Sources: Wade Miley back with Brewers on 1-year, $8.5M deal

Free agent left-hander Wade Miley is returning to the Milwaukee Brewers on a one-year, $8.5 million deal with a mutual option for 2025, sources told ESPN on Monday.

Miley, 37, can make up to $11 million with incentives. The agreement comes after he declined a $10 million mutual option with Milwaukee last month which included a $1 million buyout.

He was 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA over 120⅓ innings last season, giving up only 99 hits while producing a career low 1.139 WHIP. The 13-year veteran has a career 4.06 ERA playing for eight different teams including two stints with Milwaukee.

Jackson Chourio extension: Brewers closing in on historic deal with MLB’s No. 7 prospect, per report

The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to sign top outfield prospect Jackson Chourio to a record-breaking contract extension on Thursday, per the New York Post. Chourio, 19, is set to sign an eight-year deal worth close to $80 million, per the report. Such an extension would shatter the record for the largest contract ever signed by a player before making their MLB debut. That record currently belongs to Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert, who inked a six-year, $50 million pact in 2020.

Chourio reached Triple-A in 2023, but played just six games at the minors’ highest level. This deal will clear the way for him to make the big-league roster as soon as he’s deemed ready—be it Opening Day 2024 or sometime later in the summer.

Breaking: Top CF prospect Jackson Chourio, 19, and the Brewers are expected to complete today the richest contract ever for a player who has yet to reach the big leagues. The deal is expected to be for 8 guaranteed years snd close to $80M and include two team options.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2023

Legislature sends Brewers ballpark funding package to Gov. Tony Evers for his signature

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers plans to sign into law a funding deal aimed at keeping the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin after it cleared the state Legislature with bipartisan votes in both chambers on Tuesday.

The proposal passed the state Senate on a 19-14 vote Tuesday morning following lengthy negotiations that went into Monday evening. The Assembly approved the Senate’s amended version late Tuesday afternoon with a 72-26 vote — a larger margin than the earlier version it approved last month…

Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, argued the deal should have looked more like the package that funded the Milwaukee Bucks’ Fiserv Forum, with changes including a 50-50 split between private and public funding, a ticket tax on all events including games and commercial development around the stadium. Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, said he might have supported the legislation if the Brewers’ contribution was significantly increased.

Report: Brewers to name bench coach Pat Murphy as next manager

The Milwaukee Brewers are sticking in-house to replace Craig Counsell.

The Brewers are planning to name bench coach Pat Murphy as their next manager, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Murphy has been with the Brewers since 2015, and had been seriously considered to replace Counsell in recent days.

The job will mark Murphy’s first full-time managerial gig in the league, though he’s served in the role in an interim capacity, at the minor league levels and at multiple spots at the collegiate level.

Counsell Bolts Brewers to Manage Cubs

Craig Counsell is leaving the Milwaukee Brewers to become the manager for the Chicago Cubs, sources confirmed to ESPN.

It’s a blockbuster move for Chicago, which had David Ross as its manager but will now go with Counsell, who had spent the previous decade with their National League Central rival Milwaukee. Ross was under contract for the 2024 season.

Counsell, 53, had also interviewed for the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians managerial openings. The Guardians hired Stephen Vogt as manager and sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan that the Mets are hiring New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza as their manager.

Wisconsin Assembly approves $546 million plan to repair American Family Field and keep Brewers through 2050

The third time was very much the charm to keep the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin until at least 2050. On Tuesday, state legislators approved a $546 million funding package for American Family Field.

After two previous plans were nixed, Wisconsin assembly members voted 69-27 in favor of the repair plan. Wisconsin will provide $411 million, while Milwaukee County and the city of Milwaukee will chip in $135 million. The three entities will pay this over the next 30 years, and Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasio will pay $100 million.

“Today’s vote by a bipartisan majority of the state Assembly shows that momentum continues to grow for a solution to maintain American Family Field and to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee for the next generation,” said Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers’ president of business operations, in a statement.

“We are very grateful for the leadership of legislative and local officials, as well as that of Gov. Evers, who have helped to negotiate creative solutions that protect taxpayers and avoid the return of the five-county sales tax.”

