When do the Angels start to worry about the Pujols contract?

[davearm2]

There's reasons for concern, but as the article points out if anyone can adjust changes like this it's arguably the best hitter of all time. It's not like the guy wasn't able to effectively compensate last year; why would he just suddenly fall off of a cliff after succeeding despite these changes last season?

 

Does he have to fall of a cliff for this to be a terrible contract? He doesn't have to pull a soriano. If he's merely above average for his position for 6-8 years of the contract, was it a bad deal?

It's only a bad deal if it cripples your team for many years. That's what I've heard, anyway.

[XZero771679666304]

 

Right. But the expectation is he's at least very good from the start. I don't think the angels are banking on him being worth $25m in 10 years.

 

And the non-performance factors were considered by the team during negotiations, as I just said. They aren't a hedge against his bad play.

 

 

Right. No one was expecting vintage Pujols, and the "other" factors he brings were no doubt figured into his contract.

 

Conversely, no one is expecting Pujols to fall off of a cliff, and I still don't. But if Albert only gives them 2-3 years of 5+ WAR production and then declines into a 2-3 WAR player for the rest of his contract, you have to consider the deal a mistake.

 

And no matter how one spins it, the fact that he is becoming (much) less selective while he is aging is not an encouraging sign.

[XZero771679666304]

For some perspective, April/May 2011 were the worst two (full) months of Albert's career be a fair margin.

 

So far in 2012, he's .200 OPS below that pace.

 

I expect Pujols will snap out of it and go on a tear, but still, yikes.

[C.C.]

No. At least not for another 5-7 years. The last 2-3 years perhaps.

 

It's a huge contract, different league, he left the only team he's played in his whole career. Give the man time to adjust. He's human and the one guy you don't worry about is Pujols.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

For some perspective, April/May 2011 were the worst two (full) months of Albert's career be a fair margin.

 

So far in 2012, he's .200 OPS below that pace.

 

I expect Pujols will snap out of it and go on a tear, but still, yikes.

Yea. It's definitely an "issue" now, whether or not it was already. The kicker for me is that the Angels are already 7.5 games back of the Rangers. It's not like the Angels are tearing up the league and can afford to wait around for Pujols to figure things out. Games in April and May count, too.

[C.C.]

For some perspective, April/May 2011 were the worst two (full) months of Albert's career be a fair margin.

 

So far in 2012, he's .200 OPS below that pace.

 

I expect Pujols will snap out of it and go on a tear, but still, yikes.

Yea. It's definitely an "issue" now, whether or not it was already. The kicker for me is that the Angels are already 7.5 games back of the Rangers. It's not like the Angels are tearing up the league and can afford to wait around for Pujols to figure things out. Games in April and May count, too.

 

It's may.

[XZero771679666304]

For some perspective, April/May 2011 were the worst two (full) months of Albert's career be a fair margin.

 

So far in 2012, he's .200 OPS below that pace.

 

I expect Pujols will snap out of it and go on a tear, but still, yikes.

Yea. It's definitely an "issue" now, whether or not it was already. The kicker for me is that the Angels are already 7.5 games back of the Rangers. It's not like the Angels are tearing up the league and can afford to wait around for Pujols to figure things out. Games in April and May count, too.

 

It's may.

 

He's also following up his worst season with a an absolutely abysmal start. He got off to a slow start last year, but it was nothing compared to the putrid display he's put on so far in 2012.

 

But it's not the numbers that are the most troubling, it's that his approach at the plate has degraded. Walks down, K/BB rate climbing sharply, chasing pitches and expanding his strike zone. He did it last year as well. If he were being babip'd that'd be one thing, but he's not the same player at the plate right now. His plate discipline is a huge part of what made him a HoF player and unless he rediscovers it, the days of 1.000 OPS, 7+ WAR Pujols are done. Hell, if he doesn't rediscover his old self, the days of .900 OPS, 5 WAR Pujols are over.

