Pujols Signs With Angels

[JL21]

Watching the Pujols presser would be a lot like turning around to examine your feces before you flush.

[lukethedrifter]

Watching the Pujols presser would be a lot like turning around to examine your feces before you flush.

Who doesn't do that?

[sighyoung]

Watching the Pujols presser would be a lot like turning around to examine your feces before you flush.

Who doesn't do that?

Me. If my excrement wants to test the free-agent waters, good riddance.

[jim]

So a few days have passed now .... the fog has cleared.

I can't blame Pujols or the Cardinals at all. Fact is, the damn DH just makes the AL more attractive to players like him than the NL. Not in their primes necessarily, but certainly as they age. And that means two things - 1) He's worth more to the Angels than he is to the Cardinals and 2) The Angels are more attractive to him than the Cards.

Even throwing the money situation out, he would have to think long and hard about staying in the NL to maximize his career. What is his best chance at 800HR's or any other milestone? It's in the AL. Not to mention B3 is a horrible homerun hitters park. This move makes sense from his point of view regardless of the money. Maybe he did chase money - or maybe he wanted to stay in St. Louis so much that even with the benefits of the AL he couldn't justify it unless they threw in extra cash. I don't know.

It's a negative of free agency. I don't think FA should go away, I don't think it was right what owners did pre-Flood. But FA isn't all good, like most things in life it's a double edged sword, and the bad side for us is this.

As far AP the person, he did everything I asked as a fan. He played hard, was committed to winning, and was involved in the community. Now he's off to L.A. to do the same.

So my brief anger has subsided, I look forward to still watching Albert play. I tune into alot of Angels games anyway, it's not going to bother me seeing him wearing an Angels uni. (I'll be honest a Cubs uniform would have been tough though).

So I wish him luck, and I would love to beat his ass in a WS someday.

[dmarx114]

From Bernie:

When the Cardinals approached Pujols and agent Dan Lozano about a contract extension, two years (or so) ago, this is what they were told: Pujols wanted the Alex Rodriguez contract of 10 years and $275 million. That was the starting point. So what was there to negotiate unless the Cardinals were willing to do the A-Rod deal or something close to it?

Confident in their chances of hitting a mega jackpot, Lozano and Pujols were understandably willing to explore free agency to make it happen. And they were correct; Pujols got $254 million. But there was never going to be an early-bird contract extension at a discount rate for the Cardinals. Lozano delayed Pujols' entry into free agency by accepting a short-money deal with the Cardinals for Pujols in 2004. Team Pujols wasn't going to settle for the short money again.



Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... z1g73qJKwj

Yeah, I posted earlier that I was getting pissed hearing "the Cardinals blew it, they could have extended him before he reached free agency". They weren't willing to pay $254 million Wednesday, and they weren't willing to pay him that two years ago. How is that "blowing it"?

The only positive about signing him 2 years ago would've been that a 10-year deal would've ended when he was 39, not 41. But that would've still been a burdensome contract to have on the books - would we have been able to sign Holliday and/or Berkman if that had happened?

That's a good point. The Cards don't win the World Series last year if they signed Albert 2 years ago.

I wouldn't trade last year's run for 10 more seasons of Pujols.

[Richie Allen]

I wouldn't trade last year's run for 10 more seasons of Pujols.

Which is probably kind of what Anaheim is thinking. Sure, there might be a period where the Pujols contract hamstrings them to some extent and doesn't look like the wisest investment, but if they can make a World Series appearance or two in the next few years and maybe win one, the contract will be "worth" it.

[Leroy]

I wonder if in my lifetime as a sports fan there has been a quicker roller coaster ride of emotions about one team.

[cardsfansince82]

I changed my log in password at work to "[expletive] You 5!". I feel a little bit better every time I type it.

[ThatGuy]

Had to change my signature and avatar pics.

[slide_into_first]

trade morales? for what a churro or a hot dog? who is going to trade for morales?