The ballpark is effectively owned by the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, who lease the stadium to the Brewers. As a part of that lease agreement, the stadium district foots the bill for the majority of substantial stadium maintenance and renovations.

Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff has shoulder surgery, could miss 2024

Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff could miss the 2024 season after undergoing surgery Friday to repair the anterior capsule in his throwing shoulder.

The Brewers said Woodruff is expected to sit out most, if not all, of next season. The injury caused the two-time All-Star to miss the Brewers’ National League Wild Card Series loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Brandon is not only one of the best pitchers in our franchise’s history, but is also a valued member of our organization off the field,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said in a statement. “He and his wife, Jonie, have gone above and beyond here in the community. Brandon’s health is our top priority at this point in time.”

Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister operated in Arlington, Texas.

Republicans propose $614M in public funds for Brewers’ stadium upgrades

Republican legislators announced a bill Monday that would devote more than $614 million in public funding to repair and renovate the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium—far more than taxpayers spent to build it more than two decades ago.

Under the proposal, the state would give the team $60.8 million next fiscal year and up to $20 million each year after that through 2045-46. The city of Milwaukee would contribute a total of $202 million, and Milwaukee County would kick in $135 million by 2050.

The team would contribute about $100 million and extend its lease at American Family Field through 2050, keeping Major League Baseball in its smallest market for another 27 years.

Reports commissioned by the Brewers and another by a state consultant found that the stadium’s glass outfield doors, seats and concourses should be replaced, that its luxury suites and technology such as its sound system and video scoreboard need upgrades, and that its signature retractable roof needs repairs. Fire suppression systems, parking lots, elevators and escalators need work, too.

Speakeasies, Golf and a Pool: 5 Baseball Parks That Go Beyond Baseball - NO PAYWALL

Like at every noteworthy speakeasy, it started with a knock.

After Chad Thompson and his wife, Kitty, found the secret door in an unassuming section of Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, they faced one more test that day in June before securing access to perhaps Major League Baseball’s most exclusive new fan experience. They needed to recite the correct password. It had three words.

“Let’s go Mets,” Mr. Thompson, a resident of Manhattan, told the guard.

The couple walked into the Cadillac Club to catch a game between the Mets and their crosstown rival Yankees. Once inside, the Thompsons snacked on bacon-wrapped dates and complimentary glasses of prosecco and Glenfiddich 15-Year-Old Solera Reserve. They sat in plush brown leather seats with personal TVs attached, where they were served Shake Shack burgers and Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars.

Rosenthal: Pete Alonso was center of trade talks with Brewers. Will Mets make move in offseason?

The Milwaukee Brewers made a significant push to acquire New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso before the trade deadline, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Opinions differ on how close a deal was to fruition, but one thing is clear: Alonso’s future with the Mets remains a major question.

The Mets traded closer David Robertson before the deadline, along with two high-priced starting pitchers, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, and two outfielders, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham. While they kept Alonso, they could entertain offers for him this offseason, when he will be entering his final year of arbitration before becoming eligible for free agency.

The Brewers, who entered Tuesday ranked last in the majors in OPS at both first base and DH, spoke with the Mets about Alonso before and after acquiring Carlos Santana from the Pirates on July 27. Brewers officials understood they would need to part with at least one of their top five prospects for Alonso. One Milwaukee source said the talks advanced to the point where the teams were within “field-goal range” of a trade.

Cubs’ Ross rips umpire, decision to close roof in Milwaukee

In the sixth, with the Cubs leading 4-1, Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich singled with one out and stole second. William Contreras hit a squibber in front of the plate for what was ruled an infield single, with Yelich scoring on an errant throw that skipped into right field. The play led to a heated argument between Ross and Bacchus over whether Contreras got in the way of the throw to first from catcher Miguel Amaya.

Ross’ displeasure didn’t end there. He also questioned why the Brewers closed the retractable roof at American Family Field on a mostly sunny afternoon.

“They were closing the roof to get rid of the shadows late,” Ross said. “It was really frustrating.”

When asked if it was permissible for the Brewers to close the roof without a weather-related issue, Ross responded with a profanity-laced answer.

