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

[TruffleShuffle]

How much would you have bet me if I predicted Darwin Barney would have a better OPS than Pujols by mid-May?

 

darwin barney had a better OPS than albert pujols in mid-may last year.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Great, he should bounce back this year and be pretty good. There's 9 other years on this contract. They're going to end up regretting it very soon

 

Nobody regrets signing the best player in baseball. Oh noes he'll decline...surround him with talent and their franchise will probably stay afloat.

 

If he wins a ring or two early on then that would be great for them.

[Tracer Bullet]

http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/will_pujols_end_the_season_with_at_least_30_hr_and_500_slg/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Soul]

Nobody regrets signing the best player in baseball.

 

Do you really think that's what he is..........now?

 

The ground is always shifting. New blood... always coming.

[XZero771679666304]

Nobody regrets signing the best player in baseball.

 

Do you really think that's what he is..........now?

 

The ground is always shifting. New blood... always coming.

 

He wasn't last year and he sure isn't now.

 

People keep calling him that, but unless he goes on a prodigious tear starting immediately this will be his third consecutive year of marked decline. From his numbers to his approach, he hasn't been HoF Pujols for a while. All the "but it's Pujols" talk is sounding increasingly hollow.

 

He's certainly not the best player in baseball right now. I'm not sure I have him top 5.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Alright, good point, but I still think it's hard to see them regretting that for a while. Anybody who has a legit argument, and is most likely the clear winner, of best player for a decade is someone who has some potential to stick around and make an impact.

 

Oh man...we're so in for these kind of threads when the Cubs make a big money signing, aren't we? I can see that being good times.

[TruffleShuffle]

He's certainly not the best player in baseball right now. I'm not sure I have him top 5.

 

who else makes your top 5 besides kemp and lahair?

[XZero771679666304]

He's certainly not the best player in baseball right now. I'm not sure I have him top 5.

 

who else makes your top 5 besides kemp and lahair?

 

LaHair?

 

Hamilton, Kemp, Braun, Cabrera and Votto are all guys I think are better than Albert at this point.

 

Of course Hamilton is Elijah Price so I wouldn't dish out a 10 year deal to him, but the list of guys I'd rather give a decade long deal to than Pujols extends well beyond that list of five.

 

I just think it's entirely possible we've seen the last 5+ WAR/1.000 OPS season of Albert's career. The last time he was legitimately the best player in the league was 2009, and he dropped 2 WAR/.100 OPS in 2010 and another 2 WAR/.100 OPS in 2011.

 

If you look at this year's performance to date in that context, it's hard to feel good about where this is headed. Clearly he's not going to finish 2012 with a .510 OPS and a negative WAR, but there's a clear trend developing.

 

Clearly, for the better part of the last decade Albert Pujols was the best player many of us have seen over an extended period. That said, I think for many wonderment over what he has done is obfuscating what he is doing. He has slipped from the top in WAR to the bottom of the top 5 to out of the top 10 to god knows what this year (ZiPS has him at 3.2-3.8).

 

His babip has been declining, but his plate approach has been degrading at an alarming rate. He's been a bit unlucky this year, but overall his numbers are in decline. He had a blip in 2007, but this is a whole other animal as his drop in production correlates with a marked degradation in plate discipline. Is he just pressuring himself? Doubtful, because his O-swing, BB%, BB/K% have all been clearly trending in the wrong direction dating back to 2010. Is he trying to compensate for something (age?, slowed bat?) by being more aggressive? Who knows.

 

But this much isn't debatable - He fell off his career pace a bit in 2010, followed it up with his worst MLB season in 2011 and even if he recovers this season is likely to have a worse season yet.

 

Is it possible last year was an aberration due to a slow start and this year has been an aberration due to poor luck and high pressure? Maybe, but I doubt it. At the very least, the situation has gotten to the point where a little incredulity at the notion the Pujols is still the best player in the game is perfectly reasonable, especially with the emergence of some really good players.

[Banedon]

It's the hitting coach's fault.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/la-sp-0516-angels-athletics-20120516-15,0,7158262.story

[Careless]

He looks like he was taken out of old black and white footage and photoshop-modernized.

[Clem Fandango]

I like Rotoworld's snarky commentary...

 

Pujols joins two-HR club with three-run blast

 

Albert Pujols hit his second home in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the White Sox.

With his three-run blast off of Gavin Floyd in the third inning, Pujols joined such luminaries as Clint Barmes and Jeff Mathis in the two home run club. It was Pujols' only hit in four trips to the plate, but he's now four for his past eight with five RBI. He's also hit in five consecutive games. Almost certainly above the Mendoza Line to stay (we hope), you can start planning on the Angels' $250 million man to better resemble the fantasy beast we've come to know and love in the coming weeks.

[Have a seat, Neifi]

Agree that Pujols will still likely end up with decent counting stats by season's end, but this is what would have me concerned if I were an Angels fan:

 

Walk rate by year:

2009 - 16.4%

2010 - 14.7%

2011 - 9.4%

2012 - 4.5%

[weis21]

i like it when most big money athletes fail, unless they're total self-aware douches, then i root for them.

 

hahahaha

 

I didn't realize it until I read this, but I feel the exact same way

I like the Lakers because I root for Metta World Peace. This completely blows away my family and most friends. I mean how could you possibly not love someone that is that bat-[expletive] crazy?

[javy knows my name]

i like it when most big money athletes fail, unless they're total self-aware douches, then i root for them.

 

hahahaha

 

I didn't realize it until I read this, but I feel the exact same way

I like the Lakers because I root for Metta World Peace. This completely blows away my family and most friends. I mean how could you possibly not love someone that is that [expletive] crazy?

 

I first lost interest in the NBA because of the influx of crazy people and I renewed my interest 3-4 years later because of all the crazy people.

[Pushfrog98]

http://www.randomdudeswithmorehomerunsthanpujols.com/index.php

[Guest]

Agree that Pujols will still likely end up with decent counting stats by season's end, but this is what would have me concerned if I were an Angels fan:

 

Walk rate by year:

2009 - 16.4%

2010 - 14.7%

2011 - 9.4%

2012 - 4.5%

99% of Angels fans have been brainwashed into thinking that walks don't matter.

[Careless]

http://www.randomdudeswithmorehomerunsthanpujols.com/index.php

Have to appreciate people who take the time to make sites like these.

[Post Count Padder]

http://www.randomdudeswithmorehomerunsthanpujols.com/index.php

Fantastic

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Agree that Pujols will still likely end up with decent counting stats by season's end, but this is what would have me concerned if I were an Angels fan:

 

Walk rate by year:

2009 - 16.4%

2010 - 14.7%

2011 - 9.4%

2012 - 4.5%

99% of Angels fans have been brainwashed into thinking that walks don't matter.

 

Mike S. IS the master of small ball.

[El Duderino]

Pujols just went oppo, about 410 feet at Safeco. 2nd homer in as many nights.

[rocket]

309/371/600 since 5/12. HE'S BACK

[Sosa21MVP]

309/371/600 since 5/12. HE'S BACK

 

Obviously he forgot to leave a forwarding address for his HGH shipments. That little detail must be resolved now. :good:

[Soul]

Worthless to worth every penny. In 2 week's time!

[Sammy Sofa]

Last 14 days: .327 .379 .712 1.091

 

Last 7 days: .375 .407 .958 1.366

 

Sexy.