Pujols signs with Angels pg 151

[Butterscup1679666578]

I saw Miklasz in person the other day. And I made it out alive to tell you about it.

[doschi]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/rosenblog/chi-epsteins-freeagent-problems-20111130,0,1361388.column

 

Can someone please ship Rosenbloom off to the San Jose-Mercury News where he can bask in smug Chicago sports self-righteousness exile along with that guy whose brother makes some of the best non-Mexican Mexican food in town?

 

If so, I promise I'll use proper punctuation in all forthcoming run-on sentences.

[Guest]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/rosenblog/chi-epsteins-freeagent-problems-20111130,0,1361388.column

 

Can someone please ship Rosenbloom off to the San Jose-Mercury News where he can bask in smug Chicago sports self-righteousness exile along with that guy whose brother makes some of the best non-Mexican Mexican food in town?

 

If so, I promise I'll use proper punctuation in all forthcoming run-on sentences.

 

If nothing else good came of that, I hadn't seen this report before...

 

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cards-seek-clarity-in-pujols-talks/article_c72c6d5f-f67e-5b2e-97ce-1b28cc42b80e.html

 

While the market for free-agent first baseman Albert Pujols continued to develop Tuesday with news of the Chicago Cubs' interest, the Cardinals are hoping that their chance of re-signing the three-time MVP gains clarity in the next couple of weeks so they can move forward or move on.

 

The Cubs contacted Pujols' agent during the Thanksgiving weekend to discuss their interest in the free agent. A source with knowledge of those conversations said the Cubs have 'serious interest."

 

 

The Cubs' new president, Theo Epstein, has talked since his hiring in October about rebuilding through the draft, suggesting a hesitance to splash cash on free agents. The Cubs shed several high salaries at the end of the season and do not have an established first baseman for 2012. They contacted Pujols' representative on Friday, a baseball source confirmed, but any talks were described as preliminary.

[Little Slide Rooter]

While I'll be dissapointed if we don't land Pujols or Fielder, I'll still be very intrigued to see what happens. If we were to go simply through the draft and sign guys like David DeJesus and Chris Capuano to fill spots, this team simply will not be contending by the time Epstein and Hoyers contracts are up. Even if Maples, Baez, Vogelsbach, Wells, etc. end up meeting expectations, it will likely be at least 3-4 years before they're ready for the big leagues. None of them are even old enough to drink. Jackson and McNutt are the only big league ready prospects we have as far as potential difference makers go with Vitters, Lake, and Szczur 1-3 years behind them. The only team I can think of that was able to have any long term success building strictly from within is the Rays. Even the Brewers, who produced Braun, Fielder, Gallardo, Weeks, and Hart within a 3 year period werent able to do anything until they decided to trade away top prospects for pitching. My gut tells me that in the next 2 years we'll be

 

This offseason signing 1 of the following, in order of likelyhood:

1. Cespedes

2. Fielder

3. Pujols

4. Solar

 

-Either keep Garza and acquire 1 decent mid rotation starter or trade Garza and acquire 2 high ceiling 1-2 years away from the big leagues starters

 

-Try to trade Soriano for some hint of value, if we can't then trade Byrd.

 

-Trade Soto

 

-Acquire Ian Stewart

 

And in 2012 we'll acquire 1 more bat and 1 ace caliber pitcher.

[Guest]

I think Fielder is significantly more likely than Cespedes. He actually plays a position the Cubs have a gaping hole at, and Cespedes has far more suitors, if you believe what we've read up until now.

 

With Pujols, I'm not sure what to think, though if we manage to drive up the price for St. Louis, that'd still be an OK outcome.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Honestly, this just sounds like Pujols' agent trying to make the market for him seem as hot as possible. I don't doubt that the Cubs have made some sort of contact, but I'm not entirely convinced they are serious about it.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I think Fielder is significantly more likely than Cespedes. He actually plays a position the Cubs have a gaping hole at, and Cespedes has far more suitors, if you believe what we've read up until now.

 

With Pujols, I'm not sure what to think, though if we manage to drive up the price for St. Louis, that'd still be an OK outcome.

 

I think that Cespedes is the more intriguing of the 2. Remember, Cespedes is likely to make around 7 mil/year while Fielder will be >20 mil. With Fielder, you know what you're going to get at least for the first 5 years of his contract(I think he'll end up signing for 7-8 years). As for Pujols, I personally think that his chances are: Cardinals: 95% Cubs: 4%, Other: 1%. Epstein seems to be very good at keeing his business on the down low, so I think that whatever happens, it will be a quick strike without several weeks worth of rumors proceeding it.

[Guest]

I think Fielder is significantly more likely than Cespedes. He actually plays a position the Cubs have a gaping hole at, and Cespedes has far more suitors, if you believe what we've read up until now.

