Hart Says Fielder Wasn’t Team Leader

A day after Prince Fielder officially left Milwaukee to join the Detroit Tigers, his former teammate Corey Hart is the first Brewer to speak his mind on the first baseman leaving town.

Hart told a Milwaukee radio station, “Prince is pretty vocal, but I wouldn’t have called him our team leader. I think you actually lose more with losing Craig (Counsell) than you do with losing Prince.”

Hart and Mat Gamel will try and fill Fielder’s void at first base.

Fielder will earn $23 million in each of his first two years with Detroit, then will make $24 million annually in the final seven seasons of his $214 million, nine-year contract, according to contract terms obtained by The Associated Press.

That contrasts with Albert Pujols’ backloaded $240 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, agreed to last month.