Kuzul

Last season, it was Adrian Gonzalez and Cliff Lee.  This year, trade deadline talks will most likely center around the biggest hitter in the game, Prince Fielder.

We all know that being talked about at the deadline is not a guarantee that you will be shipped out; just look at Adrian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was discussed the entire month before the deadline in a potential deal with the Red Sox.  The Padres were still in contention, though, and they felt that the loss of Gonzalez would cripple their playoff chances.

Here we are now, several months later, and Gonzalez is finally in a Red Sox uniform.  It took some time, and a few top prospects, but the persistence of the Red Sox paid off.

Prince Fielder will be in a similar situation this season.

Fielder’s current contract is set to expire after the 2011 season, and he’s represented by Scott Boras.  We can be sure that if a trade is made involving Fielder, then his new team will have to offer up a hefty extension—possibly in the Mark Teixeira range.

One of the most consistent boppers in the league since his first full season in 2005, Prince Fielder would likely command a high price tag for any team attempting to acquire him.  Some teams that will likely be interested include the Orioles, Rangers, Angels, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and possibly the Mets.

Each of the aforementioned teams either has a glaring hole at first base or has a player that is on his way out.  Each team has the potential to sign him to a big contract after the season, but not all of them may be able to build a large enough package to satisfy the Brewers.

Fielder has hit 192 home runs since 2005, including a 50-home-run season in 2007.  He has 536 RBI’s in his career, with his career high of 141 coming in 2009.  He has a respectable triple slash line of .279/.385/.535 in his career and has even stolen 15 bases.  Obviously not blinding speed, but the 285-pounder (at least that’s what he’s listed as) can at least move a little bit.

The Brewers are aware of his consistent production, and they will look  to capitalize on any deal involving Fielder.  They will likely ask for a package similar to the one the Padres received for Gonzalez, and maybe even a little more, as Fielder is still a younger talent.

At the deadline this year, I see the Cubs and Giants making the biggest push for him.  The Cubs currently have Carlos Pena on a one-year contract and if Fielder is acquired, the Cubs would easily be able to dump him elsewhere.  The Brewers will try and pry shortstop Starlin Castro away, but the Cubs won’t balk at that offer.  An offer with outfielder Brett Jackson and third basemen Josh Vitters is more plausible. 

The Giants have Aubrey Huff at first, but Huff is versatile enough to slot into either corner outfield slot or even third base if Nate Schiertholtz, Pat Burrell or Pablo Sandoval fail to produce.  Any deal with the defending champs will likely include lefty Madison Bumgarner, and the Giants may prefer to hold on to their young star and pursue Fielder during free agency.

With all that being said, Fielder may not even be on the move.  The Brewers look to be a contender this season, and they may choose to hold on to Fielder, as he is going to be an integral part of the team.  Midseason, Fielder could even decide to negotiate a long-term deal with Milwaukee, who will still be players for his services after the 2011 season.

Although the outcome is unpredictable, we can be certain that Prince Fielder will be stealing headlines come this year’s trade deadline.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the NFL season draws to a close and national interest in the NBA continues to plummet on an annual basis, most avid sports fans will begin to direct their attention to baseball and the 2011 MLB season.

Yes! It’s finally that time of year, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training earlier this week. 

Baseball spring training means new preseason favorites and predictions for the upcoming 2011 MLB Season.

Many baseball pundits, experts and so-called experts will be publishing their predictions for the 2011 season if they haven’t already.

Most of their predictions for 2011 will be the result of intense scrutiny and research into the statistics and results of the 2010 season, as well as direct interviews with professional baseball players and personnel.

It is important to note that their predictions for the 2011 MLB Season will have little to no bias.

Well, the predictions you are about to read are almost solely based on bias and little to no research. I most certainly haven’t spoken to or interviewed anyone working in the MLB.

Unlike Ken Rosenthal or Tom Verducci, my Rolodex contains only the phone number for Pizza Hut and my friend Steve.

I definitely have watched my fair share of the sport over recent years and would like to think of myself as a knowledgeable fan.

Which is to say, in terms of understanding baseball, I probably rank somewhere between Peter Gammons and the guy who jumps out of his seat every time a ball is popped up into the air thinking it is a home run.

