Pujols Watch

[pdga#7648]

MO would have taken too much heat if he gave him a 10 yr deal. not the money part, but the 10 years. it came out today, the Cards never offered him 10 yrs or the 220 MM. it was still the 9 year deal they offered in Feb.


don't get me wrong, I was very pissed at 1st. If he wasn't telling Cardinal nation that he wanted to be a Card for life and money was not the issue, then today wouldn't of mattered. But he lied, and lied, and lied. If he wanted or felt he deserved more money, being the best in the game, why didn't he restructure his contract 3 years ago?

I still feel the Birds will make a move now. They have too!

[stpitner]

he also got a full no trade clause, so when he get old he can be an old codger and refuse to go anywhere and just completely screw with the Angels.  For his sake I hope his power numbers don't just fall off the side of a cliff like some players when they started to get old.  At least he'll be able to enjoy the weather.

[pdga#7648]

Now who said St. Louis wouldn't sign someone if AP left??  Carlos Beltran just inked a 2 yr. deal!  everyone thought Berkman was done, but had an MVP type year. I'll say Beltran impresses just the same playing right or center field. There are still talks of signing Coco Crisp to play center, Beltran in right.

Crisp
Beltran
Holliday
Berkman
Freese
Molina
Furcal
Shumaker


Waino, Carpenter, Garcia, Lohse, ?

looks solid enough to win that division anyway!

[Dan Michler]

All I'll say about Beltran is that Mets fans are happy he's gone.  Who goes on the DL first in 2012, Furcal or Beltran?

[CEValkyrie]

I'm amazed St. Lou is finding all this money to sign these guys. Talk about a pissing match. There is a lot more behind the scenes between AP and the management than we thought.

[pdga#7648]

All I'll say about Beltran is that Mets fans are happy he's gone.  Who goes on the DL first in 2012, Furcal or Beltran?

Furcal
and Cardinals fans are happy to have him. another power switch hitter, who can steal a base or 3. we welcome him with open arms. he was a Cardinal killer in a visitors uniform.

[pdga#7648]

I'm amazed St. Lou is finding all this money to sign these guys. Talk about a pissing match. There is a lot more behind the scenes between AP and the management than we thought.

they are not finding money, they have it and are just spending it wisely.
Berkman took a pay cut rom 11-12 mil down to 8 mil. Beltran is getting 13 mil a yr.  add those 2 together and it's 21 mil, LESS than what AP wanted. They get 2 good bats instead o 1.
Yes, maybe it is a pissing match, but one that will favor the Cardinals in the long run, when AP isn't producing and is a DH making 25.4 mil a yr. Yes, AP wanted all kinds of money for an ungodly amount of time. I think AP is mad, furious about getting underpaid for sooo long?? So he went where they money was.

[Dan Michler]

they are not finding money, they have it and are just spending it wisely.
Berkman took a pay cut rom 11-12 mil down to 8 mil. Beltran is getting 13 mil a yr.  add those 2 together and it's 21 mil, LESS than what AP wanted. They get 2 good bats instead o 1.

Doug Payne fact check...Lance Berkman signed a 1 yr/$8M with Cards in 2011.  In 2012 he got a raise with a 1 year/$12M deal.  According to my math, thats not a paycut, but a 50% raise.  I know Cardinal fans love to think every player should want to play for free in St.Louis, but lets at least get our facts straight.

[pdga#7648]

ok, so I had the years reversed, my bad. but the FACT still remains. they got 2 good bats cheaper than AP's by $400,000. and it's just  2 years, not 10.  they will be able to bring up the farm kids in 2 years.  while competing again this year. no rebuilding in this great baseball city!

[pdga#7648]

heard from a friend last night that the Angels went to 4 different banks for loans, cause they haven't got any money for the big TV deal.  They can't even pay Pujols now, let alone in 10 years. F'in hilarious!   

[Tom McManus]

From the Los Angeles Times:

Albert Pujols' contract with the Angels guarantees the slugger $240 million over 10 years and includes a personal-services agreement worth at least $10 million, according to several Internet reports, the details of which were confirmed by a person familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak publicly about it.

The contract is heavily backloaded, which helped the Angels accommodate the five-year, $77.5-million deal for pitcher C.J. Wilson, and includes hefty milestone bonuses that could push the package's value to $260 million.

If Pujols, who amassed 2,073 hits and 445 home runs in 11 seasons in St. Louis, reaches 3,000 hits, a milestone he is on pace to hit in 2016 or 2017, he will receive a $3-million bonus.

If Pujols, who turns 32 in January, breaks Barry Bonds' home run record of 762 -- Pujols would need to average 32 homers a season over the life of the contract to do so -- he will receive an additional $7 million.

Pujols, whose deal includes a full no-trade clause, is to be paid $12 million next season, which will push the Angels' projected 2012 payroll to about $150 million, and $16 million in 2013.

Pujols' base pay will jump to $23 million in 2014, at which point it will increase by $1 million each season over the final seven years of the contract, concluding with a $30-million salary in 2021.

