Would it Be Better for Baseball if Albert Pujols Left the Cardinals and Tested the Free Agent Market?
Last weekend, Albert Pujols made it official – he will not discuss a contract extension with the Cardinals once Spring Training begins. St. Louis has less than a month to negotiate an extension and retain one of the best hitters in baseball. Wouldn’t Pujols becoming a free agent be the best thing for baseball?
Pro: LeBron becoming a free agent was great for the NBA. It stirred great interest in the sport after the Finals and after the draft, and LeBron landing in Miami has been a boon for the league. Baseball isn’t basketball, where one player can transform a franchise … but interest and speculation in the Pujols hunt would be enormous.
Con: St. Louis, with one of the league’s most passionate fanbases, would be devastated.
Pro: Boston, New York and Philadelphia won’t be interested – all three are set at 1st Base for the next 5-10 years – so at least half-a-dozen teams (Cubs, Angels, Giants, everyone with a brain) would be in the hunt. But would they be willing to shell out more than A-Rod money?
The Giants, to me, would be one of the most intriguing landing spots. Second best rotation in baseball (Phillies) and two real nice young talents in Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval. Awesome, scenic, stadium. Cool city. Top 10 TV market. You could easily be looking at a dynasty-in-the-making. [Fox, Dispatch]
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72 Responses to “Would it Be Better for Baseball if Albert Pujols Left the Cardinals and Tested the Free Agent Market?”
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January 21st, 2011 at 10:42 AM
It would give the media endless opportunites to create “Albert Pujols to the Yankees” trade rumors and then report on them.
/ESPNdallas.com’d
January 21st, 2011 at 10:45 AM
no.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:45 AM
If Omar Minaya were still employed, Albert would easily be making $50M a season in 2012. No joke.
I think he stays in St. Louis, but I suppose the tent the media would set up over the sport for this circus would provide exposure. I don’t know if I’m willing to say it’s good or bad exposure. It perpetuates the money-grubbing athlete side of the game that people don’t like but it would also put the best hitter in baseball in a position to pick a team where he can win another title.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Even if you look at cumulative WAR by age, the difference between A-Rod and Pujols by age remains constant (compare the area differential for the age 21 to 29 seasons). That’s not to say Pujols age 31-40 seasons will not be comparable to A-Rod’s,
January 21st, 2011 at 10:47 AM
So he would have the opportunity to go to 1 of only a handful of teams that can actually pay him…how is that any different than any other big fa signing in baseball? Also, could the reason there was such interest in lebron on this last yrs NBA free agents be because, unlike baseball, one fa signing can have a huge impact on a team
January 21st, 2011 at 10:47 AM
pro: fuck you big city folk.
con: fuck you big city folk.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:47 AM
You’re right, it’s better
/Ruler’d
January 21st, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Lebron drummed up ‘fan interest’ because everyone hated what he did and wanted to root against him. Unless Albert pulls some selfish stunt, he’s not really a hateable guy.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Why wouldn’t the Mets be interested? Ike Davis already said he’d be willing to move.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:49 AM
You’ve got the Choo-Choo train though, Spencer. There’s hope for the Cuyahoga faithful, yet.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:50 AM
he’s staying in st louis. he’ll get a higher price from st louis to keep him than he would on the open market w/o the three biggest spending teams bidding.
/reported by me
//confirmed by common sense
January 21st, 2011 at 10:50 AM
I saw a stat the other day that Boston and Philly have the 2 oldest average rosters in baseball.. cripes when did that happen? Werent they just incredibly young a couple years ago? Time flies.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:50 AM
so, you’re saying fan interest would be through the roof(!)?
January 21st, 2011 at 10:50 AM
/fixed
January 21st, 2011 at 10:51 AM
I was devastated when he was made exempt from military service
January 21st, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Giants aren’t getting out from Zito’s contract until 2014. Lincecum and Cain are going to need to be paid soon, Posey around the time Zito’s contract is finally done.
It’s not that they couldn’t do it, it’s just that there would be some difficulties, yeah.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:52 AM
If Pujols goes to the Cubs, he’d be booed lustily by Cardinals fans. They’d hate him. St. Louis fans would go the route of Cleveland fans’ anti-Lebron rhetoric and actions.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:52 AM
A baseball post? But it’s not even May yet.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:54 AM
I still can’t quite figure out how the Cardinals are fucking this up.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Trade him for Ryan Howard.
/Buster Olney’d
January 21st, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Fixed.
Sorry. This is just bullshit.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:56 AM
That rivalry needs some spice. And I go to about 20 cubs games a year. I wouldn’t mind watching him. Don’t worry. I’m a tigers fan.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:57 AM
they aren’t fucking it up..fucking it up would be taking a check book out and asking how much pujols wants.
they’ll sign him just short of a-rod money and provide enough contract escalators to surpass a-rod’s deal.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:57 AM
Well, if you follow TBL’s hypothetical (adding Pujols to a team with that staff and Posey) you could at least argue they should own the NL West for a few years, yeah.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:58 AM
St. Louis is one of the few cities in America where baseball still reigns supreme. How is having their best hitter leave going to help the sport again?
January 21st, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Well, if you follow TBLs hypothetical (adding Pujols to a team with that staff and Posey) you could at least argue they should own the NL West for a few years, yeah.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:58 AM
they aren’t fucking it up..fucking it up would be taking a check book out and asking how much pujols wants.
I fail to see a problem with this.
/Tom Hicks.
