Pujols Free Agency

[Dan Michler]

Albert Pujols contract situation is getting interesting.  He didn't accept the Cards offer and has now stated he will not discuss his contract until the end of the season.

Doug, please explain to everybody why you are not at all concerned about this situation.  I'm sure it will be good for a laugh.

[pdga#7648]

cause he has until 5 days after the world series ends, before he hits free agency. if the Redbirds don't make the playoffs, that gives them over a month to get it done.

so, you think if the Cardinals come to him on July 13th and say ok Albert, we will do the 10 years for 300 million, he is going to turn them down, mid season or not?  I don't.
This may hurt his chances though. what if he gets hurt, and needs season ending surgery? what other teams will pay him that kind of money if he is coming off an injury?


Dan, forget about it, he will NEVER be in a Cub uniform. If the Cardinals can't pay him 300 million, the Cubs wont either.
If he is not a Cardinal, I will be shocked yes. But I say the Mets get him before anyone else. Yankees have Texiera, Boston just signed Adrain Gonzalez at 1st base. To pay him 30 mil a year to be a DH?  not happening.
I am really amazed at you though Dan. you have all this sports knowledge, but yet you still live in a dream world. Pujols has always said he wants to play for a team that can win championships. Need I remind you, it's been 103 years for the Cubs.

And if he does leave St. Louis, that just means alot more money to bring in what we really need, and thats pitching. Bull pen for starters!

[CEValkyrie]

If I was a Cardinal fan i'd be laying a brick in my pants knowing the best player to ever play this game could be heading out of town.

Plain and simple. The Cardinals better look to make him the top paid player because there are teams out there that are willing to do that.

If the info in that espn article is true he wouldn't even be in the top 5 of salaries.

Please Cubs, Pay him 30 million for 10 years. Those 1st 5 years will be worth every penny.

[pdga#7648]

what about the last 5 Brett? you going to pay him 30 million those last 5 years to hit 27 HR's and bat .290? 




and why pay a 1/3 of the teams salary on 1 player? the best to ever play yes, I agree, but you can't put the franchise in jeopardy for 1 guy.

[pdga#7648]

and again, its the Cubs your talking about. they could have 7 Albert's on their team, and would still find a way to not win the world series.

[CEValkyrie]

I am really amazed at you though Dan. you have all this sports knowledge, but yet you still live in a dream world. Pujols has always said he wants to play for a team that can win championships. Need I remind you, it's been 103 years for the Cubs.

This is why Cardinals fans don't live in reality. I won't argue that STL has had a rich baseball tradition. In the last 10 years STL has been nothing special while Pujols has been there. The Central division has been one of the worst in baseball. They've won the division on default several of those years.  Pujols is lucky to have a World Series ring as the 2006 83 win STL Cards. With the best player in baseball STL should be able to dominate.

If Pujols really wants to win he should go to the Yankees, Phils, or Boston.

Money talks. I think the Cubs have just as good as a shot as anyone in the Pujols sweepstakes.

[CEValkyrie]

what about the last 5 Brett? you going to pay him 30 million those last 5 years to hit 27 HR's and bat .290? 

Tell me this Doug. Over the next 5 years what are the chances of the Cards making the playoffs or winning the world series without Pujols? I'll take 5 years.

This is the best player of all time and he's been a bargain to date. Pay the man what he's worth. If he goes to the open market he will be paid like it.

If I were Pujols i'd be making a career move to the AL. Play first base until the wheels fall off then continue to jack from the DH spot. I would not be surprised to see him move over to the AL.

[pdga#7648]

nothing special?  they played in 2 world series in those 10 years, while winning 1 of them. Besides Holliday( who just got there) who else is All Star caliber? Nobody. besides pitchers. 1 man can't dominate like you say the Cards should have. If pitchers walk AP, he can't hurt them.

where would he play in Philly? you going to bench Howard?

