Pujols Signs With Angels

[Fat Strat]

if anything, I resent the Angels and their guerilla tactics, swooping in out of nowhere and snatching up Pujols.

It was an odd and yet brilliant piece of negotiating. And I think Pujols bought into their strategy like a willing stooge. Their "guerilla" tactic was to express absolutely no interest in Pujols, wait until the last moment before Pujols was ready probably to return to St Louis, and make an offer in the morning that blows everyone else's out of the water. Then, Lozano did not inform the Cardinals of the new deal or give them a chance to beat or match that deal (we wouldn't have anyway). Pujols who had obviously grown tired of waiting patiently and thinking about his options, gives it less than 24 hours to make his decision -- it was exactly what the Angels wanted. Don't let him have time to think about St Louis and the Cards and to let the Cards back into the equation. Overwhelm him while he was weakest and ready to make a decision -- any decision.

I think any way you slice that pie, though, Pujols is an Angel. The deal was too good.

[TimeForGuinness]

[TimeForGuinness]

Good Guy Albert...

[Spider John]

Just like for last thousand posts or whatever, we have been hanging on every word that somebody says. I don't give a crap about credible sources, a lot of the guys on ESPN or the MLB network are fairly credible. They were all wrong. And don't get me started on the Twitter crap. He was going to the Marlins. Nightingale is an idiot (that's from me). Obviously going to the Cardinals. Wait, a mystery team. Nah, Cardinals. Oh, he's an Angel (but most of my sources already knew that).

None of us were in the room so none of us know what happened and none of the sources do either unless they were there. I could have walked around that hotel, fell in a pool and said, 'He's going to the Cubs!'. Anybody can say what they want. Albert's gone and life goes on.

Leroy, see my sig for the credibility of the info the teams give the writers.


Berkman said, "It’s always about money, no matter what people say, it’s always about the money", that doesn't pertain just to players, but to ownership also.

[Fat Strat]

I actually heard a fairly credible rumor in the winter meetings that the Cards took their nine year offer off the table, and then made two different offers:

the first was five years for $150mm, the second was seven years for $175mm.

Remember when we gave Holliday his money, and prevailing sentiment was, "they never would have done this if they didn't KNOW they have the money it will take to sign Albert" ?

Seems to me Holliday was probably phase one of REPLACING Albert ... a much lower risk for an organization that does not like risk and knew they could handle the money it would take, but not the risk. If they really wanted to sign him, they probably would have done it two years ago when the options started. The age curve would have been better, there would have been no one to bid against, etc.

With no Luhnow, no LaRussa, and no Albert, guess we'll find out pretty quickly whether Mo brings the goods as a GM or not ...

I agree with this entire post. The "news" about the other offers of various lengths and terms is not new news. That was reported by Strauss. I remember him specifically saying that the Cardinals had made various offers of various lengths and AAV and that, to re-sign with the club, Albert was going to have to choose between a longer deal with a lower AAV or a shorter deal with a higher AAV.

He ended up getting both.

I think the Cards come out looking pretty smart in this in what they did with Holliday and Berkman. They clearly read the market right -- that Pujols was going to cost what he was worth (upwards of $25M per for 8-10 years), and they took the necessary steps to ensure that IF he left they were still going to be highly competitive. I think they secretly expected him to leave. I think they got that sense very quickly in the negotiation process with Lozano. I think they also secretly believe that they have a better chance to be better longterm without Albert's contract on the books.

I know that no one wants to hear that and DeWitt and Mo will NEVER admit that was the case, but if you carefully consider the Cardinal's business model, their market, and their overall organizational strategy (if they had one! Amiright, Steve! bah-zinga!), that is the most logical and reasonable conclusion. We don't make deals like this. We never have. And the deal they did offer, while more than strong, was a deal that, in hindsight, was never good enough to even entice Albert to stay here.

[Numbers]

Upon further reflection, I think I actually took Jack Clark leaving to be a Yankee worse. Of course I was ony 13 or so at the time. I hope what followed for both the team and the player does not repeat itself.

