You didn't see the Angels opening up their pocketbooks, did you, or at least to this degree? I obviously did not.
How big of an impact does Albert Pujols signing with the Angels have on their chances of winning their division? I think the Rangers are still the favorites but C.J. Wilson is no longer with the Rangers but is now with the Angels. The Angels have the #s 3, 4 & 5 wins above replacement pitchers from last year. Both of these teams have new TV deals and have money to spend. I think it's good for baseball overall.
One so-called expert said he feels that now the AL West is stronger than the AL East. Do you agree with that? In a word, no. The Rangers, though in a close battle, without CJ Wilson are arguably the 4th best team behind the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays. The Angels, though much improved now, are not as good as those four teams.
Does Artie Moreno deciding to spend all this money have anything to do with the fact that the Dodgers will soon have new ownership and be stable again? It's hard to believe it doesn't have something to do with it. I get the feeling that he's used to winning at everything and is tired of the Angels finishes since he bought the team.
How do you feel about Pujols' decision seemingly being based entirely on money? It seems that's the case, since he's leaving the defending champs and it could be argued even after this deal the Cardinals are better than the Angels.
What does this mean for the Cardinals next season? If they don't go after Prince Fielder and if Prince signs outside the division, that becomes one of the weakest divisions in baseball, though I suppose that means it's still winnable by the Cardinals.
Did the Cardinals do enough to be blameless in losing Pujols?
The Miami Marlins have a new stadium and money to spend, and went out and got Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle. What do you think about their chances in the NL East next year and whether anyone in South Beach will give a damn? Apparently Hanley Ramirez wants nothing to do with playing 3rd. So that's a big thing that's up in the air with that team. They have a lot of good young players and were competitive last year but they're in the same division with the Phillies and the Braves. I don't see this being a baseball market ever, new stadium or not. The fans didn't come out when they were winning and the stadium wasn't a good enough excuse for me.
It does seem odd having all this money flying around and the Yanks and Sox not involved, huh? It's not a free agent market full of big names but what else do you see happening during this off season. Prince Fielder is still out there.
5 comments:
I would speak only to the now ever apparant availability of HAnley Ramirez. I would love to see the sox find some way to once again attain his services. Middlebrooks/Youk, Ramirez, Pedroia & Adrian Gonzalez. Now that is an infield to drool over.The only problem, the Sox once had a very deep resevoir of prospects, its pretty thin now. I'm not sure they have waht it takes unless Ramirez becomes a complete pain in the -ss.As for Pujols, -- big deal the Cardinals have no one else to blame but themselves! As soon as I saw the huge , extended contract to MAtt Holliday, I new Pujols would leave. I couldn't see that franchise having 2 150 mil plus contracts. ----Red sox fan or not I can't agree that this type of spending is good for the overall game. I don't want to see the St. Louis Browns again--- or wait perhaps that is the Pirates?---- I have to agree with you Zeb,I really don't think the fans will still come out in Florida or Anaheim? Big Money doesn't always mean championships or dedicated fan bases. As far as the West being stronger, ReallY??? Yanks, Sox & Rays are a damn strong 1,2,3 punch. Tampa and their never ending pitching & Joe Madden scares the daylights out of any the teams out there.The Sox & Yanks willbwe strong for years. I see Aneheim & Texas matching 2 of the 3 but that's it. Peace out
The Angels draw well, have even back to the mid 80s when I was out there. It's not Boston but it is LA, which is a decent baseball town. When I said I thought it was good for baseball having a couple of other teams spending big money, I mean that in my opinion it's better 6-10 doing it rather than 3-5. Those small market teams are going to get outpriced either way.
I am looking at this from the Cardinals perspective. This might be a loss in the next couple of years for the Cardinals, but in the long run it is better for the Cards to have Pujols playing somewhere else.
10 years for a contract for a 32-year old baseball player who is losing his speed and agility fast? That doesn't play in the National League where you have to be somewhat of an athlete to play everyday. And after about 4 years of this contract, Pujols will be another middle of the road DH. While he will never become Manu Manu the Slender from the movie, "Necessary Roughness", he won't be one of those guys who is cutting down on muscle mass to extend his playing days either. So what you will have is him hitting 20 HR's and 80 RBI's a season. That for $25 million? No thanks.
There is also the scuttlebutt out there that the Cardinals are happy to be getting rid of his 'tude in the clubhouse. He does have a reputation for being a "Red Light" player. One that changes his demeanor and actions when the cameras are on him, so that is another thing to watch out for in Anaheim.
The Cardinals knew that having Pujols at 40 years old isn't going to allow them to have a better player replace him or that the fans would turn on the organization as they sat Pujols down. A lose/lose situation.
Prince will not sign with the Cardinals. Watch for Theo Epstein to try real hard to get Fielder there. Look at it this way. The Cardinals just lost the best hitter in the Major Leagues to the American League. You take the monster basher from Milwaukee and add him to your roster which needs help, your two main rivals have lost valuable pieces and have gotten worse, while you have gotten better.
And as for Pujols decision being based on strictly money, it might be. And let me ask you this, if someone came up to you and offered you a 25% raise from the job you are doing now, to move and do the exact same job, would you think long and hard about it?
Even after the C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols signings, I have the Angels no better than 6th in the American League.
i'm writing this in on an old thread, i like the one year contracts the yanks have picked up so far especially andruw jones, i hope they work it out with chavez, i really like his play and his versatility(sp), what do ya'll think of prince going to the tigers, i love he is where his old man made such a splash. and i always think of ty cobb, everytime the tigers do good, the rottenest person and the best player in baseball.
one question, how do you start a new thread without jumping on an old one, or is that the way it is?
gary carter just passed, rip kid, you were a class act.
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