Prince Fielder became the Milwaukee Brewers' highest-paid player ever after he agreed to a one-year, $15.5 million contract, avoiding salary arbitration.  Fielder is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season, and all signs point to this being his final year in Milwaukee.  The deal is the highest-single season contract for an arbitration-eligible player, surpassing Mark Teixeira's $12.5 million agreement with the Atlanta Braves in 2008.  "We're pleased with the deal, where it's at, and he obviously is, too, to get it done," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. "It was only natural he would pass Teixeira. He can focus on spring training, preparing for spring training and having a big year."  Fielder, who has hit 162 home runs since 2007, had a 'down' year offensively in 2010. He batted.261 (lowest of his career) and hit 32 home runs (his lowest total in last four seasons).  "We took into consideration his previous years — the 50 homers, the 46 homers," Melvin said. "I know last year he had a little bit of a decline, but I expect him to bounce back. We feel he's ready to bounce back and have a big year."  There was a question as to whether the slugging first baseman's Milwaukee tenure would end even sooner. His name emerged in trade talks over the winter, but the Brewers didn't receive any acceptable offers. Melvin was able to use prospects in offseason trades for starting pitchers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum.  Melvin did not say whether he and Fielder's agent, Scott Boras, would re-open contract talks during the 2011 season.  See photos of: Milwaukee Brewers, Prince Fielder  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Brewers' Fielder signs club-record $15.5M deal, avoids arbitration - Daily Pitch: MLB News, Standings, Schedules & More - USATODAY.com