“There were so many things today that I thought weren’t good,” he said. “I’ve got terrible language today. I apologize.”

Ryan Braun pleads case to special panel Thursday trying to avoid 50-game suspension

I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to play this game, and I am appalled that you would begin a three-member panel inquiry with a topic like that!

Ryan Braun, the National League’s Most Valuable Player, pleaded his case Thursday before a three-member panel that will decide whether he faces a 50-game suspension for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone.

The appeal came just two days before Braun will accept his MVP award at the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s dinner Saturday night at the New York Hilton, sources familiar with Braun told the Daily News.

A decision by the panel, which includes MLB Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred and independent arbitrator Shyam Das, is not expected to come before Braun accepts his award. It was unclear if the hearing would continue into Friday.

...The Milwaukee outfielder, however, is playing a game that no major leaguer has won; despite conflicting reports, no player has ever seen a suspension overturned by the arbitration panel, according to people familiar with the process.

It is possible for a player to test positive for a banned substance and see his case dismissed in advance of arbitration because of chain of custody or other issues, without the public ever learning of his positive test. But Braun is past that point, and is looking to the arbitration panel as his final chance to avoid suspension.

The Onion: Prince Fielder Wondering If He Has Truly Free Agency

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—After meeting with his agent Monday to discuss his free agency prospects, Prince Fielder told reporters he was left wondering if he or any man can ever say his agency is truly free.

“Free agency suggests I am able to make a choice void of any constraint, but right from the get-go, that premise is problematic,” said Fielder, adding that it isn’t as if he can just get a job as an acoustical engineer, or even as a professional athlete in another sport.

“In the end, I am not an autonomous entity who can choose a path based on multiple options. Instead, I am one link in a causal chain, so my actions are merely the inevitable product of lawful causes stemming from prior events. What I’m saying is, I’m essentially limited to the 30 baseball organizations in North America; realistic, long-term socioeconomic factors have already decided which cities can support a team that pays the kind of salary I demand; and roster decisions dating all the way back to the invention of the game have determined which teams are in need of a first baseman today—so there are only a few clubs that could logically take me. And human nature will compel me to pick the one that offers the best, highest salary.”

Fielder concluded the press conference by saying that he is essentially a determinist, and that he enjoys hitting baseballs.

MVP Ryan Braun to speak at dinner

BBWAAH, must we?

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, who faces a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, is expected to speak at a banquet where he will accept his award for being voted National League MVP.

Braun will appear at the annual awards dinner of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Saturday in New York, a spokesman for the player told The New York Times.

“He will be there and he will accept his award,” Matthew Hiltzik told The Times.

...He has not made a public appearance since news of the positive test broke on Dec. 10. Hiltzik told The Times that Braun does not intend to do interviews Saturday. Braun was named MVP on Nov. 22.

Brewers sign Japanese slugger Norichika Aok

This “slugger” hit four home runs and slugged .360 in 643 PAs. In Japan.

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed three-time year contract with a club option for 2014.

The Brewers won the negotiating rights to Aoki on December 19.
The 30-year-old Aoki has played his entire eight-year professional career with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, batting .329 with 84 HR, 385 RBI and 164 stolen bases in 985 games.

The Central League batting champion in 2005 (.344), 2007 (.346) and 2010 (.358), Aoki won the CL Rookie of the Year award in 2005. He is also a six- time Golden Glove Award winner.

K-Rod signs for $8 million

Why make billions when you can make millions?

The Brewers have struck a one-year deal with Francisco Rodriguez for $8 million, avoiding what could have been a complicated arbitration case.

Rodriguez had a base salary of $11.5 million last year and was a free agent who unexpectedly accepted the Brewers’ offer of salary arbitration last December.

The Brewers plan to use “K-Rod” as a setup man for closer John Axford. His agent, Scott Boras, views him as closer material, and thus the stage was set for an interesting philosophical debate.

Instead, this deal was struck, leaving the Brewers with three players in arbitration: RHP Shaun Marcum and relievers Kameron Loe and Jose Veras.

