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The Boston Red Sox have been linked with Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder for several seasons now, but with Boston’s recent acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego, are they finished with their pursuit of Fielder?

Gonzalez is a first baseman too, and has a better glove than Fielder. With Kevin Youkilis likely to begin the 2011 season at third base, there is no room for Fielder at Fenway Park.

Fielder is a free agent after next season, and its almost certain that the Brewers will not be able to afford the rich contract he’s seeking. He has already turned down a multi year offer believed to be around $100 million, so the Brewers have been fielding offers for years but haven’t found a package of prospects they like.

Prince Fielder is a very good offensive player, and if his weight becomes a real problem he could always be a designated hitter for an American League team, so he is valuable player to many teams.

The New York Yankees do not have a need for a first baseman or third baseman, and most teams won’t pay over $100 for a designated hitter, even the Yankees.

Milwaukee needs to trade Fielder to replenish their farm system. They just gave up some solid young talent with the trade for Zach Greinke from Kansas City, who might not even be of much help in the future. Greinke had a great 2009, which was capped of with a Cy Young award, but he struggled mightily last season, and has struggled most of his career.

His troubles with anxiety problems limited his possible trade suitors to small market teams only, so Milwaukee was a good place for him because they have passionate fans but the city and media is not as demanding as major markets.

Some American League teams that should pursue Fielder are the Los Angeles Angels, the Minnesota Twins, and the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Angels could use a first baseman with power, even though Kendry Morales has shown offensive talent, he is coming off a serious injury.

The Twins have seen 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau go through a rough battle with season ending injuries the past few seasons, and acquiring Fielder would assure them first base production for an entire year.

The Rays just lost Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford to free agency, and acquiring Fielder would help keep their lineup somewhat dangerous in a very competitive American League East division. Tampa also has the prospects to make a deal with Fielder happen.

Prince Fielder is a very good player, and will gain a lot of interest in free agency next winter, but it would suit him better to find his future home before the 2011 season, not after.

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After the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Zack Greinke, it became much more unlikely that they will look to trade All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder. However, there is a chance he still could be had for the right price, since he is slated to become a free agent after this season.

Fielder could serve as a piece to bring in more players to build around for the future. If the Brewers are not in contention at the trade deadline, they could focus on acquiring players to help them in 2012 and beyond.

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In acquiring the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers GM Doug Melvin signaled to his team and fanbase that he has extremely high hopes for the 2011 season. The move not only solidified a greatly improved rotation, but assured Prince Fielder will remain in Milwaukee and not be traded.

Are the Brewers now the class of the NL Central or just one of several contenders for the division crown?

Although the Greinke trade received all the headlines and fanfare, the Shaun Marcum trade is the one that will be looked back at as the key to the offseason. Trading former top prospect Brett Lawrie for Marcum is the deal that signaled to Greinke that the Brewers were serious about winning in the upcoming season. He then took the Brewers off his no-trade list, and the rest is history.

The trio of Greinke, Yovani Gallardo and Marcum is certainly on par with the Cardnials trio of Carpenter, Wainwright and Garcia or the Reds‘ top three of Cueto, Volquez and Arroyo. Only the Pirates finished with a team ERA worse than the Brewers’ 4.65 last year. The Brewers won’t just have a better pitching staff than 2010, but they’ll have a significantly better staff than last year.

Marcum’s numbers were actually better than Greinke’s in 2010. Pitching in the ultra-competitive AL East, the 29-year-old righty went 13-8 with a 3.64 ERA and pitched in a career-high 195.1 innings coming off Tommy John surgery.

Having a deeper rotation will also have a positive effect on the bullpen. John Axford had a brilliant rookie campaign for the Brewers by racking up 24 saves and a 2.48 ERA in 50 appearances. With Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe, Manny Parra and LaTroy Hawkins, the bullpen is full of power arms that can overpower an opposing team’s lineup.

Hawkins will have to bounce back successfully from surgery, and the rest of the pen will have to try and duplicate their recent success, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do as a reliever.

Defense will be an issue for the 2011 Brewers, but that has been a question mark for several years now. Losing shortstop Alcides Escobar and replacing him with Yuniesky Betancourt is a significant downgrade, but having Greinke, Gallardo and Marcum all capable of high strikeout numbers, there should be less chances for the infield to blow. Lorenzo Cain seemed to be a very good defensive player, but Carlos Gomez is all-world as a defensive player. It’s Gomez’s bat that is the problem, not his glove.

The offense was above average in 2010 and should continue being a strong point for the team. New manager Ron Roenicke is preaching a more aggressive brand of baseball, which indicates he’ll want his team stealing more bases and improving in situational hitting like hit-and-run and sacrifice plays.

The situational hitting will be key for the team. Power wasn’t and shouldn’t be an issue for this team at all. Casey McGehee, Corey Hart, Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder all hit at least 23 home runs last season and barring injury, they should be able to replicate that production in 2011 as well. Fielder had a down year in 2010, seeing his RBI total drop from 141 to 83, but he’s entering his final year before free agency so one can safely assume his numbers will improve dramatically.

