The Albert Pujols Saga

[countryboy]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

This is a good assessment of how I feel.

There is no reason for the ownership to not give him what he wants.

Best Player in Baseball? Yes.
One of, if not the best Cardinal? Yes.

And if they have to, I say backload the contract. 23-25 million for the first few years and then bump it up to 30 million the rest of the way. Seeing as how contracts are handed out these days, $30 million in 5-6 years will be a bargain for the best player in the game (assuming he still is the best player in 5-6 years).

I don't believe Pujols will take a backloaded contract.

He won't be.

do you have the upcoming winning lottery numbers?

[Dog]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

It would be nice if he went to an low tier AL team

[DrJones]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

Even if he takes a hometown discount I do not see him accepting anything below $22mil per year. Differing money would be the way to go but do you want to be paying him millions well into the year 2056 or whenever.

$22M per season? Ryan Howard's 5/125 extension kicks in starting in 2012, and he and Pujols are (in theory) the same age. From everything I've read, Pujols regards his current contract as a hometown discount and has no plans to offer another. I think 8/220 ($27.5M per season) is the absolute rock-bottom minimum when it comes to Pujols' next contract.

[Spider Tre]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

It would be nice if he went to an low tier AL team

Read my mind lol

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

do you have the upcoming winning lottery numbers?

It doesn't take a psychic to know that a player who is 31, won't be the best player in the league when he is 36-37, unless he goes on the Barry Bonds diet.

[kodiak]

Let's say a deal is not done before the deadline and he stays true to the word of not inking during the season. What do the Cards do if the elbow problem that Albert has gets to the point he can't put off the surgery any longer? He's been playing for 3 or 4 years now since it was diagnosed and eventually it will snap. I think
It's on the same level as Tommy John surgery but this was talked about in the local media a couple years ago

[bcruise]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

The window may have just gotten a little smaller:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6102486

Nutshell: AP is reporting to Spring Training on the 16th (not 19th) and, like before, that's when negotiations end.

[countryboy]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

It doesn't take a psychic to know that a player who is 31, won't be the best player in the league when he is 36-37, unless he goes on the Barry Bonds diet.

it doesn't? There's always an exception to the rule.

Mariano is 40 and one of the best closers in the game. Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. Who's to say that at 36-37 Pujols can't be one of the best 1B/Hitters in the game?

[IlliniM1ke]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

it doesn't? There's always an exception to the rule.

Mariano is 40 and one of the best closers in the game. Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. Who's to say that at 36-37 Pujols can't be one of the best 1B/Hitters in the game?

No one can say he won't be but that is a huge gamble to take when you're talking potentially throwing 10 years 300 mil at him.

The Cardinals can't do that, I don't think we should sign him for 10 years just because the steroid era is over (or atleast much less prevalent) and players likely won't be belting out 40+ HR's into their late 30's-40's like Bonds did. Plus with the amount of small injuries Albert has been fighting off year to year, elbow being the most worrisome, I think its just a matter of time before a big one hits him.

I'd sign him for 7, maybe 8 years tops, if he wants 10 he'll need to find it elsewhere. I hope he finishes his career in St. Louis but at the same time I won't fault management one bit if they balk on giving him a 10 year deal, too much risk, I'd say 7 with an option for 8 would be the longest I'd go, money wise I don't even know basically whatever it takes.

[Cubfan]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

I hope Pujols is a free agent after this season and Cubs can come in and steal him.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

it doesn't? There's always an exception to the rule.

Mariano is 40 and one of the best closers in the game. Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. Who's to say that at 36-37 Pujols can't be one of the best 1B/Hitters in the game?

Mo is the best closer, Jeter is one of the best shortstops, but neither of them is the best player in the league. Not at their position, or as a hitter/pitcher, but the number 1 player in the league. Albert may be a top 5 1B in 6 years, he may be a top 3 1B or top 3 hitter, but the number 1 player? Doubt it. It's possible, but I'd be far more likely to be against it than on it.

[lonewolf371]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

it doesn't? There's always an exception to the rule.

Mariano is 40 and one of the best closers in the game. Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. Who's to say that at 36-37 Pujols can't be one of the best 1B/Hitters in the game?

Rivera pitches less than 100 innings each year. As a closer, he has one of the lightest workloads you can ask for. Albert plays almost every day. A 1st baseman isn't going to last as long as a reliever.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. ?

Oh, I'm sorry, are you serious?

Whatever, Albert can definitely still mash into his later years, I believe, if he stays healthy.

[Jgainsey]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

Rivera pitches less than 100 innings each year. As a closer, he has one of the lightest workloads you can ask for. Albert plays almost every day. A 1st baseman isn't going to last as long as a reliever.

How many innings do you think most closers are pitching in a given year? His work load seems fairly close to average to me, for a closer anyways. Sorry to go off topic, but that just seemed like an odd comment to me.

[DrJones]

Re: The deadline is Feb 19th...does a deal get done (Pujols and Cardinals)

Oh, I'm sorry, are you serious?

With a bat in his hand, he's still one of the best shortstops in baseball. Even with a horrible year by his standards, Jeter had the 3rd highest OPS for a SS in the league. The offensive bar isn't exactly high when it comes to AL shortstops these days. Just as people have overrated Jeter's glove, "leadership", and "clutch" over the years, I think his offensive production has been somewhat underrated.

Whatever, Albert can definitely still mash into his later years, I believe, if he stays healthy.

Mash, sure. Mash at a perpetual MVP level that justifies the Cards paying him $30M per season? Doubtful. In order to pay Pujols what he wants AND field a competitive team year after year, I'm guessing St. Louis will need an average payroll of $120M per season over the next decade. NOTE: The Cardinals have never had a single season of $100M payroll in their history.