Say what?

by Phil Wood

Late last week, Texas Rangers co-owner Bob Simpson was asked about his team's pursuit of free agent Prince Fielder, in light of their successful negotiations with free agent pitcher Yu Darvish.

"I think he's, given our set of cards, too pricey," he said. "And if that were to change, I guess they would look at that harder. But right now I think he's priced himself out of what we could do."

It's called owner-speak, and in the long run, means absolutely nothing.

Also last week, someone named Jason Churchill at a site called Prospect Insider reported that he's "hearing ... that the Fielder race is about two teams -- both in the American League. This tells me Texas heavy favorite ..."

I don't care if it's Winston Churchill, it also means absolutely nothing.

We're at the point in the Fielder discussion where, until he and Scott Boras maks up their minds, whatever you hear is going to have less and less significance.

Maybe he signs with Washington, maybe not. I still can't see him in Seattle, except as a visiting player. The Rangers can afford him, and I have to believe that whoever ends up owning the Dodgers would prefer Fielder to James Loney, though that sale won't be completed in time for a new owner to pull the trigger on a long-term deal, unless there are some serious behind-the-scenes machinations taking place that we don't know about.

Fielder is a guy the Nationals can prosper with or without in 2012. They have a solid pro in place in Adam LaRoche, and a power-hitting prospect waiting in the wings in Tyler Moore. They still have the option of switching Michael Morse back to first base.

Wherever Fielder ends up, he's done a tremendous service to hot stove conversation coast-to-coast. That has to be worth something.