The Brewers finished a distant third behind the Reds and Cardinals in 2010. The Reds have made no significant upgrades to their roster, and with respect to Lance Berkman, he’s not nearly the same player now as he was five years ago, so the Cardinals haven’t improved greatly either. Adding Ryan Theriot was a nice move, but it doesn’t compare with adding a player the level of Marcum or Greinke.

Standing pat is usually not a recipe to improve in baseball. Like the Brewers, the Reds still have youth on their side, so they should be a year better, not a year older. The same can’t be said for the Cardinals.

Will the Brewers in their current form win the 2011 NL Central? While that will be debated over the next several months, it appears at the very least the NL Central will now be a three-team race. The Brewers’ long-term window may not be as big as it was prior to the Marcum and Greinke trades, but fans and players alike can take solace in the fact that at least management is doing everything possible to make 2011 the most special in team history.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.

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While all of the big chips in free agency have fallen this season, a team looking to make a big splash will need to turn to the trade market, and there may be no more intriguing trade chip than Prince Fielder.

Whether he is traded in the offseason or at the deadline, it seems a foregone conclusion that Fielder is on his way out of Milwaukee with the Brewers unable to re-sign him.

So here are eight deals that make sense, not only for the team acquiring Fielder, but also for the Brewers, as they look to bolster their pitching and fill what will then be a hole at first base.

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MLB trade rumors have been flying around like crazy since Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies, which probably explains why most of them involve pitchers.

Zack Greinke has been on the block seemingly ever since the last out of the World Series was squeezed, and Carlos Zambrano is also rumored to be on the block.

But Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder’s name has been bandied about pretty consistently the entire offseason, and he could still move before spring training starts.

Those are just three of the 10 names we have updates on. Start the slideshow for the latest hot stove news.

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The offseason which some hoped would build upon last year’s isn’t exactly going so well. Shaun Marcum was shipped off to Milwaukee, John Buck bounced to Florida, and Scott Downs got the money he was looking for in LA. Kevin Gregg isn’t likely to come back either. 

Overbay is now a Pittsburgh Pirate. Good luck trying to get five million dollars worth of value from him… 

Aside from the Marcum trade, which is a bit of a head scratcher, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous seems to have made the right move with most of these guys. A 35 year old Downs isn’t worth as much as his two drafts picks and Buck was expendable. 

But let’s be serious, the Jays aren’t that bad. In fact they’re pretty good. Not to mention on paper, two of the three teams in the AL East have gotten worse. 

The Jays aren’t really that far away from a potential playoff berth. Alex Anthopolous seems to think this team is years away from playoff contention. He’s right, I wouldn’t expect to see the Jays playing next October, but they aren’t that far away.

One move that the Jays should look into is a potential trade for Prince Fielder. I know that might come as a ridiculous concept for some but his price isn’t going to be that high. 

Just look at the Red Sox’ trade for Adrian Gonzalez. Sure Padres GM Jed Hoyer knew the Red Sox farm system like the back of his hand, but the powerful slugger only cost one top prospect and two fairly good ones. 

The difference between Adrian and Prince? Adrian had a great year, Prince had a down one. Factor in the defensive abilities that Gonzalez brings and the two are quite different. And so are their prices. 

The Brewers can shop Prince all they want but they won’t get big money prospects. Prince is good but with one year left on his deal, they’re not getting much for the fat first basemen. 

This deal for me at least would be contingent on a contract extension since it would be a waste to have him for a one year rental. But even with that, this guy will not cost Toronto Kyle Drabek, J.P. Arencibia, or any other elite prospects. 

The first basemen free agent class of 2011 once looked like one for the ages. Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, and Fielder were all set to hit free agency. For now Howard is the only one locked up, but Gonzalez is expected to sign an extension with the Red Sox. 

With the Red Sox and the Yankees seemingly set at first base, the market for these powerful sluggers will not be what everyone thinks it will. You might expect teams like the Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, and possibly the Braves getting involved. But that’s about it. Extending Fielder isn’t going to be that hard, or that expensive. 

Toronto is a great team that plays in a tough position. Toronto is also not a poor team. The Jays need to spend some money to get better. Fielder seems to be a great fit to plug the hole at first base left by Overpay. The Jays may not need to “overpay” him either. 

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The Yankees didn’t get their man this winter, but who might be heading to the Bronx next offseason?

Cliff Lee is a great pitcher and makes the Phillies the clear cut favorite to win it all next season in my opinion, but the Yankees are still a very talented team, and if they can swing a few trades here and there, they could easily wind up right in the middle of the playoff picture.

But as for next offseason, the Yankees should be major players for the top free agents out there, and here are the potential big names out there.

Not to pick on the St. Louis Cardinals, but they have two players in particular that GM Brian Cashman will have his eye on.

The first one you probably know, and that would be three time MVP Albert Pujols. Providing he doesn’t agree to a contract extension with the Cardinals, who I think won’t be able to afford him, he will be a free agent and will be looking for A-Rod money at the least.

Pujols could play first base and Mark Teixeira could slide into the DH role with Jorge Posada out of the picture after next season, or Pujols could be the primary DH. Pujols has also had playing time in the outfield and with Nick Swisher’s contract set to expire, right field might be another possibility.