Please, don”t be that guy.

With that being said, you are probably at the edge of your seat waiting to hear my predictions for the National League in the 2011 MLB season.

Begin Slideshow

Prince Fielder is to 2011 as Adrian Gonzalez was to 2010. Whether or not he gets traded before the deadline is completely dependent on the Milwaukee Brewer’s place in the NL Central standings by July.

Teams like the Milwaukee Brewers usually need to pick and choose who to spend their money on. Like the Padres, did they feel like they would sink into the abyss if they don’t sign Adrian Gonzalez to a large contract?

Or did they feel like it was better for the franchise to trade him for some prospects like they did with Jake Peavy in 2009 and try to replace at least 65 percent of Adrian’s production with cheap signings and shift to a more pitching and defense team with a small-ball oriented lineup?

Prince Fielder had a bit of a down year Pujols-style last year with 32 home runs, 83 RBI and a .261 batting average. Unlike the Padres’ Adrian Gonzalez situation, the Brewers have other power outlets in their lineup other than Prince.

He is just one of five Milwaukee hitters with more than 20 homers and 80 RBI. They locked up one of the five by signing second baseman Ricky Weeks to a five-year $50 million contract just recently. They already have Ryan Braun locked up, and they will have third baseman Casey McGehee for a while.

And to top all that off, they now have a newly assembled young and proven starting rotation to take care of.

Truth of the matter is, the Milwaukee Brewers don’t really need Prince Fielder. They want to have him, they would like to have him, but they don’t need him.

Done right, a Prince Fielder trade in July might actually help the team during it’s playoff push.

Begin Slideshow

Prince is to 2011 as Adrian Gonzalez is to 2010. Whether or not he gets traded before the deadline is completely dependent on the Milwaukee Brewers’ place in the NL Central standings by July.

Teams like the Milwaukee Brewers usually need to pick and choose who to spend their money on.

Take the Padres for example: did they feel like they would sink into the abyss if they don’t sign Adrian Gonzalez to a large contract, or they feel like it was better for the franchise to trade him for some prospects like they did with Jake Peavy in 2009? Could they try to replace at least 65 percent of Gonzalez’s production with cheap signings and shift to a more pitching and defense team with a small-ball-oriented lineup?

Prince Fielder had a bit of a down year Pujols-style last year with 32 home runs, 83 RBI and a .261 batting average. Unlike the Padres’ Gonzalez situation, the Brewers have power outlets in their lineup other than Prince.

Fielder is just one of five Milwaukee hitters with more than 20 homers and 80 RBI. They locked up one of the five by signing second baseman Ricky Weeks to a five-year, $50M contract just recently. They already have Ryan Braun locked up, and they will have third baseman Casey McGehee for a while.

And to top all that off, they now have a newly assembled, young and proven starting rotation to take care of.

Truth of the matter is, the Milwaukee Brewers don’t really need Prince Fielder. They want to have him, they would like to have him—but they don’t need him.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Ever feel like you’re being lied to? In my first couple weeks of mock drafts, I’ve noticed some trends developing and some widely accepted beliefs that don’t entirely hold true. Some positions aren’t as weak as they appear, some are weaker. And some guys just seem to end up on my team regardless of which draft position I start out with. These are the things that might be useful notes to make as you prepare your draft-day cheat sheet.

Begin Slideshow

A few weeks ago, Brian Cashman made headlines.  He made a comment, stating that when Derek Jeter’s time at shortstop is over, he would be moving to center field.  It’s almost unthinkable that the best shortstop the Yankees have ever seen might be vacating the position soon. 

Even so, it’s not uncommon to see a move like this.  For example, the legendary Mickey Mantle moved from center field to first base after years of abuse on his legs caught up to him. 

Cal Ripken Jr., one of the most complete shortstops the game had ever seen, permanently moved to third base in 1997.  However, perhaps the most famous move for a player was Babe Ruth moving from pitcher to power-hitting outfielder. 

Jeter will not be mentioned among the Yankee greats who patrolled center field; he will be remembered for what he has done at short.  It’s interesting, though, to speculate where some of the younger players in the MLB might end up as their careers progress. 

