It was one of those headlines that jumps off the page at you: MLB Trade Rumors: "Will Fielder Return to the Brewers?"

It certainly seems like a long shot, but at least one prominent former general manager and current baseball analyst thinks the possibility exists.

Jim Bowden is currently analyst for MLB Network Radio and writes a baseball insider column for ESPN.com. Before beginning his media career, Bowden was the general manager for the Cincinnati Reds and the Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals franchise.

Monday, after observing very little movement towards another team backing the Brinks truck up to Fielder's suburban Orlando home, Bowden wrote:

Prince Fielder has seen so little action that there is a growing sentiment that a return to the Milwaukee Brewers is not out of the realm of possibility. That which seemed so unlikely at season's end is now seemingly a bona fide consideration. There has been some outside interest, including from the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs.

Is it actually possible that Fielder could return?

"The odds of Fielder coming back at a number that doesn't hamstring the Brewers are slim," according to MLB Network Radio host Mike Ferrin. "I think the market for Fielder is still being defined, but I expect there to be significant interest outside of Milwaukee."

Ferrin tracks the hot stove every night during the off-season on his radio show, and says that despite little public interest in Fielder, teams that have a combination of cash and need are the ones with the inside track.

"The Cubs, Seattle, even Washington and Texas, despite their public denials of interest, have funds and a varying degree of need," Ferrin continued. "Add that to the fact that there are very few potential impact bats on the market over the next 2 years in free agency, and none as young as Fielder, it may make teams more likely to push 'all-in' on him."

Of course, the 'all-in' mentality was a theme that many felt was the Brewers mantra in 2011, even though club officials bristled at that characterization.

However, they have also only made public statements to the contrary of Fielder returning every time they are asked about it. Some fans have been holding out all hope that Prince might reconsider his previous desire to break the bank and come back to become a Milwaukee icon.

The question then becomes what will it take for that to happen?

"I think Pujols needs to go first, but I'm sure Boras has a number," according to Sports Illustrated baseball writer Will Carroll. "I think Milwaukee has always been an option, but at their value."

The case to return, money aside, seems strong on the surface.

In Milwaukee, Prince can do no wrong. A batting slump, which every single batter goes through, would be barely noticed here. In New York, it's front-page tabloid news. In Boston or Philadelphia, it is all the media would focus on – and would be all the fans focus on, as well.

Fielder will never get booed in Milwaukee. Even with the knowledge he would be seeking greener (as in money) pastures, Fielder got a standing ovation prior to his final at-bat at Miller Park in Game 6 of the NLCS. After the game, Fielder's own words seemed wistful with a sense of finality.

"I had to clear the throat once, but it was all right," Fielder said. "I love these guys. I've been playing with most of them since I was 18. So this organization has been great to me. Yeah, man, it's just been good. It's been real."

Fielder's two young sons, Jadyn and Haven, have been the class clowns of the ever-growing Brewers kids corps. It was not the least bit unusual to have the two young Fielders leading a gaggle of youngsters into the Miller Park media auditorium after manager Ron Roenicke's postgame news conference ended. Apparently the different levels and desks make for a prime "hide-and-go-seek" venue.

The Brewers have long been one of the most family-forward thinking franchises in baseball. Not as many teams let players kids have as much run of the place as what players have come to enjoy at Miller Park. Fielder's kids are very close with Corey Hart's children, and they all love to play around with their "Uncle Ueck."

But kids get uprooted from their friends all the time and survive new cities. Just as Jadyn and Haven had free reign at Miller Park, their father has the right to choose a club that has a similar outlook on the importance of having kids around the clubhouse. If he were to be traded, he doesn't get to take an entire off-season to talk to other players with similar circumstances.

As for finding that suitor that fits all of the Fielder family needs, as they say, it only takes one other partner to dance, and there are some clubs that have at least picked up the phone to inquire.

"The Nationals are showing serious interest in Fielder," according to FOX senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal, who adds that Washington has money to spend and will soon have another Boras client in super-phenom Bryce Harper in their lineup.

"The  market is weird," Carroll continues. "Not sure it is soft, but there is confusion about the new collective bargaining agreement and Prince is in a good position when he's Plan B and teams become more desperate."

The one thing the Brewers do not have is readily available cash. Remember, that $15.5 million Fielder made last year has already been spoken for. Ryan Braun's salary jumps from $4 million to $6 million; Yovani Gallardo's goes from $3.25 million to $5.5 million. Rickie Weeks will get a $2.5 million raise, even after factoring in his $4 million signing bonus last year. Shaun Marcum gets a $2.85 million raise. Nyjer Morgan and Casey McGehee are both arbitration eligible, and assuming both are back with the Brewers, they can expect to receive up to an additional $4 million between the two of them. Corey Hart's salary will jump from $6.5 million to $9 million.

With those scheduled raises, that is a jump of $18 million alone, give or take a few dollars.

"It's the reality of it now," teammate Braun said of retaining Fielder after the Brewers were eliminated by the Cardinals. "Everybody recognizes the reality of the situation. Everybody understands the circumstances. We'll see what happens."