The other potential free agent from St. Louis is pitcher Adam Wainwright, who has quietly emerged into one of the best starters in the NL. He is 39-19 with a 2.53 ERA over the last two seasons. He has also struck out 425 while walking only 122 batters in those seasons.

Wainwright would certainly be a major upgrade to the Yankees’ rotation, but he has a $10 million vesting option for 2012. I believe he would elect free agency over a return to St. Louis. The Cardinals would like to sign both Pujols and Wainwright, but I don’t see them being able to afford both of them, so that means one will for sure be out there, plus Chris Carpenter is a free agent as well.

As I mentioned before, Nick Swisher’s contract is up after the 2011 season, and if he has a bad year and the Yankees don’t bring him back, then Jose Bautista is a viable option.

He slugged 54 home runs in 2010, by far the best in the league, and also drove in 124 runs. I certainly don’t expect him to continue at that pace, but if he has a good season and hits 35-45 homers with 100 or so RBIs, I think he would be a great fit in right field for the Yankees.

Like Pujols, another prominent NL first baseman that is a free agent next offseason is Prince Fielder, who is almost certainly out of the Brewers’ price range to retain him and he could be on the move this year at the trade deadline.

Fielder would be an exclusive DH for the Yanks and almost every other AL team, so that might be a little bit of a concern, especially if you’re going to invest 20+ million dollars in him. But with him being a left handed bat, one can only imagine the amount of home runs he would hit well past that short right field wall at Yankee Stadium.

Roy Oswalt has a mutual option with the Phillies after next season, but he is certainly a pitcher that the Yankees might want to look at if he is available. He pitched extremely well in Philadelphia for the final two months of 2010 and if he has a good year in 2011, then I would think that Cashman would consider him, even at age 34.

Remember that these are all potential free agents, and could get contract extensions with their current teams or sign an extension with a team they might be traded to in the near future.

But those would be the stars of next year’s free agent market and the Yankees look like they will have plenty of money to spend, and I think you all know what that means.

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The Milwaukee Brewers probably don’t have enough room on their payroll to re-sign Prince Fielder after his contract expires after this season.

That’s led to rumors about where the slugging first baseman could end up if the Brewers decide to trade him.

Whichever team tries to land him in a trade will be asked to give up a lot, but with Fielder’s recent production, he’s worth the price.

Here are the five teams most likely to have Fielder when the 2011 season begins.

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Last years regular season began with high hopes and great expectations for the Seattle Mariners.  They had had a very busy offseason as they acquired such players as Cliff Lee, Milton Bradley, and Casey Kotchman.

Unfortunately, the team fell way short of expectations and ended up with the worst record in the American League.  They were dead last in hitting in the major leagues and hit the fewest home runs in all of baseball as well.

The season was chaotic and treacherous as their new players were busts (except for Lee) and the clubhouse morale was bad.  Don Wakamatsu got the guillotine and the Mariners finished at a god awful 61-101 mark.

Once again, the AL West looks weak and if Seattle makes the right moves they can maybe compete once again.  The right moves you may ask?  Are the ones I am about to suggest.

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The annual winter meetings have come and gone, but what happened in those few days will have long-lasting implications.

Guys such as Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes, who are free agents following the upcoming season, have to be licking their chops at some of the dollars handed out, as that will bode well for them.

Long-term, what does each man have to look forward to, and who would provide the best bang for their buck?

Let’s rewind for a second: Jose Reyes, who is 27 years old, is a talented ballplayer, but he’s one of the faces of what has turned out to be a very disappointing New York Mets team the past few years.

Injuries short-circuited his 2009 season, and he played 133 games this past year but still had oblique issues to go on top of a .321 on-base percentage, his worst figure since 2005.

For a player who relies on speed, his various injuries certainly are troubling, but he’s still young enough to recover and have a nice career, but for whom?

A conversation between the Mets and Giants occurred last week, as it pertained to the services of Reyes, but what the Giants had to offer didn’t meet the requirements of the Mets.

In shifting the focus over to the big bopper in Milwaukee, Prince Fielder, 26, is the prototypical slugging first baseman, so much so that 32 home runs was considered to be a bit of a down year for him.

As he enters the final year of his contract, he sees what Adrian Gonzales and Carlos Pena got, and with Scott Boras representing him, he has to be feeling pretty good.

The Brewers, a mid-market team, have a tough decision to make.  Do they bank on trying to re-sign him after the season, or do they trade him and get some value out of it, as opposed to possibly losing him for next to nothing?

With Boras as his agent, it doesn’t look good for the Brewers, and trading him might be the direction to go.

He can fetch a lot more than Reyes, at this point, who needs to have a bounce back season to regain his past hoopla.

Power-hitting first baseman are a big part of what championship ball clubs are built of, so anyone looking for a deal may be advised to look towards towards Fielder.

At this point, he’s the better trading chip, with the better long-term prospects.  He will be the most costly of the two, yes, but his track record suggests that unlike Reyes, he can back up those dollar signs with consistent year-to-year production.

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