Here now are 20 stars that might be on the move to different positions before their careers are over.  

Note: This list is not ranked in terms of how big of a star each player is. 

Begin Slideshow

As Brewers fans slowly thaw this spring from a cold and unforgiving winter, they will be pleasantly surprised to see a Milwaukee team that addressed a much needed weak spot this offseason: Starting pitching. 

With the additions of Zack Greinke and Sean Marcum to a rotation already consisting Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf, the Brewers may now have enough pitching to compete with division rivals St. Louis and Cincinnati. 

The question facing the Brewers is can the revamped starting rotation help the team win the division in 2011, possibly the final season with soon to be free agent Prince Fielder.

In addition, will Zack Greinke prosper in his first season with the team and his first season in the National League? 

Key Acquisitions: 

SP Zack Greinke (Free Agent)

SP Sean Marcum (Trade w/ Blue Jays)

RP Takashi Saito (Free Agent)

SS Yuniesky Betancourt (Free Agent)

Key Losses:  

RP Trevor Hoffman (Retirement)

SP Chris Capuano (Free Agent)

Who to Target 

Not surprisingly, the Brewers’ top two offensive weapons are also the top two fantasy options for the team.

Ryan Braun is a top five outfielder that is a triple threat for fantasy owners, as he is a powerful hitter with a hard to find combination of speed and high average. Braun will most likely be drafted in the first two rounds of a 12 team snake draft and will be a nice bookend outfielder and solid foundation for any fantasy team. 

The second blue chip fantasy player for the Brewers is Prince Fielder, the team’s imposing first baseman. Although Fielder is coming off a down year, in which he had career lows both slugging percentage (.471) and batting average (.261), he is in a contract year and will likely put up monster numbers as he auditions for potential suitors. 

Yovani Gallardo and newly acquired Zack Greinke are the top pitchers to target, with Gallardo being the safer of the two options.

Greinke is a talented pitcher with filthy pitches; however, he struggled in his last season with Kansas City and it is unclear how well he will respond to the move to the senior circuit.

Sleeper 

It was difficult to pick a sleeper for the Brewers, as the team does not have one player that sticks out above the rest as a potential break-out candidate for 2011. 

By default, I chose Carlos Gomez, the once highly touted center fielder who has stellar speed and can flash the glove, but lacks discipline and production at the plate.  

As a career .246 hitter, Gomez has been a disappointment for those who thought he would mature into a possible 20/20 threat. 

It appears he is going to be given one last chance this season as the team’s center fielder and may finally become fantasy worthy in 2011.

This article was originally published on www.kramericasports.com, the home of free fantasy news, rankings and advice.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs have already traded for starting pitcher Matt Garza and traded away starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny this winter, and it seems very possible that that will be enough for GM Jim Hendry. There is relatively little else Chicago could do at this point, with the key free agents off the market and the team unlikely to leapfrog the Brewers and Reds into the top spot in a rational prognosticator’s picture of the 2011 NL Central division.

Of course, miracles happen every day (see Wells, Vernon), so perhaps the Cubs can find a diamond somewhere in the January rough and make themselves into a more legitimate contender either in 2011 or in the longer term. Read on for five deals the Cubs could try to swing to turn their fortunes for the better.

Begin Slideshow

As the 2011 Major League Baseball season is just over two months away, it’s appropriate to start thinking about the key pieces for every team this season.

While we saw the Giants win the World Series with a pitching-heavy formula, their championship counterparts, the Texas Rangers, road Josh Hamilton’s bat the majority of the way there.

Every team has high expectations coming into the season, and here is a list of players who will have to produce in order for their teams to meet them.

Be prepared for some surprises, as several big-name players have changed teams.

Begin Slideshow

With football season coming to a close, many sports fans now turn their attention to the sunny beacon of hope that is spring training.

Even at this early stage of the season, it is always fun to pick who will win the major awards and which teams will be playing in October, but the following goes one further, not only picking those things, but also making some more player-specific predictions for all 30 teams.

So here are my 50 bold predictions for the 2011 season, because when you predict 50 things, you’re bound to be correct on at least a few of them, right?

Begin Slideshow