Tigers sign Prince Fielder to 9/yr deal

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported it first, the Detroit Tigers have inked Prince Fielder to a nine year deal worth $214 million to play first base. The deal breaks down to pay out Fielder $23.78 million per season over the life of his deal.

After the injury to Victor Martinez earlier the Tigers were looking around for someone to fill his role, some reports had the Tigers interested in Fielder but that he did not want to follow in his father's footsteps and come to the Motor City. After that conversation, it seemed that Fielder went on the back burner while General Manager Dave Dombrowski turned his sights elsewhere.

But it appears as though Tigers owner Mike Illich wants to win a World Series, now. He gave Dombrowski the reins to get Fielder at any cost and that cost was $214 million. The Tigers will now have a 2-3-4 lineup of Brennan Boesch, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. In order to go, righty, lefty, righty in the lineup.

Heyman has also reported that Fielder will play first base for the Tigers and Cabrera has been consulted and will move to another position in the in-field, most likely back to his original third base. Look out Brandon Inge.

Detroit will be a formidable force in 2012 with Cabrera, Fielder and Verlander but the rich get richer in 2013 when Victor Martinez returns from his injury and provides another boost to this Tigers lineup.

The Tigers now boast the third highest payroll in Major League Baseball, behind only the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. It's clear that it's World Series or bust for the Tigers.