market.