Where Will Pujols Go

[ChubbyBanana]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

san fran has got the money. if they could pay bonds 20 something million a year why not pujols

That was then, this is now.

Times are different.

[jake44np]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

Phillies, Philly trades St Louis native Ryan Howard to Stl for Albert straight up.
Right before the end of 2011 season.
Wont happen but has a better chance of happening then any of the OP options.
Albert will be a Card for a long, long time.

[albsur2003]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

Not sure San Francisco has the money to sign Pujols. Plus, eventually they know that they'll have to resign Lince, Cain, and Panda and they aren't gonna be cheap. The Giants are more likely to trade for a good power hitting 1B who's cheaper and hope Posey develops into a Mauer type.

My top 5 Pujols Destinations:

Pujols wants to definitely win and he wants to make money. I just don't see him taking a discount just because he's a nice all around good guy. He knows that he should be paid like the best player in the game. Honestly, I think Pujols is done in St. Louis after this year too. So...

5. St. Louis - I just don't see them paying him the money but you have to include them. I have to believe that signing Matt Holliday was the end of the Pujols era. Only way I see them resigning him ironically, is if they win the World Series. The public sentiment in St. Louis will be out of control. The brass will feel pressured to do something.

4. LA Dodgers - LA has Manny, Kuroda, and Padilla all pretty much definitely coming off of the books in 2011 (40 MILLION!!!) and they're all pretty much replaceable thru their farm system or with free agent options. They'll contend definitely in the NL West and let's be honest, it's LA. It's a big time city for big time players. The McCourt divorce will have needed to have been resolved by them.

3. Baltimore Orioles - The Orioles have ALWAYS been looking for that 1B; Huff didn't work out, Texieira took the money. I think that they might finally be willing to go that extra mile for Pujols with Millwood, Tejada, Uehara, Wigginton, and Izturis ($32.1 Million) all expendable after the season. They've got some money to at least be in the discussion. Also maybe they can convince Pujols that with Markakis and Roberts locked up, Jones, Wieters, and Reimold in their arbitration years.

2. Philadelphia Phillies - We've all heard the rumors about Ryan Howard getting traded to St. Louis. To be perfectly honest, it makes a LOT of sense. 2011 free agents Jayson Werth and Jamie Moyer ($13.5 Mil) can be replaced thru the farm system (Dominic Brown should be ready by then). After Howard's traded, that's 33.5 Mil off the books. They can sign Pujols to a long 7 or 8 year deal worth 25-30 Million a season. I don't know if anybody except the Yanks can give out a 10 year deal. The Phillies have pretty much everyone else locked up. It sounds awesome.

1. Boston Red Sox - I really think the Sox have what it takes for a trade or for a free agent signing of Pujols. If the Cardinals are horrible (which they shouldn't be), expect to hear rumblings. Personally, I think the Red Sox will probably chase the much more affordable Adrian Gonzalez but Pujols is Pujols. With Beckett, Lowell, and Ortiz possibly ($37 million) coming off of the books in 2011, they've got money to offer Pujols. They need a 1B baseman and Youk can play 3B still. Plus, it gives Pujols a chance to finally contend for championship year in and year out.

What teams do yall got?

[legendkiller5]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

Phillies, Philly trades St Louis native Ryan Howard to Stl for Albert straight up.
Right before the end of 2011 season.
Wont happen but has a better chance of happening then any of the OP options.
Albert will be a Card for a long, long time.

I don't know if this has been already posted, but Buster Olney reports a Howard-Pujols trade is a possibility, although I don't see it happening.

[Coug00]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

2. Philadelphia Phillies - We've all heard the rumors about Ryan Howard getting traded to St. Louis. To be perfectly honest, it makes a LOT of sense.

It does? Why would St. Louis trade for Howard? He makes more a year than Pujols and both contracts expire at the end of 2011.

The only way this makes sense for St. Louis is if there's no way Pujols re-signs and they're given a window to work a long-term deal with Howard prior to the trade.

[legendkiller5]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

It does? Why would St. Louis trade for Howard? He makes more a year than Pujols and both contracts expire at the end of 2011.