Rodriguez was acquired from the Mets at the all-star break last season and formed a dynamic 1-2 punch with Axford. In 31 games, he compiled a 1.86 ERA and held batters to a .209 batting average. He logged 33 strikeouts in 29 innings.

Brewers’ Craig Counsell retires

Advisory Counsell, if you will.

It’s official. The Brewers have named Craig Counsell as a special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin. There will be a news conference at Miller Park at 1:30 p.m.

“We are pleased to have Craig join our organization in a very significant role,” Melvin said. “His knowledge of how to play the game along with his work ethic and passion to see the Brewers succeed will now be utilized and welcomed by our front office.”

“I am excited to begin a new challenge in baseball,” Counsell said. “I look forward to contributing in any way I can to the success of an organization that has been a special part of my life for many years.”

Craig Counsell played all or part of 16 seasons in the major leagues, appearing in 1,624 games as a versatile infielder who played second base, shortstop and third base. He compiled a .255 batting average with 218 doubles, 40 triples, 42 home runs, 647 runs and 390 RBI in 4,741 at-bats.

MLB Trade Rumors: Bartolo Colon Agrees to Sign With Unknown Team

Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown club reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The right-hander wouldn’t divulge the team because he has not yet passed his physical.

Pretty sure it’s either the All-Stars or the Champs.

Stein: Judaism on Steroids

The widespread use of PEDs in baseball is nearly as old as the game itself. In 1889, pitcher Pud Galvin of the Pittsburgh Burghers began endorsing a testosterone supplement made from dog testicles. He won 23 games that season. Anecdotal evidence indicates that baseball legends Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Babe Ruth experimented with testosterone, amphetamines, and sheep testicle extract, respectively. By the 1970s, amphetamine use was rampant, and an increasing number of ballplayers soon began experimenting with anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Cocaine reached epidemic levels in the 1980s.

Jewish sources confirm this human desire for self-improvement, but also discuss the potential moral and medical drawbacks. The most comprehensive study of medicine in the Bible and Talmud remains Biblisch-Talmudische Medizin (Biblical and Talmudic Medicine), published by Julius Preuss in 1911. Preuss, who was a doctor and Hebraic scholar, utilized a rigorous, analytical approach in studying the ancient texts, and this extensive volume reflects a lifetime of serious medical and Judaic scholarship.

Over 18 chapters, Preuss covers anatomy, neurology, psychology, obstetrics, sexual health, Jewish medical rituals, dermatology, and a range of obscure and familiar maladies as discussed in talmudic and biblical writings. He also chronicles ancient remedies, some fantastical, others familiar. For an earache: pour lukewarm kidney fluids in the ear (though melted chicken fat works in a pinch).  A fever calls for radishes; a cold for beets; and cabbage works across the board.  Wine, small fish, and leeks were known to aid digestion. Fred Rosner, who translated Preuss’s tome in 1978, summed up the general health and nutrition advice of the Talmud: “Eat moderately, eat simply, eat slowly, and eat regularly.”

However, the advice is not merely gastronomical. Rabbis throughout Jewish history also experimented with a range of concoctions meant to increase strength and stamina—kosher PEDs.

In tractate Gittin, the sage Abaye recommends a mixture of ground safflower boiled with wine to promote vascular and sexual health. Rabbi Yohanon appears to have been a fan of the formula and offers an emphatic endorsement: “This restored me to my youthful vigor!” Maimonides, in his treatise “The Regimen of Health,” mentions oxymel, refined syrup of roses, and infusion of tamarind as effective means to increase strength and ward off disease.

Of course, Braun was not busted for high levels of tamarind in his system. Regardless of talmudic inspiration, cheating is certainly frowned upon in Jewish law. At the least, steroid use represents a violation of gneivat da’at, deceit; at most, it is downright theft. If steroids influenced Braun’s on-field performance (which, I understand, is kind of the point), then he effectively robbed another worthy ballplayer of the MVP trophy, a spot on the All-Star team, and perhaps a lucrative spot on the Brewers’ roster.

