It's uncertain if the Rangers can sign Fielder, who is seeking a big money contract.
If the Rangers do sign Fielder, it will change the landscape of the roster by adding another power hitter and force Mitch Moreland from a starter at first to the bench. It could also affect a potential long-term deal for center fielder Josh Hamilton, considered the Rangers best player.
That's a lot of ifs.
In the meantime, Moreland's teammates, saying they respect Fielder, support Moreland.
"To be honest with you, I have a ton of respect for Prince Fielder," DH Michael Young said. "He's a great player and he’s had an incredible career. At this point, Mitch Moreland is our first baseman and we stand behind Mitch. He's a great young player, a great teammate and he hasn’t scratched the surface of what he’s capable of doing. In our clubhouse, he's scored major points last year playing through injuries knowing his numbers were going to take a hit, but he played through a tough wrist injury and he gutted it out. But from our standpoint, as teammates, that’s something we have a lot of respect for."
Moreland, coming off wrist surgery, hit .259 in 134 games last season. It's unfair to compare Moreland to Fielder, who finished second in the NL in home runs (38) and RBIs (120) last season, but the Rangers are a team that has enjoyed good chemistry in their clubhouse.
"Prince is an unbelievable player," Ian Kinsler said. "He brings a lot of emotion, a lot of style to the game and I'm sure he’ll be a great teammate for us, but at the same time right now, it's just talk and the guys that are in our clubhouse and the guys that are wearing the uniform right now are the most important to us. So we'll see what happens and we’ll make the adjustments accordingly. Mitch and Josh are part of the family now."
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