I didn't know what else to tweet on Tuesday when I heard that the Detroit Tigers had signed Prince Fielder, so I just said, “WOW.”

The Tigers will have a $129 million payroll in 2012, or about $60 million more than Cleveland. As I wrote last week, the Indians' payroll will increase about $20 million or so just by re-signing their young players to new one-year deals; the Tigers' payroll increased $24 million on Tuesday and they added Prince Freaking Fielder.

That has to sting.

And, in an unfortunate timing situation, the Indians were tweeting out fun facts about their new pitcher, Kevin Slowey — who went 0-8 last year — when news of the Fielder signing broke.

From MLB.com: “Prince Fielder signing doesn't sway confident Tribe.” Well, I hope not. But the Tigers did all but eliminate the Indians last season by winning 10 in a row against Cleveland late in the year.

And that's the most pressing part for the Indians: Where the heck do wins come from in the AL, where the team plays 144 (89%) of its games?

The Tigers, Rangers, Angels, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees all are World Series contenders. The Jays, Twins, Royals and White Sox probably are on the Indians' level. The Orioles, A's and Mariners probably are doormats. The Indians play those teams a combined 25 times. Eek. You could, of course, argue that given the league's depth, maybe everyone ends up beating up on each other and no truly elite teams (in terms of record) emerge.

But still, the depth is troubling, as is the Indians' Interleague schedule: Miami, Cincinnati (6), Pittsburgh, Houston, St. Louis. Twelve more tough games.

Elsewhere: Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom makes a point this morning that won't please Indians fans, since their owner isn't willing to do this:

And, yes, it's big money. But remember: It's not your money. It's not my money. If Ilitch wants to spend it that way, that is totally his business, and in a non-salary cap world, what difference does it make? This deal should not be judged by the dollar amount. It's immaterial. Just something to bug the eyes out. There are overpaid players and underpaid players on every big league roster.

This has been reported, but the Cavaliers announced in a news release on Wednesday that noted local chef Rocco Whalen, of Fahrenheit fame and who also recently is being documented by the Food Network, has joined Michael Symon at Quicken Loans Arena with “Rocco's Nachos and Tacos.”

On the menu:

Rocco's Tacos

Crispy potato nachos with sea salt and malt vinegar aioli

---

If you're not following me on Twitter, what are you waiting for? And, I trust you're listening to Crain's podcasts?

And, of course, email me with any news tips you see fit for this space.

Reader Comments

Be the first to comment!

Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of Crain's Cleveland Business. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification. Comments may be used in the print edition at editorial discretion.

REGISTERED USERS		NEW USERS
Log In Now E-mail: Password:      Forgot your password?		Current Subscriber? Enter your subscriber number and update your account for unrestricted access Not a Subscriber? Register here for restricted access and to sign up for news alerts Subscribe now for unrestricted access

Subscribe          Print          E-mail