 

Unless he absolutely explodes out of this, 2012 looks to be his third consecutive year of clear decline.

[Cubs Evangelist]

I would give up being a fan of the greatest pastime on earth if Pujols put those numbers up in a Cubs uniform after signing that contract. Thankfully, it's one less worry as a Cubs fan!

[Rizzo Smash]

Yeah I can't imagine how I'd be feeling if we signed Pujols to a monster contract and he was putting up these numbers. It's no surprise that the guy sucks as soon as he leaves St. Louis though.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Swinging at pitches outside the zone:

 

Career 21.8%

2011 31.8%

2012 39.9%

[Careless]

That seems abrupt. Check his eyes?

[17 Seconds]

ops almost under .500

 

amazing

[Soul]

''I'm fine. I mean, this is baseball. It's a long year,'' Pujols said. ''I've been in this situation before, so I need to have faith and stay strong, knowing this bad time will pass. If it's meant to be like this the whole year, I'll deal with it. But I'm a great hitter and I know I can hit."

 

I'm sure he'll do better than this, but he's never been in quite this situation before.

[davell]

Great hitter or not, it's going to be hard to live up to 240 million and he's probably trying too hard to do that right now. I'm sure he'll bust out of it, but he's dug himself quite a hole to end up with normalish numbers for this season.

[Guest]

Swinging at pitches outside the zone:

 

Career 21.8%

2011 31.8%

2012 39.9%

 

To be fair, the league average has risen almost 10% since his career started, but that certainly is part of the problem.

 

I saw this the other day and thought it was pretty fascinating. I'm not much of a swing doctor to know how valid a point it is, but it does make sense.

 

Albert Pujols' Back Leg

[Geech]

To be fair, the league average has risen almost 10% since his career started, but that certainly is part of the problem.

 

I saw this the other day and thought it was pretty fascinating. I'm not much of a swing doctor to know how valid a point it is, but it does make sense.

 

Albert Pujols' Back Leg

 

Meh. He seems to be comparing two or three swings.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c47/MysteryMeat/nohomers.gif

[Soul]

Well, there's #1.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Well, there's #1.

 

They're allowed one.

[KingCubsFan]

I'd be interested to see what Pujols' and LaHair's lines would need to be the rest of the year to finish with an .850 OPS.

[sneakypower]

I'd be interested to see what Pujols' and LaHair's lines would need to be the rest of the year to finish with an .850 OPS.

assuming the same playing time they've received so far, through the rest of the season...

 

Pujols:

.283/.367/.550 (.917)

 

LaHair:

.264/.338/.423 (.761)

[sneakypower]

and if you really want to [expletive] your pants, look at zips' updated projections:

http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&type=uzips&team=0&players=0&sort=18,d

 

it's like Where's Waldo, finding Pujols

 

hint:

 

HE'S BELOW MICHAEL CUDDYER(!) AND ALLEN CRAIG(!!)

 

also, who's that guy there above Miggy Cabrera and Prince Fielder a few spots? bizzaro world.

[Soul]

Can't say I'm rooting for him to break out of it. Continued Pujols suckage is enjoyable to me.

[XZero771679666304]

Can't say I'm rooting for him to break out of it. Continued Pujols suckage is enjoyable to me.

 

Pujols sucking makes Cardinals fans feel better, so I can't enjoy it.

[MWV]

Can't say I'm rooting for him to break out of it. Continued Pujols suckage is enjoyable to me.

 

Pujols sucking makes Cardinals fans feel better, so I can't enjoy it.

This. Having left the cards, I was hoping Pujols would hit 88 HR a year until he was 50.

Now I have to hear all my old acquaintances from STL talk about how glad they are they "got rid of his greedy ass". This just feeds every awful meatball aspect of the STL fan base. Pujols goes? No biggie. Carp goes down? We'll replace his production with Lance Lynn. Copacetic.