Yes Please (Ridiculous ESPN Rumor)

[Outshined_One]

Not going to happen, but a man can dream.

 

Cardinals to trade Pujols to Phillies for Ryan Howard?

[bukie]

I love the angle - "Phillies discussing proposing to swap Howard for Pujols." I mean, it's about the same as saying "Cubs discussing proposing to swap Lee for Pujols. Cubs quoted as saying they think it would make their team better." Yeah, no crap the Phillies would be interested.

[JimSorgi]

I love the angle - "Phillies discussing proposing to swap Howard for Pujols." I mean, it's about the same as saying "Cubs discussing proposing to swap Lee for Pujols. Cubs quoted as saying they think it would make their team better." Yeah, no crap the Phillies would be interested.

Haha, I can't even imagine anyone high up in the organization actually discussing something like this. An ESPN reporter probably overheard two janitors talking about how awesome the team would be with Pujols and the reporter decided it was valid enough.

[CubbieBum]

This is reminds me of a conversation I had at lunch during my internship with the Pacers. During lunch a lot of times we talk about trades that would be fun or awesome but will never happen. We thought about how ESPN could run a story that said people inside the Pacers organization are discussing a possible trade to land Insert Name. This Pujols for Howard trade sounds like two production guys talking about at lunch about how they should talk to St. Louis about swapping the players.

[NCCubFan]

Maybe two Cubs' ticket agents could talk about trading Theriot to the Marlins for Hanley Ramirez and get it on ESPN. :D

[JimSorgi]

Maybe two Cubs' ticket agents could talk about trading Theriot to the Marlins for Hanley Ramirez and get it on ESPN. :D

Get it started, Roast.

[RedFlash]

If this ever happen, the Phillies would own the NL for the minimum of the next 5 years, and I think it would safe to say we would be watching the next dynasty happen. But alas I don't think the Cards are THAT stupid.

[Sammy Sofa]

Why would the Cards do this? The only reasoning I can think of is that some kind of understanding has already been established between the organization and Pujols as to what he's going to want to re-sign with them and they're simply not going to pay it, even though that seems ridiculous given what he means to that team. How long is Howard signed for? How does this make any sense?

[daske17]

Why would the Cards do this? The only reasoning I can think of is that some kind of understanding has already been established between the organization and Pujols as to what he's going to want to re-sign with them and they're simply not going to pay it, even though that seems ridiculous given what he means to that team. How long is Howard signed for? How does this make any sense?

 

Howard's contract is up at the same time as Pujols. Howard for Pujols is just silly.

[Sammy Sofa]

Why would the Cards do this? The only reasoning I can think of is that some kind of understanding has already been established between the organization and Pujols as to what he's going to want to re-sign with them and they're simply not going to pay it, even though that seems ridiculous given what he means to that team. How long is Howard signed for? How does this make any sense?

 

Howard's contract is up at the same time as Pujols. Howard for Pujols is just silly.

 

Then this is even more ridiculous. ESPN...feh.

[UMFan83]

I love this article and how it says things like, Pujols would really help the Phillies out because their lineup is really left handed right now. Or it would help them out because he's easily the best hitter in baseball and makes Chase Utley look like Neifi Perez. I mean does that mean that the Phillies wouldn't do that deal if Howard was actually right handed instead of lefty?

[kujay]

I agree this is absurd. But another possible rationale is that if you assume the Cards won't be able to sign Pujols, at least this way not only would they get a league MVP, he is a hometown guy.

 

Now, obviously if this was a trial balloon, Cards fans are going bonkers pissed. But this is the way for the Cards to swallow the poison pill: don't just get "can't miss" prospects. Get a solid, proven guy, and a hometown hero to boot.

[bukie]

I agree this is absurd. But another possible rationale is that if you assume the Cards won't be able to sign Pujols, at least this way not only would they get a league MVP, he is a hometown guy.

 

Now, obviously if this was a trial balloon, Cards fans are going bonkers pissed. But this is the way for the Cards to swallow the poison pill: don't just get "can't miss" prospects. Get a solid, proven guy, and a hometown hero to boot.

Except his contract runs out the same time Pujols's does.