Nobody is worth 30 mil per year!! period!  A-rods 275 mil over 10 years was worse than Sorianos deal! and the Yankees admit that. Albert shouldn't go by that contract.
If he was being truthful about his loyalty and the love for the city of St; Louis, the 200 million over 8 years should have been plenty enough. Yes he has been underpaid, but he had alot to do with that. he signed a 7yr deal worth 98 mil, why so little? we knew how good he was after 2 seasons, he signed that deal after his 3rd season.

Bobby Valentine said it best with this... Albert take the 5 years for 150 mil( thats 30 mil per year, what you asked for), then if your still crushing HR's and putting up the same numbers, then ask for another 5 years at 200 mil.

Bottom line is this.  The Cardinals have won 10 world series tiltles, 9 WITHOUT Albert. go ahead and walk, we can use that money on pitching. 

[Dan Michler]

Reading Doug's comments were definitely worth starting this topic.  Way to bring your A-game!  Some All-Caps action combined with the excessive space between thoughts, mixed in with the 103 year drought comment (maybe a little overused, but its such a classic that I can see why you keep coming back to it).  Great stuff.  CBSsports.com should be paying you to contribute a blog or something.

Right now I'm feeling like the odds are about  
75% he ends up with the Cards  
25%  he's gone

That 25% is way up from a year ago.  If the Cardinals can not pay him, they should just be honest and end this whole drama right now instead of letting it drag out and end bitterly.  Pujols is completely justified to seek out what he is worth.  He has been vastly underpaid for years, and this is most likely his last chance for a monster deal.

The question is, can anybody else out there make Pujols the highest paid player in the game?  The Yankees and Red Sox have no openings on their roster, so it would seem they are not in the running.

The Cubs are next in line when it comes to teams with huge payrolls and huge revenue.  After this season, we have no 1B.  So, obviously the Cubs are a real possibility, even if Cardinal fans don't want to acknowlege the fact.

Cubs payroll  http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tt7HjIernphaSrv4wMWdUYg&output=html

After 2011, we will buyout Aram for $2M, saving us $12.6M.
Fukudome is off the books, that saves $14.5M
We'll buyout Silva for $2M, which saves $10.75M
Pena off the books. Thats another $10M.
Grabow off the books.  Thats antoher $4.8M
Samardiza's dreadful deal is finally over.  Thats another $3.5M

So, we're clearing up $56M in payroll.  We'll have a handful of roster positions that need to be filled with that money and Garza and Soto will be arbitration eligible, and now Marmol is getting a $4M raise, but certainly the Cubs will have quite a bit of money to spend next offseason.  We could give Pujols $30M and still save money off our 2011 payroll.  Not to mention the next season we'll be losing Z's $19M, Dempsters $14M, and Byrd's $6.5M.

Can the Cards afford Pujols?  Probably, but it may cripple the team financially.  Can the Cubs afford Pujols?  Definitely.  Even if the deal went poorly, it would never be as bad as the $65M we paid Zambrano, Soriano, and Fukudome every single year for the past 3 years.

[pdga#7648]

but we have 8 1/2 months to wait maybe. Im sure his agent will be talking to the owners during the season. Albert just said he wont be.

so back to your original comments Dan...
not too concerned yet. Now if he hits free agency, then I will be concerned.  I have faith in the Cardinals ownership to keep the best player in MLB history in the best baseball city in the world!

95% he stays
5% he goes

[Dan Michler]

If he was being truthful about his loyalty and the love for the city of St; Louis, the 200 million over 8 years should have been plenty enough. Yes he has been underpaid, but he had alot to do with that. he signed a 7yr deal worth 98 mil, why so little? we knew how good he was after 2 seasons, he signed that deal after his 3rd season.

Wow, so bitter already.  If the company you work for offered you 30% less money than other companies were offering, and much less than what other less talented workers are already being paid, would it be fair for them to label you as disloyal for seeking more money?