PEDs also violate the biblical prohibition of self-endangerment. Based on the verse “you shall guard yourself rigorously,” rabbis derived a series of laws prohibiting physical or spiritual self-harm. Steroids may qualify as both: Physical consequences of steroid abuse include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure and increased cholesterol, kidney tumors, fluid retention, and severe acne; men may experience shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, breast development, and increased risk of prostate cancer. Psychologically, steroid abuse can lead to increased aggression, anxiety, and depression.

H/T DSM

On balance, Bud Selig has been good for baseball

I bring all this up because word came out this week that Selig, who has said he would retire at the end of this year, will be offered a contract extension at the owners meetings this week. And by all accounts, he’ll take it, adding at least two more years to his tenure as commissioner. He’s been on the job since 1992, and two more seasons would take Selig to his 80th birthday.

Mattingly: Braun shouldn’t be MVP if PED appeal fails.

Throwing that bogus 4.2% bump in HOF voting weight around already, eh Donnie.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he hopes that Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun is successful in appealing his positive test for a banned substance, but that it would “make sense” to revote on the MVP award, or strip Braun of the award if it is found that he indeed used a banned substance.

“In the end, I hope the appeal it’s something that was a mistake. I don’t want to see anything bad come out of it for him,” Mattingly said.

When asked if a player who tested positive for a banned substance should be stripped of the MVP award, Mattingly answered, “I don’t know. It makes sense though, a little bit. It’s not 10 years later, it’s a month later.”

...Mattingly said he thinks Kemp should’ve won the award in the first place.

“To me Matt was the best player in the game last year,” Mattingly said. “Ryan had a great year too.

“But you guys (the media) always ask me about unwritten rules, about catchers and stuff like that. Then we have the unwritten rules about voting, because he wasn’t on a winning team. You guys gotta get your unwritten rules together.”

Another shutout for Brewers Walk of Fame

For the second consecutive year, no former Milwaukee Brewers or Milwaukee Braves players earned enough votes for induction into the Miller Park Walk of Fame. Candidates must be named on 75% of the returned ballots to be elected.

The closest candidate in 2012 was former Braves shortstop Johnny Logan, who received 61.5% of the vote (24 votes). Top vote-getters among former Brewers were Teddy Higuera (51.3%, 20 votes) and Geoff Jenkins (48.7%, 19 votes). This year marked the first time that Jenkins was on the ballot and eligible for election…

Past winners of the award include Hank Aaron, Rollie Fingers, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount in 2001; Commissioner Bud Selig and Cecil Cooper in 2002; Bob Uecker and Harry Dalton in 2003; Jim Gantner and Gorman Thomas in 2004; Don Money and Harvey Kuenn in 2005; Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn and John Quinn in 2007 (the first year that former Braves players appeared on the ballot); and Lew Burdette in 2010.

Complete voting totals in the article.  (Is Wes Obermueller a better or worse Walk of Fame candidate than Bill Mueller is a Hall of Fame candidate?  Meditate upon this.)

Stein: Judaism on Steroids

The widespread use of PEDs in baseball is nearly as old as the game itself. In 1889, pitcher Pud Galvin of the Pittsburgh Burghers began endorsing a testosterone supplement made from dog testicles. He won 23 games that season. Anecdotal evidence indicates that baseball legends Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Babe Ruth experimented with testosterone, amphetamines, and sheep testicle extract, respectively. By the 1970s, amphetamine use was rampant, and an increasing number of ballplayers soon began experimenting with anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Cocaine reached epidemic levels in the 1980s.

Jewish sources confirm this human desire for self-improvement, but also discuss the potential moral and medical drawbacks. The most comprehensive study of medicine in the Bible and Talmud remains Biblisch-Talmudische Medizin (Biblical and Talmudic Medicine), published by Julius Preuss in 1911. Preuss, who was a doctor and Hebraic scholar, utilized a rigorous, analytical approach in studying the ancient texts, and this extensive volume reflects a lifetime of serious medical and Judaic scholarship.

