DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Pujols agrees to terms with Angels on landmark deal

What a piece of crap....

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-brown_pujols_angels_agree_terms_120811

Albert Pujols, the heart and hammer of the St. Louis Cardinals for more than a decade, will leave St. Louis and sign with the Los Angeles Angels, a person with knowledge of the deal told Yahoo! Sports.

Latecomers to the Pujols derby, the Angels will pay Pujols $250 million to $260 million over 10 years, a devastating turn for the Cardinals and a departure from past organizational philosophies for Arte Moreno’s Angels.

After a month-long search for wealth and happiness, most notably in Miami, Pujols will not return to the only organization he’s known.

Pujols left the Cardinals after 11 seasons and two World Series titles.
(AP)

The contract value is the second or third highest in baseball history, behind the contract Alex Rodriguez signed with the New York Yankees in 2008 ($275 million) and perhaps higher than the one Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers in 2001 ($252 million).

Clearly of the mind to change direction after failing to reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, the Angels will put Pujols in the middle of their lineup, steal more thunder from the limping Los Angeles Dodgers, and attempt to catch the prospering Texas Rangers in the AL West.

It was, perhaps, with some regret that a new beginning in Southern California will mean for Pujols that he will not be a Cardinal.

Over 11 years in St. Louis, Pujols had become a generational figure, the kind of ballplayer who defines an era of baseball in a city that runs on baseball.

He arrived in 2001 as Rookie of the Year. By 2005, he was an MVP. By 2009, a three-time MVP. And, by 2011, the Cardinals were World Series champions twice with him in the middle of their order and at the heart of their clubhouse.

In the fall of what might have been his final season there, fans rose at Busch Stadium to beseech him to stay or, in the worst scenario, to bid him farewell. It happened again and again as the Cardinals’ season threatened to end, first in the regular season, then in each of three postseason rounds, and finally in the triumphant aftermath of Game 7 of the World Series.

Now he is gone, off to Anaheim.

To today’s St. Louis he was its Musial, its Gibson, its Hornsby.

Musial and Gibson never left, of course, and Pujols’ legacy as a Cardinal would be measured in part by that standard of loyalty – outdated as it may be.
Albert Pujols' deal with the Angels is exceeded only by Alex Rodriguez in baseball history.
(AP)

Pujols and the Cardinals had begun the process of this contract – the one that could take Pujols to the end of his career – more than a year before. There were rumors Pujols wished to match Rodriguez’s $275 million standard. There were debates over the responsibilities of the midmarket franchise, either to its public or its bottom line, and how those might be married.

[Related: Henson: Buehrle added to Marlins’ haul]

Cardinals fans feared Pujols would be gone the moment he and his bat hit the open market. Competitive from April to October, the Cardinals certainly would be overmatched when the larger markets showed up in November and December.

Up against a wildcat offer from the Miami Marlins, needs for the drawing power of a Pujols in downtrodden locales, and then potential interest from the annually desperate Cubs, the Cardinals were not able to manage it all.

Not with the Angels doing whatever it took to land him even though they had a rookie-of-the-year candidate in first baseman Mark Trumbo, even though their first baseman of two years ago, Kendrys Morales, is set to return from a devastating injury.

[Related: Passan’s ultimate free-agent tracker]

So Pujols will not be a Cardinal on the day they raise the World Series banner and get their rings, and he will not defend the championship with them. Presumably, he will go to the Hall of Fame based on 11 years of Cardinals seasons and the rest in suburban L.A., not at all in the manners of Musial and Gibson.

St. Louis goes on without its icon. The risks instead belong to Moreno and the Angels; that Pujols’ salary will be a burden to a franchise that lacks the revenues of the larger markets and that Pujols will grow old and mediocre before the contract expires.

In a single winter, St. Louis would have to say goodbye to manager Tony La Russa and then to Pujols, so large a part of their conscience and their game. And it might be awhile before the Cardinals look quite like the Cardinals again.

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What a piece of crap....

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Thats Gold covered crap to us

Not a piece of crap. Cardinals should've stepped up their offer.

They also signed CJ Wilson for 5 years, $77.5M.

angels sure are upping the ante this offseason. with raises and contracts ending/buy-outs/reductions they were expected to have $18mil coming off the books.

they have spent $40mil on 2 players. so, that $141mil 2011 opening day salary will become a 2012 opening day payroll of around 163mil (at least)

that's Phillies/Red Sox territory

Can't fault someone for wanting to take $260 million... I know loyalty is awesome... But if the Cardinals offer was like $200 million and he had the chance to take $260 million, he would be dumb not to take the larger contract.

j/c

With them having Pujols/Trumbo for 1B/DH, I wonder what it would take to get Morales? I know he has been injured the last 2 years, but he might be someone we look at.