 

With Pujols, I'm not sure what to think, though if we manage to drive up the price for St. Louis, that'd still be an OK outcome.

I think that Cespedes is the more intriguing of the 2. Remember, Cespedes is likely to make around 7 mil/year while Fielder will be >20 mil. With Fielder, you know what you're going to get at least for the first 5 years of his contract(I think he'll end up signing for 7-8 years). As for Pujols, I personally think that his chances are: Cardinals: 95% Cubs: 4%, Other: 1%. Epstein seems to be very good at keeing his business on the down low, so I think that whatever happens, it will be a quick strike without several weeks worth of rumors proceeding it.

 

That makes him a more likely signing?

[Little Slide Rooter]

I think Fielder is significantly more likely than Cespedes. He actually plays a position the Cubs have a gaping hole at, and Cespedes has far more suitors, if you believe what we've read up until now.

 

With Pujols, I'm not sure what to think, though if we manage to drive up the price for St. Louis, that'd still be an OK outcome.

I think that Cespedes is the more intriguing of the 2. Remember, Cespedes is likely to make around 7 mil/year while Fielder will be >20 mil. With Fielder, you know what you're going to get at least for the first 5 years of his contract(I think he'll end up signing for 7-8 years). As for Pujols, I personally think that his chances are: Cardinals: 95% Cubs: 4%, Other: 1%. Epstein seems to be very good at keeing his business on the down low, so I think that whatever happens, it will be a quick strike without several weeks worth of rumors proceeding it.

 

That makes him a more likely signing?

 

No, but this does

 

Cespedes is likely to make around 7 mil/year while Fielder will be >20 mil.

[Guest]

Cespedes also has far more potential suitors and the Cubs have a much bigger need at 1B.

[davell]

I'd put Soler 1st on that list, based on everything Theo has said. Then Fielder, Cespedes, and Pujols in that order.

[Guest]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-passan_pujols_cubs_free_agent_113011

[doschi]

Marlins pondering pursuit of Fielder, according to Rosenthal:

 

http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbbuzz/fish_on_fielder_well_not_yet/8470135?new_post=true

[Clem Fandango]

The Marlins are pondering a pursuit if everyone, and making half-assed offers in hopes they'll accept cause their new stadium is super neat and worth the several dozen million dollars they'll be leaving on the table to sign elsewhere, all in an attempt to show their fan base they want to win

[ctcf]

The Marlins are pondering a pursuit if everyone, and making half-assed offers in hopes they'll accept cause their new stadium is super neat and worth the several dozen million dollars they'll be leaving on the table to sign elsewhere, all in an attempt to show their fan base they want to win

 

I guess they think their fan base is really dumb.

[Pushfrog98]

Does the lack of a Florida state tax help them with giving lower offers like it helped the Heat?

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Does the lack of a Florida state tax help them with giving lower offers like it helped the Heat?

Perhaps, but not nearly as much, or in as predictable a manner, as most people think.

 

See this article: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-jock-tax/

[Abe Frohman]

Didn't the Marlins offer Pujols 9 years, $25 million per? I wouldn't call that "half-ass."

[Little Slide Rooter]

Didn't the Marlins offer Pujols 9 years, $25 million per? I wouldn't call that "half-ass."

 

Did they? I was reading that nobody expected the Marlins offer to Pujols to be taken seriously because it was too low. I can't see them saying that about that kind of deal. Hell, he might already have signed for that.

[Guest]

Didn't the Marlins offer Pujols 9 years, $25 million per? I wouldn't call that "half-ass."

 

I don't think they did. I think the follow up reports were something like 9/180.

[mul21]

Didn't the Marlins offer Pujols 9 years, $25 million per? I wouldn't call that "half-ass."

 

No, I think the speculation was 9 years and less than $200 million.

[abuck1220]

i don't get the argument that the marlins are just pretending to want to sign these big name guys. do they think people are going to buy season tickets because they tried to sign pujols? is that the argument?

[davell]

I fully expect the Marlins to wind up with Reyes and one of Wilson, Jackson, or Buehrle.

[ctcf]

Matt Loede of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland reports that Prince Fielder has narrowed his choices of where he will sign this offseason to the Blue Jays, Rangers and Brewers, with the Blue Jays thought to be the favorites.

The report is rather obscure, so take it with a big grain of salt. If Loede is correct, then we would have to think Fielder would essentially be down to the Blue Jays and Rangers, as the Brewers don't look to be willing to go past a six-year, $120 million offer, which almost surely will not be enough. The Nationals, Cubs and Marlins have also been linked to Fielder.

 

Per rotoworld. I'd be fairly shocked if this were the case.

[davell]

Geez, I hope that guy is wrong obviously.