Albert Pujols vs. Prince Fielder: Who signs first?

The ultimate fight

Industry people are curious whether CC Sabathia actually would leave the Yankees, and you can get six different predictions from six different folks on whose uniform Jose Reyes will wear in 2012. But if you want to play the ultimate parlor game in the upcoming Hot Stove League, here's the question you ask:

Who will sign first this offseason, Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols? Whoever signs first will set the financial bar for the other player to top.

Pujols has a realistic chance to re-sign with the Cardinals; it appears a long shot that Fielder will return to the Brewers. The Cubs, Nationals, Orioles and Rangers are among the teams that figure to be in play for the two sluggers.

Pujols and Fielder have seen each other 18 times a year since 2006 as National League Central rivals, and as far as we know, there's no personal animosity between the two. To the contrary, when Fielder came to the plate for his last at-bat of the NL Championship Series, Pujols called timeout, which allowed the Miller Park fans -- cognizant that Fielder's time as a Brewer might be coming to an end -- to give their first baseman a lengthy standing ovation.

It isn't so warm and fuzzy between the players' agents, Scott Boras and Dan Lozano, however, and therein lies the drama.

Both are based in Southern California, with Boras the reigning champion and Lozano, having broken off from the Beverly Hills Sports Council last year, the upstart. Boras has proved he has no concerns about dragging his players' free agencies well past Jan. 1 in order to land a deal he wants. Pujols represents Lozano's first big test flying solo.

Fielder, 27, has the advantage of youth over Pujols, 31, whereas Pujols has a longer track record of success. Fielder's weight raises questions about his durability, and Pujols is coming off arguably the worst year of his career.

My prediction, for now: Pujols signs first, staying with the Cardinals, but Fielder doesn't top Pujols' annual average value.

Angels in the job field

Among the candidates for the Angels' general manager position are two current Yankees officials (senior director of pro player personnel Billy Eppler and senior vice president/director of scouting Damon Oppenheimer), one former Yankees official (Major League Baseball senior vice president Kim Ng, who used to be Brian Cashman's assistant GM) and one former candidate for the Mets' GM opening last season (White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn).

Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is the Angels' top choice, as Friedman met with team owner Arte Moreno in the Tampa Bay area this past week. It's widely assumed, however, that Friedman, while frustrated by the Rays' stadium situation, will remain with the club he helped build into a powerhouse.

Oppenheimer seems like the best choice here. He has played a significant role in the Yankees' last five World Series titles, from scouting for the postseason to discovering amateur talent to recommending major-league trades. He is widely respected throughout baseball for not only the Yankees' recent drafts but the order and leadership he has brought to the process. He seems like a good fit for a team that needs not only baseball intelligence but also a strong presence in the GM's chair to serve as a check and balance for Moreno and powerful manager Mike Scioscia.

New jerseys

Although the postseason is not over, Baseball Hall of Fame senior director of communications and education Brad Horn already has started his collection for the museum. On Friday, Horn received Adrian Beltre's jersey from his three-homer performance against Tampa Bay in AL Division Series Game 4 and Nelson Cruz's jersey from his walk-off grand slam against Detroit in AL Championship Series Game 2.