[wart57]

I am still pissed today.

Pride cometh before the fall.

[vinsanity]

Remember when we gave Holliday his money, and prevailing sentiment was, "they never would have done this if they didn't KNOW they have the money it will take to sign Albert" ?

Seems to me Holliday was probably phase one of REPLACING Alber

I remember him specifically saying that the Cardinals had made various offers of various lengths and AAV and that, to re-sign with the club, Albert was going to have to choose between a longer deal with a lower AAV or a shorter deal with a higher AAV.

I think the Cards come out looking pretty smart in this in what they did with Holliday and Berkman. They clearly read the market right -- that Pujols was going to cost what he was worth (upwards of $25M per for 8-10 years), and they took the necessary steps to ensure that IF he left they were still going to be highly competitive.

I guess my only issue with what steve said was that I don't think it was phase 1 of replacing him as much as the insurance policy against him leaving.

It's a minor detail that'll bother me for awhile when people speculate whether Carpenter, Holliday, Berkman extensions kept them from 'having the money'. Signing Holliday was done since they had the money and with hopes that the 10/$250M market for Pujols wouldn't materialize. If they were willing to go to the 10/250 Lozano/Pujols were reportedly demanding then they would have done it two years ago. They wouldn't have done any of those moves if they wanted to 'afford' the demands, IMO. Even if they didn't have a dime committed, I don't think they would have paid Pujols what it would have taken to keep him here.

But I think, much like the rest of us, they saw the Yanks sign Teixeira and the Sox sign AGonz and the Phillies sign Howard and figured that either the market wouldn't materialize (it didn't really seem to) or they'd get him back for less than the demands. I guess that two years ago (coming off a career year) a 10/250 contract wouldn't have been terrible. It'd been similar to an 8/200 contract now, which I would have been ok with. But I'm guessing that wouldn't have gotten it done. The only problem was Arte Moreno has PE problems.

[Bizzy15]

To the City of St. Louis and Cardinal Nation,

I want to thank each and every one of you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for the love and support you have me and my family for the past 11 years. In my time with the Cardinals, I have been fortunate enough to play on championship teams, and in front of championship fans. This community has reached out and embraced me, and for that I am truly humbled and grateful.

My decision to leave has been incredibly difficult, and your support is the biggest reason why. While I am excited about this new chapter in my life, it was very important to me to let you know that St. Louis has been, and will always remain, in my heart. I have been honored to be able to wear the Cardinal uniform the last 11 seasons, and I want to thank the entire Cardinal organization, my teammates, coaches, managers and staff for everything they have given to me as well.

We call St. Louis home and my family and I are so blessed to have made lifelong relationships in St. Louis that we look forward to continuing for many years to come, and words cannot fully express our gratitude to you all.

Thank you and God bless,
Albert and Deidre

http://www.ksdk.com/sports/article/2902 ... -my-heart-

[Freed Roger]

To the City of St. Louis and Cardinal Nation,

I want to thank each and every one of you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for the love and support you have me and my family for the past 11 years. In my time with the Cardinals, I have been fortunate enough to play on championship teams, and in front of championship fans. This community has reached out and embraced me, and for that I am truly humbled and grateful.

My decision to leave has been incredibly difficult, and your support is the biggest reason why. While I am excited about this new chapter in my life, it was very important to me to let you know that St. Louis has been, and will always remain, in my heart. I have been honored to be able to wear the Cardinal uniform the last 11 seasons, and I want to thank the entire Cardinal organization, my teammates, coaches, managers and staff for everything they have given to me as well.

We call St. Louis home and my family and I are so blessed to have made lifelong relationships in St. Louis that we look forward to continuing for many years to come, and words cannot fully express our gratitude to you all.

Thank you and God bless,
Albert and Deidre

http://www.ksdk.com/sports/article/2902 ... -my-heart-

Sentimental Hogwash.