Just one week after announcing that Victor Martinez will miss the entire 2012 season due to a torn ACL, the Detroit Tigers appear to have received a boost to their offensive output in a big, bad way.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Tigers are nearing a deal with free-agent slugger Prince Fielder that would bring him to Detroit on a nine-year, $214 million contract. SI.com is tracking the full story as it unfolds.
Any damage that may have been dealt to the Tigers as a result of losing Martinez is more than made up for by the acquisition of Fielder, who belted 38 home runs last season with the Milwaukee Brewers while putting up a slash line of .299/.415/.566.
Fielder's presence in the Central Division is immediate bad news for division rivals the Kansas City Royals, who now have another huge masher to deal with on a regular basis. The now-stacked Tigers lineup makes them a threat to run away with the Central, which was extremely squishy in 2011.
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