[pdga#7648]

and if CBSsports did hire me to do a blog, I for sure wouldn't be so biased as you guys are. you guys act like everything you say is 100% accurate and always correct, but anything I say no matter how factual, it's always wrong. that's why I keep coming on here and pushing your buttons. I can talk smack just as well as you guys think you do.


I'll just refer you guys back to all of Dans Cubs 2008, 2009, 2010 posts. just look how wrong he was all 3 years!

[pdga#7648]

If he was being truthful about his loyalty and the love for the city of St; Louis, the 200 million over 8 years should have been plenty enough. Yes he has been underpaid, but he had alot to do with that. he signed a 7yr deal worth 98 mil, why so little? we knew how good he was after 2 seasons, he signed that deal after his 3rd season.

Wow, so bitter already.  If the company you work for offered you 30% less money than other companies were offering, and much less than what other less talented workers are already being paid, would it be fair for them to label you as disloyal for seeking more money?

what can he do with 30 mil per year that he can't do with 25 mil in a year?
and who offered him 30% more than 200 million dollars?

[Dan Michler]

what can he do with 30 mil per year that he can't do with 25 mil in a year?

This is how most sports fans think.  This is not how rich people and pro athletes think.  9 times out of 10, people don't leave money on the table.

and who offered him 30% more than 200 million dollars?

Nobody because he's not a free agent yet.  As soon as he is, he'll most likely be facing this scenario.  So, is it fair to call him disloyal if he takes it?

[pdga#7648]

he has stated that he loves St. Louis, and wants to retire a Cardinal. if he takes somone else's offer, to me yea, thats greed, not loyalty.  once again, I know, I'm soooo wrong!

Cliff Lee went to Philly and not the Yankees. Why? cause he knows he can win in Philly. he dont need an extra 6 million dollars, considering he is already rich.

Albert has thrown a curveball to all of Cardinal Nation, not just me.

[pdga#7648]

and maybe you Cubs fans are used to paying for peoples contracts when they don't produce. but St. Louis isn't that type of team or organization, and we don't see it wise to give a 10 year cotract for someone who is 31( if he really is, he is from the Dominican Republic) if he wont be putting up the same numbers at 38, 39, 40, 41. who cares if he has been underpaid. he and his agent are to blame for that. just because he was underpaid, that means now he has to be overpaid? not too much logic there guys!

[CEValkyrie]

nothing special?  they played in 2 world series in those 10 years, while winning 1 of them.

I'm going to give STL credit for one of those years. The team that won 105 games and lost in the World Series was a really good team. That 2006 (83 wins) team will go down as one of the worst teams to ever win a world series. It all evens out. 40% of the time STL has not been in the playoffs that Pujols has been there. That is not a top notch. You can ride the Cubs fans all you want but it's not like the Cards have been that dominant over the Cubs the past 10 years. The real question is does Pujols really think STL is a winning organization. If he had the option of playing for the Yankees and have that huge contract I could gurantee he gone!

[Steven Jacobs]

Who needs loyalty if you're gonna get 5 or more million a year?

[pdga#7648]

dominant over the Cubs those 10 years, no, but over the last 30 heck yes!
and your making it clearer for all Cards fans. go ahead and walk, we will get 30 million in pitching, and a replacement 1st baseman, and be just fine. we got his best 10 years out of him already. he wont have another season like he had in 2005 or 2008. he is not pitched to enough anymore.

and the answer is yes, they are a winning organization. all their division titles, pennants, and NL most 10 world series titles.


and the Yankees already posted today, they will not seek Pujols after this season. George don't run the show anymore. They are still stuck with A-rods overblown contract. why would they want another one?

[pdga#7648]

espn's baseball tonight guys just said there might be 4-5 teams that can pay him a 10 yr 300 mil contract besides the Cardinals
Yankees( no reason to)
Red Sox( just signed Gonzo )
Texas
Anahiem
Cubs


He will test the market, see what teams will offer (which he should)  then he will choose to stay where the best fans in baseball are at, and end his career a Redbird.  Just like Jeter just did, but resigned as a Yankee.