Major League Baseball Offseason

[R_of_G]

The sports media is aflutter this morning with the news that free agents 1B Albert Pujols and P CJ Wilson have signed with the LA Angels for a combined approximately $325 million.

Reading the responses on Twitter, I can boil the response down to one of the two following sentiments which I have conveniently rephrased below...

1. From Cards' fans...

"I can't believe this athlete that I don't know personally has chosen another team. All the years of not knowing him at all led me to believe he was more loyal to St. Louis."

2. From Angels' fans...

"We signed the top two free agents! We're guaranteed to win a title now just like the Phillies did last year when they signed Lee and Oswalt!"

 

[marnold]

I think Cards fans should be thanking their lucky stars that he didn't sign that. It would make sense for about the first three years of the contract. After that, it would be a massive Albert-ross (har!). At least the Angels can put him at DH in the second half of that contract. The thing is that he will be nowhere near a $25 mil/per player for 75% of that contract at least. The Cards now have flexibility to go in a lot of different directions. Or they could throw a truckload of cash at the much younger Prince Fielder.

Angels fans should enjoy the next three years. Can't wait to see what happens with season ticket prices. I don't think C.J. Wilson is all that either. A good pitcher, no doubt, but not in the class of Lee or Oswalt. He'll eat innings, that's for sure. The 2011 playoffs didn't help him: 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA. He will have the advantage of pitching in a more pitcher-friendly park, which should help.

 

[Glacies]

I'm more interested in Jose Reyes going to "Miami" (going to take me a long time to get used to that). Pujols is a great player, but first isn't exactly an impact position in my mind. That's where they put the sluggers because they can't run and I'd rather have a good short then a good 1B.

 

[R_of_G]

I think Cards fans should be thanking their lucky stars that he didn't sign that. It would make sense for about the first three years of the contract. After that, it would be a massive Albert-ross (har!). At least the Angels can put him at DH in the second half of that contract. The thing is that he will be nowhere near a $25 mil/per player for 75% of that contract at least. The Cards now have flexibility to go in a lot of different directions. Or they could throw a truckload of cash at the much younger Prince Fielder.

The conflicting emotions (or unbridled hypocrisy) shown by some things I've read from Cards' fans is downright hilarious. Some of these people seem to believe simultaneously that the Cardinals should have re-signed him no matter the cost AND that he only has three good years left. I'll let them work that one out for themselves.

The happiest man in the world today has to be Prince Fielder. He won't get 10yrs/250 million but he'll get a whole hell of a lot more than he might have thought.

I'm more interested in Jose Reyes going to "Miami" (going to take me a long time to get used to that). Pujols is a great player, but first isn't exactly an impact position in my mind. That's where they put the sluggers because they can't run and I'd rather have a good short then a good 1B.

Ever since Tampa Bay got the Rays, I've never referred to the Marlins as anything other than Miami. They don't own Florida.

I will miss Reyes with the Mets. He was the most exciting player I've seen since Rickey Henderson.

 

[piebaldpython]

NL MVP Ryan Braun under the gun for possible violations of MLBs drug policy. IIRC, he had a good deal of synthetic testosterone in his system. His lawyer says he will be completely exonerated. Oh boy....another scandal.

 

[marnold]

NL MVP Ryan Braun under the gun for possible violations of MLBs drug policy. IIRC, he had a good deal of synthetic testosterone in his system. His lawyer says he will be completely exonerated. Oh boy....another scandal.

This is a catch-22, I think. On the one hand, you definitely don't want an MVP busted. On the other hand, they've only caught small fish and fading stars thus far. Catching one of the best in the game would definitely prove that MLB's testing is working. They've got the best testing protocol in all the major sports.

I read that his levels were off-the-charts high. They will argue that that's a clear sign of contamination. If the test was legit, then he was either beyond arrogant or beyond stupid (or both).

 

[R_of_G]

Catching one of the best in the game would definitely prove that MLB's testing is working. They've got the best testing protocol in all the major sports.

I agree there. Unfortunately, the other thing catching a young superstar like Braun would prove is that we are not yet past the "steroid era" as we'd been told. Because the majority of previous offenders were at their prime in a previous era, we were led to believe that it was a blemish on baseball but we'd moved past it. If Braun is indeed guilty, that guilt-by-era-played-in that plagues guys who shone in the 90s/early 2000s will go on. Hopefully the stricter testing/punishments will get all of these guys once and for all and clean up the game.

I'll reserve judgment on Braun specifically until a determination is made on the validity of the test result. I don't want to believe he can be that arrogant or dumb but it's baseball and his predecessors long ago killed any chance he gets benefit of any of my doubts.