The only way this makes sense for St. Louis is if there's no way Pujols re-signs and they're given a window to work a long-term deal with Howard prior to the trade.

Yeah, I don't see how this benefits St. Louis.

[albsur2003]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

It does? Why would St. Louis trade for Howard? He makes more a year than Pujols and both contracts expire at the end of 2011.

The only way this makes sense for St. Louis is if there's no way Pujols re-signs and they're given a window to work a long-term deal with Howard prior to the trade.

Because at this point. It's safe to say that the Cardinals stand to save tens of millions over the entire life of a long term contract by keeping Howard over Pujols. Pujols is gonna command A-Rod money or more. Howard simply won't get as much as Pujols and anyone who thinks Howard is getting Pujols money is crazy.

[duke776]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

hes got a 16 million dollar option for next season. this technically is his final year on his contract i doubt he renews

It's a club option though, Pujols has no hand in the matter. He will be back in 2011 for the cardinals(barring a very unlikely, IMO, trade).

[Coug00]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

Because at this point. It's safe to say that the Cardinals stand to save tens of millions over the entire life of a long term contract by keeping Howard over Pujols. Pujols is gonna command A-Rod money or more. Howard simply won't get as much as Pujols and anyone who thinks Howard is getting Pujols money is crazy.

But the Cardinals would be making some huge assumptions by signing Howard to a long-term deal and that's assuming they could re-sign him. "Old Man" skill sets like Howard (High Power, High K's) don't age well and Ryan is now in his 30's and his new contract won't begin until he's 32.

I don't see that as making any sense for St. Louis unless they were to get some serious prospects thrown in from Philly as well (but we know what happened to Philly's farm system after this past winter).

I think St. Louis is better off sending Pujols for something else...because Pujols is so damn good he could command a lot more than Howard.

[bcruise]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

They went to all the trouble of getting Holliday so Pujols would see that the Cards were committed to winning (granted, that's not the only reason they got him)...

No way he's going to leave St. Louis now. Wouldn't be surprised if they lock him up mid-season.

[P2K]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

But the Cardinals would be making some huge assumptions by signing Howard to a long-term deal and that's assuming they could re-sign him. "Old Man" skill sets like Howard (High Power, High K's) don't age well and Ryan is now in his 30's and his new contract won't begin until he's 32.

I don't see that as making any sense for St. Louis unless they were to get some serious prospects thrown in from Philly as well (but we know what happened to Philly's farm system after this past winter).

I think St. Louis is better off sending Pujols for something else...because Pujols is so damn good he could command a lot more than Howard.

It's not even worth talking about it in-depth because the report was complete BS. Besides, the Phils wouldn't trade Howard for Pujols. It would be for young players.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

They went to all the trouble of getting Holliday so Pujols would see that the Cards were committed to winning (granted, that's not the only reason they got him)...

No way he's going to leave St. Louis now. Wouldn't be surprised if they lock him up mid-season.

He said that he doesn't want to negotiate during the season.

[rsox]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

He said that he doesn't want to negotiate during the season.

June 17th 2010; John Mozeliak-"Albert, we are ready to offer you a 10 year $300,000,000 dollar contract extension", Albert Pujols "I'm sorry but i don't want to talk about this now, can we meet again in november"---Not gonna happen!.

If the Cardinals are ready to offer the big money no matter what time of year it is Albert will be willing to listen.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

June 17th 2010; John Mozeliak-"Albert, we are ready to offer you a 10 year $300,000,000 dollar contract extension", Albert Pujols "I'm sorry but i don't want to talk about this now, can we meet again in november"---Not gonna happen!.

If the Cardinals are ready to offer the big money no matter what time of year it is Albert will be willing to listen.

I think he said it so that people will leave him alone, but at the same time its not likely that they get a deal of that magnitude done in the middle of the season, which is why I think he won't resign until after 2010. The Cardinals have no incentive to give him that deal in July as opposed to December, and if they try to negotiate during the season, there would be no reason to give him that kind of deal. If he doesn't sign before Opening Day, which isn't very likely, it's likely that he won't get the extension until this winter.

[Marino]

Re: Where Will Pujols Go

It won't be the Dodgers. McCourt wants to lower salary to below 80 million next year.