Pujols to the Angels

[PotKettleBlack]

[quote:9e428322f8="jamesgang77"]I just saw a post on twitter that had calculations of 200 mill in St Louis would be worth approx 323 mill in Los Angeles.[/quote:9e428322f8]
Cost of living doesn't really apply to the super rich.
But tax burden does. And having lived in both places, Missouri is a much better place to make money, from a tax burden point of view.

[modmark46]

Didn't see that one coming. I am sure Angels fans are happy, but HC, that is just an INSANE amount of money! I was pulling for Pujols to stay in StL; feeling for their fans today. I guess you can't blame a player for getting all he can get. Only time will tell if this ends up being a good deal for Anaheim. At least Cards fans can say, we had him when he was at his best (assuming Pujols tails off as he advances through his 30's).

[Munich_Man]

As probably the best player in Baseball for the last decade, Albert was among the top 25 salaries exactly once in 11 years. Hell, Kyle Lohse made "only" 2 million less than Pujols. Last year, 33 players were paid more than him. I doubt there are 3, let alone 33 players who come even close to being comparable to him in skill/production.

The Cardinals had ample time (years) to make an offer commensurate with his relative baseball worth. To Albert's credit, he never once complained about being underpaid, like so many superstars do.

Sure, he's a St. Louis icon and will (should) be remembered fondly there (perhaps the best decade of baseball of any player ever, two WS titles, etc.) but I don't blame him for securing his future for the next 10 years. I know he wasn't in any danger of hurting financially, but you know what I mean. In any case, in 10 years, $25 million will probably be the AVERAGE salary for decent players...

I just wish it were the Cubs...

[PotKettleBlack]

And Jesus wept...


Assuming I have changed my name to Jesus.

There are really very few places that would have made me less happy. In order, from most depressing to least:
Boston
North Side Chicago
Texas
Anaheim
....
St. Louis.

On the flip side, Symborski has some interesting projections that make me weep a little less.

Without saying, the picture of Albert I keep on my cube wall to annoy Cubs fans will be replaced with a picture of David Freese.

[Mr Baseball World]

Cub fans and Yankee fan at the same workplace? Is the Devil a nice boss to work for????......cuz you must be in hell.

[doug_tucker10]

Boston is my favorite city, having the Red Sox their is just a bonus :D

I live in one my least favorite cities - New York.

[nels52]

This really sickens me.....

I've always been a HUGE Pujols fan saying that we're witnessing one of the greatest players ever. As someone else mentioned in another post he won the triple crown for the 2000's decade, I mean come on, the guys incredible.

BUT

I really can't interpret his leaving St. Louis as anything other than shameless greed. I realize the Cardinals didn't use there years to negociate with him perfectly but they were more than willing to overpay for their icon and pay him 20+ mil when he's in his 40's. I've always perceived Pujols as a stand-up guy who played the game for the right reasons. He was the working class's star, the mid-west's A-Rod or Bonds.

In actuality, he left St. Louis for Los Angeles of all places (or wherever the Angels play) for an extra $4 mil or so a year.

Having said all that, if Pujols was really unhappy in St. Louis he should have left; this I find HIGHLY unlikely though....

Considering all the flack Lebron got for leaving Cleveland, Pujols deserves at least some of that. Lebron's "decision" was more about winning and happiness than anything else whereas Pujols was purely about money. There's no way that by taking the Angels financially hostage for the next 10 years Pujols is increasing his chances of winning. No way, Cardinals are (were) great now and have the most illustrious history in the NL.

Sign of the times, $200+ million just wasn't enough for Albert whereas the other 99% of us struggle to make end meet or even find work.

[Valen]

Enough with the shameless greed nonsense. as if any of us would have done or do anything different. I accept as much money from my employer as they will give me and so do you if you are honest. He and all other players have every right to play for whomever they want and get paid whatever those teams are willing to pay. Just once I wish I a player of his stature could sign and all the discussion be about how it will affect the teams on the field and not about how greedy they are. The petty jealousy just is not a pretty sight. :roll:

Albert earned the right to make big money by producing on the field. He did not step on anyone to get this contract or crush any little old ladies as some would try to paint him as doing. He probably still makes less than Janet Jackson does for having an occasional wardrobe malfunction.

Bottom line: This instantly puts the Angels right there with the Rangers as favorites for division next year if not THE team to beat. Having seen what making the playoffs and a deep run in to them can do for a community Angels have not given him an unreasonable amount of money compared to what he is likely to make them. Just watch ticket sales over the next few weeks. This is a good deal for Angels as a baseball move and a business move, at least for the next few years. Angels owner expects to win division and has been disappointed the last couple years and is doing what he can to alter the trend. Is that not what we hope all our team's owners will do? :lol:

This makes the job for Rangers much more difficult. They need to have most if not all their decisions on players work out this year. They need to be right on Moreland that injuries held him back last year and he is now healthy. They need to be right that Feliz can step in to rotation. They need to be right that their CF mix can be up to the challenge. Time for Borbon to take that step from prospect with promise to solid major league player. They need for Nathan to be healthy and return to what he was 2 years ago before injury. Those things happen and it will still be a close and interesting race.

[honestiago1]

Great player. Like all of them GROSSLY overpaid and overvalued for what they do.

[Valen]

[quote:9e64301849]There's no way that by taking the Angels financially hostage for the next 10 years[/quote:9e64301849]
With all due respect this shows more about your understanding of Angels owner's financial status than Pujols greed. It also shows a lack of understanding of the impact such a superstar can have on a team's revenues. If they did not believe they could continue to afford quality players down the road they would not have offered this contract. Pujols is 3, possibly 4 times as good as Hunter and Wells are at this point in their careers yet still is not making 3 or 4 times what they are. A contract like this might have put a Tampa Bay or a KC or Pittsburgh in a bind but not a team that is run well like the Angels.

I have personally seen how these things can work in Texas. A poorly run team under Hicks was hampered by the Arod deal. But a well run Texas team in the same market and same ballpark has been able to pay their players well and grow the payroll and as a consequence grow their attendance, revenue, and profits in the process.

I guarantee you, far from holding them hostage, this deal will catapult them back in to championship contention. Without something like this they were destined to be at best a team that could push the Rangers a little before finishing second again. Now they are instantly the team to beat. Upsetting for me a Ranger fan but the truth. A solid baseball move by a team that makes very few mistakes.