January 21st, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Couple bottles of wine, didn’t eat dinner, drink drink, vroom vroom… I can see it.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:00 AM
You seem way too certain of that given what little information is available on their negotiations. But I hope you’re correct.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:00 AM
So, they’d have a good cather and 1b. Who plays the other 6 positions? Don’t fucking say Aubrey Huff either.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:00 AM
/fixed
January 21st, 2011 at 11:02 AM
St. Louis is one of the few cities in America where baseball still reigns supreme. How is having their best hitter leave going to help the sport again?
Apparently it adds ‘spice’ to a league if a player who single handedly keeps a team relevant for years suddenly bolts to another one.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Couple bottles of wine, didn’t eat dinner, drink drink, vroom vroom… I can see it.
I don’t call that fucking up. I call that Saturday night.
/Tony LaRussa.
//had to.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:04 AM
choo-choo!!!
January 21st, 2011 at 11:04 AM
You could fill the lineup with league average players at the other 6 positions and you would be favorites in the West. Which is probably what Sabean would do anyway. He likes that (if they are old).
January 21st, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Apparently it adds ‘spice’ to a league if a player who single handedly keeps a team relevant for years suddenly bolts to another one.
Too bad the “Summer of ‘Bron” didn’t actually help the NBA become more financially sound.
In fact, it threw so much “spice” that no one is talking about the NBA’s impending lockout at all.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:06 AM
ususally white sox fans are only devastated when they run out of meth.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:07 AM
They might compete with that formula for a few years (b/c of that pitching staff). But a dynasty? Hell no. They wouldn’t be favorites every year. Especially when Timmy’s arm falls off.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:08 AM
This.
/high fives spencer
January 21st, 2011 at 11:08 AM
PooHoles!
January 21st, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Indian Fans are too poor to afford Meth so they huff paint.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:09 AM
They might compete with that formula for a few years (b/c of that pitching staff). But a dynasty? Hell no. They wouldn’t be favorites every year. Especially when Timmy’s arm falls off.
I still like Cain. But I think Madison Bumgarner will come down a bit this year from his playoff performance.
And if your name is Madison Bumgarner and if you’re not from the South, then I refuse to believe that’s your real name.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:10 AM
sherwin williams is HQ’d in cleveland so we get the dankest paint around, tho.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:10 AM
How dare you.
/Seriously, keep it up and I’m telling him. You wouldn’t like him pissed off.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:10 AM
I heard it was Glade aerosol containers. Especially the pepper spray scent.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:12 AM
You’re right, of course. And he’s from Carolina. And he’s surely not going to throw shutouts all year, of course. He’ll be a good pitcher, though.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:12 AM
I’m not trying to hate. I don’t this to happen. I love Timmy. Baseball needs more potheads! But I’m a realist.
Needs more Pat Burrell with a ball gag.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:13 AM
All Bumgarners are form North Carolina.
Also Albert is at least 37 years old, Cards are smart.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Exhibit A.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:14 AM
So… who wants Carlos Zambrano? I’ll give him to ya cheap!
January 21st, 2011 at 11:14 AM
This just might be true.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:15 AM
All Bumgarners are form North Carolina.
That family name sounds like they should be in the business of selling honey hams.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:16 AM
So… who wants Carlos Zambrano? I’ll give him to ya cheap
Fuck that guy.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:17 AM
He’s crazy. But he’d be a nice #4 for the Tigers. Maybe he wouldn’t be crazy surrounded by all those other Venezuelans.
I just bought the Pick 13 for the Cubs. I hope Big Z starts every game I go to! I was lucky enough to be at the game when he went ape shit. That was epic.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:18 AM
This is retarded.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:20 AM
The Cardinals have big market revenues. Ownership from a profitability stand point is comparable to the Marlins and Pirates.
They will be forced to pay him. They are not dumb enough to let him go and lose all the ancillary revenue streams he brings in.
Yes, I am a Cardinals fan.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:20 AM
Orioles, book it.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:21 AM
Fuck the Tigers.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:21 AM
That would be interesting.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:21 AM
Oh also if the Cards do lose him, even if they have a good reason, I hope someone runs a “Cards Asleep at the Wheel” headline when it happens.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Probably Duckworth’d, but Wannstache to the Bills.
/Sorry JPQ
January 21st, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Winner.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:25 AM
GTFO
January 21st, 2011 at 11:32 AM
I was looking at the Cubs schedule a couple weeks ago and I was wanting to make a trip to Chi when they play the Cards and I only saw one weekend series in Chicago and it was in August I think. did they screw with the schedule this year or something?
January 21st, 2011 at 11:40 AM
Only one weekend series? That can’t be right. They always play on weekends. I didn’t get any cardinals tickets in my package. Instead I got tickets for cubs/sox.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Only one weekend series? That can’t be right
I’m guessing with the Yanks coming to town they used that week end.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:53 AM
I think Jamie Moyer was throwing off the curve for the Phillies. They’re average age with him is 37.3, without him, I dunno, 20?
January 21st, 2011 at 12:12 PM
Hmm.
*bookmarks page*
January 21st, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Gotta take the HiGHest contract available.
January 21st, 2011 at 5:09 PM
As a Giants fan, I can assure you they are not going to give out a huge contract again to anyone over the age of 32. Two words: Barry Zito. Instead they’ll lockup young talent like Buster Posey for many years, which is a much better move. Albert Pujols is like 40 years old.
January 21st, 2011 at 5:12 PM
Also, the Giants are already a potential dynasty in the making with their pitching staff. They don’t need a Pujols-level star, just a couple of decent bats.
January 21st, 2011 at 5:24 PM
This right here. Which is what us fans have been asking of Sabean for years now! At least Burrell and Ross panned out that second half of the year, but I’d still like to see a nice signing of a legit bat that will last over a couple years!