The Best Free Agent Signings in Detroit Tigers History
By Chris Brown
Free Agent: Prince Fielder, 2012, 7.5 Points
2 seasons, 2 above-average seasons, 1 pennant, 3.5 WAR/yr, returned value in trade
Prince Fielder created quite a stir when he signed with the Detroit Tigers, but overall he didn’t have quite the impact his father did, either on the field or in the city’s imagination. Prince hit .295/.387.491 with 55 home runs and 214 RBI in his two years with the Tigers, which was solid, but far short of his father’s production. But Prince Fielder had a much better supporting cast than Cecil, particularly on the pitching side, and as such he lands an extra point for helping that 2012 team reach the World Series — though his playoff performance left much to be desired. And Prince gets one more point thanks to Dave Dombrowski’s miraculous ability to flip him to the Texas Rangers for Ian Kinsler, who would go on to produce 18.2 WAR for the Tigers over the next four seasons.