Pujols Signs With Angels

[ThatGuy]

Did the FO's approach just piss him off? I mean, this is the same guy who's had an eternal chip on his shoulder for being drafted so late. It wouldn't surprise me.

[sighyoung]

"I can't tell you deeper than that. He's a man."

Boom goes the dynamite.

[Lesson]

Did the FO's approach just piss him off? I mean, this is the same guy who's had an eternal chip on his shoulder for being drafted so late. It wouldn't surprise me.

"It was about the way he made me feel," Pujols said. "Arte made me feel like he wanted me to be with the Angels forever. He doesn't want me to be 37 years old and go somewhere else."

The comment was an oblique reference to the Cardinals' five-year, $130 million offer earlier this month — their first bid since Pujols rejected the club's nine-year, $198 million bid during spring training.

However, the team's subsequent approach stunned him. Pujols wept after hearing the team's initial offer to retain him for five years and eventually demanded to patch into teleconferences to hear for himself what DeWitt and Mozeliak had to say.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball ... z1gCtVELOS

I am going to take that as a yes.

[Leroy]

He wept? Give me a break.

[Richie Allen]

I'd have to believe if we made him an offer that was insulting it was at least somewhat by design. Not that many parallels between the two but this feels a bit like it did when Ted Thompson basically forced Favre to leave Green Bay. A tough, somewhat unpopular decision but one that was a necessity for the organization.

[ThatGuy]

Well, like I said, it was a square peg trying to fit in a circle hole. Albert expected the Cardinals to make a fairly unwise commitment (which is not to say I didn't want it to happen), and in the end he was hurt that they made an offer that was a seemingly smarter business decision. You got your commitment, Mr. Pujols, but we'll see how that contract looks in a few years. If you can defy the laws of nature after the next few seasons, you may very well end up being vindicated.

I guess I can understand how Albert felt, in that he has given the Cardinals so much and he wanted them to show him how much he means to the organization by way of a very large commitment, but I'm hoping the FO's decision (which was not clouded by emotion) proves to be the right one. It's unfortunate that Albert apparently felt a lack of appreciation (it's hard to read it any other way) - such is life.

I can't find a way to be pissed at either side. Albert gave us 11 glorious years, and the FO was very concerned about the team's future viability with a huge contract devoted to one aging player. Going along with Richie's Packers reference, if it takes a few rough years post-superstar era to find our legs again, that's something I can accept. It's painful but I understand.

[obucard]

"I can't tell you deeper than that. He's a man."

He's really 40?!

[Dillagii]

Total BS. It's always about Money,Albert. So you would accept if Cards offered 10/210 from the beginning instead of them offering 5/130 initially? Total BS.

I am not mad at Albert for taking that contract. But dont spin BS.

And you think we STL fans will love you forever? No. You lost that right. Thankful and respectful? Yes. Not love.

[Swirls]

I'd have to believe if we made him an offer that was insulting it was at least somewhat by design. Not that many parallels between the two but this feels a bit like it did when Ted Thompson basically forced Favre to leave Green Bay. A tough, somewhat unpopular decision but one that was a necessity for the organization.

Well lets hope we find our Aaron Rodgers fairly quickly.

[Slider]

I don't buy his spin at all.

1. He is the one who said he wouldn't leave over 3-4 mil a year but yet he did

2. He says it was because the Angels wanted him forever and beyond...to be part of the family and didn't get the sense that the Cards wanted that....UM Alberta, have you not paid attention to all the HOF's that are constantly brought back and treated like royalty by the FO? Open your eyes you idiot, you would have been taken care of easily, they wanted you part of the family and would role out the red carpet for you.

3. Offering someone 10/210 who will be in decline and not live up to the contract and handcuff a team for years is showing a commitment...a steep commitment.

The more he talks the more I am in agreement with MO and DeWitt.