I wish he would have stayed, but that is a lot of money. We'll see if St. Louis keeps up their reputation as a good baseball town with the 2 biggest cogs of that team now out of the organization entirely. Welcome to the brotherhood, St. Louis.

I hope they enjoy him 3 or 4 years from now when he is in serious decline, and they are still on the hook for another 6 or 7 years.

He gave that town 2 championships, 3 world Series. If Lebron gave us multiple titles, and had a little bit more class, nobody would hate that guy for leaving. Just comparing the 2 towns, I'd take orange county anyday over St Louis.

Wow...Pujols turned down 275+ from the Marlins.

great baseball players could play until 40. he might only hit 25 or 30 homers, but I'm thinking he will still be productive.

When are fans going to use their heads and stop supporting this nonsense? I like watching Pujols and the other great players, but I'm not going to spend a couple hundred bucks to take my family to a baseball game. Sports, like any other saleable entity, is market driven. Fans dictate the price by what they're willing to pay. It really sucks for long time fans of their favorite teams. I quit regularly going to Tiger games when I found out Jack Morris was getting a couple grand for every pitch he threw, strike or not.

The Cardinals offered almost as much money.

He also didn't publicly do this with a backdrop of spoiled little rich kids.

I think St. Louis will understand. I don't think he will get booed either. Still hurts though as a Cards fan, I'm sure.

I don't agree with that. They took that much because they were offered that much. I hate how baseball is set up with the big markets and spending, but I would be lying to you if I said I would not take a contract that big to go and live in a city like LA.

How come people only complain about athletes being paid a lot, but nobody complains about actors and actresses who get ridiculous amounts of money? Is it because it's accessed much easier?

It's part of the American dream. Albert Pujols is an entertainer. His ability is matched by pretty much nobody else on the planet. He is worth that much, because to Artie Moreno and the Angels will bank with him being part of their organization. It's how it works. We're consumers and we buy it up.

Always brings me back to one of my top 10 things that annoy me in sports, which is the guy who compares the multi-million dollar athlete to what he does at his everyday job. "Well if I did this at my job, I'd be fired" It's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

j/c

I've said it many times - be it an athlete or just a regular old joe.

Show them the money, that's where they're going.

If I had offered him $300 million over 10 years to mow my yard, he'd be here mowing right now. Not saying it's a good thing, not saying it's a bad thing. It just IS.

I agree with you, but Pujols was offered more money ($20 million more) by the Marlins in a tax free state (I can tell you, California is not a tax free state). He took less money and the taxes to sign with the Angels because they gave a full no trade clause.

So he wanted the comfort of knowing where he would be playing in ten years over $20 million +.

Sure he took less money, but he doesn't have to wear these colors.

Albert Pujols quotes:

"When that time comes, if it's taking a discount to make this organization (Cardinals) better, I want to have a great organization to be in the playoffs every year if we can,"

"This organization has made moves every year," he said. "But that [Holliday's deal] is a big commitment. Matt has a great contract, being here for seven years. We're really excited. Hopefully we can do something together, do some damage and help this organization to win. That's our goal. Hopefully I can be a part of that for the rest of my career here in St. Louis. But I don't control that. If it was for me, I would be here forever, but I don't control that. When my time comes, I'll deal with it and hopefully we can come both to sign an agreement and I'll finish my career here. I think everybody knows."

Ahh....Albert you control it.

Look...just come out and say...I am going to want the last dollar. I am going to the highest bidder. Its the Jim Thome stuff again.

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Look...just come out and say...I am going to want the last dollar. I am going to the highest bidder.

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You know, besides the fact that he didn't go to the highest bidder. That doesn't really matter though.

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Sure he took less money, but he doesn't have to wear these colors.

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For a new uniform, they sure are ugly!

don't discount how much of that $$$ he would make back from his status in StL had he stayed.

and not just during his playing days. had he decided to stay there afterwards, then he could easily continued to use his name long after. not to mention a high spot in the organization, etc.

that's why I say it's a short term view. i suppose i should also have said the conservative view due to guaranteed vs. non-guaranteed.

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and it's difficult to compare to the rest of us. there are too many variables. for instance, i left my last job because they required too much travel, too many hours, and had a miserable working environment. i make less money now, but am much happier (as is my family).

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If I had offered him $300 million over 10 years to mow my yard, he'd be here mowing right now.

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If that offer is still open I could be at your house in a hour....maybe two......

I'd mow the grass 5 times a day, even in the winter for $300 million over 10 years.

The Reds team ERA just dropped a few points next year.

Looks almost like the old Houston Astros colors.

I love all the Cardinals fans that would have been completely fine with signing Puljols a couple days ago, now talking about how they're "glad" they aren't paying one player that much money...