[daske17]

And really who would trade a multiple-MVP widely seen as one of the greatest in a generation for a year of Ryan Howard. So much of the Cards' success has relied on Pujols that anything else would be a downgrade.

[Cubswin11]

I agree this is absurd. But another possible rationale is that if you assume the Cards won't be able to sign Pujols, at least this way not only would they get a league MVP, he is a hometown guy.

 

Now, obviously if this was a trial balloon, Cards fans are going bonkers pissed. But this is the way for the Cards to swallow the poison pill: don't just get "can't miss" prospects. Get a solid, proven guy, and a hometown hero to boot.

Except his contract runs out the same time Pujols's does.

I was reading a article about this "rumor" and the author brought up the thinking on the Cardinals side that, yes their contracts go up at the same time, they would presumably sign Howard to an extension, while Pujols will be looking for a Arod type deal (10 years $200m+) while Howard will likely get half of that (4-5 years 75-100m). He was saying it's the Cardinals conceding the fact that they can't afford Pujols, but they could trade for Howard and spin it as they got a hometown guy as well as a proven star for Pujols. Don't know if I agree with that line of thinking, but I can understand it I guess...

[Maclowery]

It was written in part due to the national opinion that Pujols is going to demand a 250+ million dollar contract, when he's repeatedly and clearly said for years that money is not as important to him as building a championship team. He's not gonna re-sign for less than 20 million, but he also won't be making 35 or 30 or probably even 27 million, as so many people that don't listen to him keep assuming. I expect the Cardinals to give him a big fat contract with a whole boatload of deferred salary.

 

Anyway, it was a pretty hilarious article. Seems like Olney shits out a spurious column once every few weeks, between his usual decent-to-above-average stuff.

[Guest]

I love the angle - "Phillies discussing proposing to swap Howard for Pujols." I mean, it's about the same as saying "Cubs discussing proposing to swap Lee for Pujols. Cubs quoted as saying they think it would make their team better." Yeah, no crap the Phillies would be interested.

 

That really is the best part. Everyone's talking about how the Cards front office could possibly be convinced to do this, and Olney cites Philly's "internal discussions". Someone float Buster a "Cubs mulling Theriot/HanRam swap" ASAP.

[UMFan83]

New ESPN article

 

"Olney: 27 Other MLB teams - Totally discussing swap for Pujols as well"

 

Upon hearing rumors of a Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols swap between the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals, which was front page news on ESPN.com yesterday, 27 other Major League teams made it well known that they have also had internal discussions about acquiring Pujols. The only team that is said to not be interested in Pujols is the Chicago Cubs, who one insider said is already too right handed to look into acquiring Cardinals slugger.

 

One unnamed small market team was quoted as saying they would be interested in a Pujols swap, as long as the Cardinals were willing to include cash in the deal. The other 25 teams contacted ESPN to express various levels of interest between "Very interested" to "I guess we'd look into it. I'd have to pull up his numbers on Baseball Reference just to make sure."

Edited March 15, 2010 by UMFan83

[Soul]

That's pretty crazy. I'm getting visions of Cardinal fan riots in downtown St. Louis.

[TruffleShuffle]

pujols for howard, jayson werth and domonic brown. fair?

[erik316wttn]

That's pretty crazy. I'm getting visions of Cardinal fan riots in downtown St. Louis.

 

Nah. I think they're over Hee-Haw being canceled by now.

[Clem Fandango]

pujols for howard, jayson werth and domonic brown. fair?

 

I wouldn't do it

[UMFan83]

This guy on a Phillies message board is saying that swapping Howard with Pujols in the Phillies lineup would give them 19 more third order wins next year.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

This guy on a Phillies message board is saying that swapping Howard with Pujols in the Phillies lineup would give them 19 more third order wins next year.

 

I think he meant runs.

[Magdal]

One thing is for sure: If Albert drops off this season like he did in the last 6 or 7 weeks last year he won't be able to demand that monster contract. He had elbow surgery and is now having back trouble. He is 1 year older and who knows? He may bat .305 this year with only 25 HRs and become tradable.

 

It's not as absurd as it sounds. After all, they traded Hornsby and Medwick in their PRIME (both after winning triple crowns) and tried to ship Musial to the Pirates in HIS prime....stay tuned.