Over 18 chapters, Preuss covers anatomy, neurology, psychology, obstetrics, sexual health, Jewish medical rituals, dermatology, and a range of obscure and familiar maladies as discussed in talmudic and biblical writings. He also chronicles ancient remedies, some fantastical, others familiar. For an earache: pour lukewarm kidney fluids in the ear (though melted chicken fat works in a pinch).  A fever calls for radishes; a cold for beets; and cabbage works across the board.  Wine, small fish, and leeks were known to aid digestion. Fred Rosner, who translated Preuss’s tome in 1978, summed up the general health and nutrition advice of the Talmud: “Eat moderately, eat simply, eat slowly, and eat regularly.”

However, the advice is not merely gastronomical. Rabbis throughout Jewish history also experimented with a range of concoctions meant to increase strength and stamina—kosher PEDs.

In tractate Gittin, the sage Abaye recommends a mixture of ground safflower boiled with wine to promote vascular and sexual health. Rabbi Yohanon appears to have been a fan of the formula and offers an emphatic endorsement: “This restored me to my youthful vigor!” Maimonides, in his treatise “The Regimen of Health,” mentions oxymel, refined syrup of roses, and infusion of tamarind as effective means to increase strength and ward off disease.

Of course, Braun was not busted for high levels of tamarind in his system. Regardless of talmudic inspiration, cheating is certainly frowned upon in Jewish law. At the least, steroid use represents a violation of gneivat da’at, deceit; at most, it is downright theft. If steroids influenced Braun’s on-field performance (which, I understand, is kind of the point), then he effectively robbed another worthy ballplayer of the MVP trophy, a spot on the All-Star team, and perhaps a lucrative spot on the Brewers’ roster.

PEDs also violate the biblical prohibition of self-endangerment. Based on the verse “you shall guard yourself rigorously,” rabbis derived a series of laws prohibiting physical or spiritual self-harm. Steroids may qualify as both: Physical consequences of steroid abuse include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure and increased cholesterol, kidney tumors, fluid retention, and severe acne; men may experience shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, breast development, and increased risk of prostate cancer. Psychologically, steroid abuse can lead to increased aggression, anxiety, and depression.

Milwaukee Brewers Top-15 Prospects of 2012

1. Wily Peralta | RHP | Age – 22 | Grade – B

2. Taylor Jungmann | RHP | Age – 22 | Grade – B

3. Tyler Thornburg | RHP | Age – 22 | Grade – B/B-

4. Jed Bradley | LHP | Age – 21 | Grade – B-

5. Jorge Lopez | RHP | Age – 19 | Grade – B-

6. Logan Schafer | CF | Age – 25 | Grade – C+

7. Scooter Gennett | 2b | Age – 22 | Grade – C+

8. Cody Scarpetta | RHP | Age – 23 | Grade – C+

9. Taylor Green | INF | Age – 25 | Grade – C+

10. Michael Fiers | RHP | Age – 26 | Grade – C+

11. David Goforth | RHP | Age – 23 | Grade – C+

12. Orlando Arcia | SS | Age – 17 | Grade – C+

13. Caleb Gindl | OF | Age – 23 | Grade – C+

14. Michael Reed | RF | Age – 19 | Grade – C

15. Khris Davis | OF | Age – 24 | Grade – C

Haudricourt: Nationals a favorite for Prince Fielder

An MLB official told me over the weekend that word is spreading in the industry that the Washington Nationals have emerged as a favorite to sign free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder.

The market was slow to develop for Fielder, even after Albert Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Angels during the winter meetings in December. But now that the calendar has turned to 2012, you have to assume Fielder and agent Scott Boras will try to get a deal done soon.

For public record, the Nationals have played down any interest they might have in Fielder. General manager Mike Rizzo said recently that “unless something extraordinary and out of the ordinary” happened, he was planning to go with Adam LaRoche at first base in 2012.

...The MLB official I talked to wasn’t sure the Nationals would go the eight to 10 years that Boras is seeking for Fielder, however. They might prefer to go shorter on the deal but as long as Boras is able to match or exceed the $25.4 million annual salary that Pujols is getting from the Angels, I’m guessing he will be happy.

So, we’ll see how this plays out. But keep your eye on the Nats. The Brewers would love for Fielder to go to the American League so they rarely have to face him but as long as it isn’t an NL Central club—i.e., the Cubs—they still won’t have to do battle with him that often.

Thanks to ST.