[CEValkyrie]

I read that the other day.

Did you see the day they had the press conference with Wilson & AP? There were 4,000+ people there. I read that the new TV deal with Fox Sports is 2 billion + over the next 20 years.

This staggering to me.
The signings paid immediate dividends. After losing a few thousand in season-ticket sales last winter, there has been a spike in ticket sales since the signings—approximately 2,000 season seats were sold in the first week plus 4,000 mini-plans. Individual game tickets do not even go on sale until March. Meanwhile, the team store at the stadium began stocking Pujols and Wilson items and already had surpassed the total sales figures from December 2010 by Dec. 15.

[pdga#7648]

Cardinals are now pursuing Roy Oswalt!  Wow, they just wont stop! Waino, Carp, Garcia, Oswalt and who cares who the 5thy starter will be! 

[Dan Michler]

Only you would view that as a dream rotation.  Its not like its Halladay/Lee/Hamels, especially when you consider Wainwright is coming off elbow surgery.  It might be a full season or more before he's really back to his normal self, if ever.  Garcia is a really solid #3 starter, but he's no ace.

Oswalt is 34, spent time on the DL last year and only pitched 139 innings with an ERA of 3.69.  His stuff isn't the same as it once was and had career worsts in many key stats.  I'd say there are several red flags there, similar to a Carlos Zambrano.

Aren't you a bit concerned about the fact the Cards are spending all their money on guys past their prime who will be in their mid 30's next season? Carpenter (37), Berkman (36), Holliday (32), Furcal (34), Beltran (35)  2012 should be an interesting year to see if the Cardinals roster can hold up health-wise.

[pdga#7648]

First of all, if that was the Cubs starting rotation, you would be posting Cubs are going to the WS!
And you mean, Halladay, Lee, Hamels, who the Cardinals and their weak bats beat in the playoffs in 2011? OK!
Waino was throwing in the bullpen before the WS started, so I'm confident he will be back to normal in 2012. Garcia does not have to be an Ace, just pitch thru 6 innings.
Ok, Oswalt wasn't himself last year, but that 3.69 ERA will drop in that weak ass division, as you say year after year! and even if it doesn't, 3.69 is pretty good!

about being concerned about the age of people we are signing?? not at all!  Why??



Mozeliak does not care that Beltran is 34 years old. That's just a number. Besides, the Cards are not putting this team together with an eye toward winning in 2015.

Lance Berkman (35), Rafael Furcal (34) and Chris Carpenter (36) have no idea how long they'll be performing at a high level.

So the goal is to win again in 2012 and then to figure out what comes next.


Shelby Miller will be a starter on this staff in 2 years, so sign the old guys now, if that means another WS Title. And I know you watch baseball and baseball tonight, so I know that you know the Cardinals are the favorite in the Central.
Especially when Fielder signs in Washington!

Talk to me in July, and let me know how these signings look!

[Dan Michler]

I'll agree the Cardinals are the favorite in the division right now, with the Reds behind them.  They are further from the Phillies though, but as last year proved, all you have to do is get in the dance and anything is possible.

You're right, age is just a number.  A number that accurately predicts when a player's performance will decline.

I can't wait to see how these signings work out.  Things have the potential to go very badly very quickly for this Cardinal team.  There are alot more uncertainties with this squad than in the past.  Time will tell.

I did see Fielder is leaning toward the Nats according to the rumors.  I'll be disappointed if the Cubs don't land him, but its a rebuilding process next year even if we do have him.  There will be more opportunities over the next few seasons to find a big bat to stick over at first.  I've put my faith in the new regime to figure it out.

[pdga#7648]

I'll agree the Cardinals are the favorite in the division right now, with the Reds behind them.  They are further from the Phillies though, but as last year proved, all you have to do is get in the dance and anything is possible.

You're right, age is just a number.  A number that accurately predicts when a player's performance will decline.

I can't wait to see how these signings work out.  Things have the potential to go very badly very quickly for this Cardinal team.  There are alot more uncertainties with this squad than in the past.  Time will tell.

I know it's 12 games in, but how's Beltran looking?  has to be something in the water to bring players back to stardom in that great baseball town of St. Louis! 

and that other guy has not hit a HR in his first 11 games. 1st time in his career. Declining numbers are the best!

[CEValkyrie]

Very early Doug. It won't be long until Beltran is chasing Berkman to the DL. You'll be begging for AP to come back. I have Holliday on my fantasy team. He better start hitting.

[pdga#7648]

but one thing you forget, we have people to fill in while Berkman or whoever is on the DL! Matt Carpenter hass 11 rbi already filling in at 1st base. and Craig will be back soon. I will never beg for The Greedy One to come back. He can keephis 0 HR's and 4Rbi's in LA after 14 games!   

[pdga#7648]

Furcal and Beltran on the DL huh you guys?
Funny, they are both STARTERS on the All Star team! Beltran still has better numbers than AP across the board! Greed doesn't live in St. Louis. It lives in California now!