Should Pujols give a home team discount?

[joncarlos]

He's going to make an awesome Met.

[B-Fly]

Nationals

[mgwiz22]

The fact that everyone wants him on their team makes him worth the money he is asking. I'm a Marlins fan and I know he won't be a Marlin next year.

[gcstomp]

Well no he wont be on Marlins, Pujols is worth more than the entire Marlins franchise, including stadium, farm teams, future interests in logo hats, and anything else you can imagine. Its like saying, Babe Ruth is good, but I do not expect him to join my slow pitch beer softball league.

[joncarlos]

In all seriousness, if he wants to show his loyalty to the Cards, he'll either take a lot of deferred money or a really long contract (13/300 anyone?) so they can make it work.

I can't get a read on the Cards... they committed huge money to Holliday and it was either because they can afford both he and Pujols or because they knew Albert was probably gone. They also need to lock up Wainwright before too much longer and I doubt they can afford him (actually, he has a very club friendly deal with team options for '12 and '13... good for them)

[schlesinj]

Interesting seeing Carpenter's contract: $15 million this year and next with a $1 million buyout in 2012. I wonder if he is a casualty of a Pujols signing.

[BuckyBuckner]

Just saw on RotoWorld:

A "competing" baseball executive told SI.com's Jon Heyman that he believes the Cubs will make a 10-year, $275 million offer to Albert Pujols if he hits free agency.
We don't doubt it. The Cubs have a ton of money coming off the books in the winter of 2011 and would be able to support a massive offer for the man who has done so much damage against them. But this isn't really news -- it's just speculation and hype for now. Pujols has stated a desire to cut off all talks regarding a contract extension once he arrives at spring training, but it's not like the Cardinals won't try to re-sign him throughout the summer and early fall. For now, Albert is far from available.

[Davros]

We are talking Heyman here, so I am sure there isn't a strong source for his contract statement. Still, after the Marmol deal yesterday, the Cubs have $72.6 million locked up in 2012 for six players and several buyout clauses. The seven arbitration eligible guys will make much more than the $12.2 million they will collectively make this year. In handling the entire roster, I'd guess that the Cubs have around $95 million committed for 2012. If the payroll stays at the current $130 million level, there is around $35 million free for new players at 1B, 3B (if Vitters continues to flounder in the minors), and a body or two in the rotation and/or bullpen. There is loads more money open in 2013 for contract backloading purposes, but the Cubs still would have to go moderate with salaries at their other positional needs to make a Pujols signing work with the current situation.

Thanks Cot's

[willthethrill]

Just saw on RotoWorld:

A "competing" baseball executive told SI.com's Jon Heyman that he believes the Cubs will make a 10-year, $275 million offer to Albert Pujols if he hits free agency.
We don't doubt it. The Cubs have a ton of money coming off the books in the winter of 2011 and would be able to support a massive offer for the man who has done so much damage against them. But this isn't really news -- it's just speculation and hype for now. Pujols has stated a desire to cut off all talks regarding a contract extension once he arrives at spring training, but it's not like the Cardinals won't try to re-sign him throughout the summer and early fall. For now, Albert is far from available.

Lou Brock's Revenge!

[BuckyBuckner]

I don't think this needs it's own thread but I came across a nice video breakdown of Pujols' swing. It's a pretty good look at how great his mechanics are. Not really helpful in that someone is gonna all of a sudden decide to draft him but fun to look at anway.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W7CUMrsMP5A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[revo]

if anyone in baseball deserves a contract as large as he's seeking, it's Pujols. There's just no way STL will let him walk. None.

[TopChuckie]

If the Cards are willing to give him $30M per then there's really no reason to do it now other than PR. If they are willing but they wait, there is a chance he finds out, without the Yanks and Red Sox, there just isn't $30M per on the free agent market and the Cards might save a little bit of money.

But, are the Cards ever gong to be willing to give him $30M? Is their only hope his best offers fall in the $22M-$25M range, and he decides his preference is to just stay put for that money?

I don't know where the Cards fans fall on this, but I tend to think the Cards are playing this the right way. They may realize they cannot give $30M to one player and still field a competitive team, especially when that one player is probably 34 and seeking a 10-year contract that will take him into his 40's. Everyone wants to call ARod's contract an albatross that will come back and haunt the Yanks, but if that kind of contract can haunt the Yanks then it can kill the Cardinals. I really think if I was a Cards fan this is exactly how I would want the Cards to play it. I want them to bring back Albert, but only if they are able to do it in a way that allows the team to stay competitive, and the only way the Cards can do it on their terms is if the market's just not there for Albert after the season.

[Moonlight J]

If they would have paid him $30M last year, he would have been 24% of their payroll. They already have a crappy farm system so putting all of their eggs in that one basket and roughly 45% of their payroll into two bats just is not good baseball.

[Goalie]

There's an article on ESPN Boston - http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb...don&id=6129315 - which says Boston could make it work if he hits FA next year... Ortiz, Papelbon, Drew, Scutaro, Cameron and Varitek all come off the books next year which frees up $52 million and leaves them with "capable" replacements. They still have to pay Gonzalez though. I'm sure they're dreaming but after Cliff Lee, I'll never say never...

[Moonlight J]

There's an article on ESPN Boston - http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb...don&id=6129315 - which says Boston could make it work if he hits FA next year... Ortiz, Papelbon, Drew, Scutaro, Cameron and Varitek all come off the books next year which frees up $52 million and leaves them with "capable" replacements. They still have to pay Gonzalez though. I'm sure they're dreaming but after Cliff Lee, I'll never say never...

You can't move Gonzo off 1B and you can't pay Pujols that kind of money to DH