Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colum...7a0e65d88.html
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The longer you listen to Cardinals officials who carefully broach the subject, the more it sounds like they are either trying to get you to start getting comfortable with the possible reality of life without Pujols in the not-so-distant future, or at the very least take the concept out for a little public stroll for their own prospective negotiating benefit.
"Every team has financial limitations," team Chairman Bill DeWitt told Cardinals beat writer Joe Strauss on Tuesday at baseball's winter meetings in Florida. "I don't care what team you name. They have them. It's a process where you have to evaluate the value of a player given the ability to still field an effective, competitive club. Those are always the tradeoffs. It's not 'I don't want to give you X dollars because you don't deserve it.' It's 'I've got so much money I can afford and have a competitive team.' And you've got to put all those pieces together."
No wonder they appear to be going all out for next year. They know it's their last shot with Pujols as he bolts for the money train soon after.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
Vottomatic
If going all out is Berkman and Theriot, I would hate to see half assed.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
scott91575
If going all out is Berkman and Theriot, I would hate to see half assed.
They also signed Westbrook. Very solid 1 thru 4 rotation. Better than the Reds, that's for sure.
I'll agree about the position players, but atleast they're trying.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
scott91575
If going all out is Berkman and Theriot, I would hate to see half assed.
I would agree with you on that... Theriot is nothing more than a utility player at this point.... For 8 Million, I would think the Astros would have signed him back for that ammount...
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
I can tell you this right now, if Cardinals management fails to sign Pujols, they will lose all creditability with fans in St. Louis. Heck, there might even be rioting on the streets. This organization had at least 7 years to prepare for the Pujols free agency and it shows a lack of foresight if they cannot sign him to a long term contract. They have consistently had 3 million plus come to the ballpark per year and have kept the payroll anywhere from 85-100 million a year while raising ticket prices. Yes, I know part of it is to pay for the stadium but the Cardinals have money.
That said, Burwell is trying to ruffle up some feathers and I think it is too soon to really start panicking.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
The only way they sign him is if he takes a discount. If he wants $28-$30M, I think they let him walk.
I would.
Why pay one player that much? Salaries are getting out of hand. I see some kind of work stoppage in the next 5 years to get this under control.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
Walts master plan is probably to sign Pujols to a LTC with the Reds when he hits Free Agency.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
Hondo
Walts master plan is probably to sign Pujols to a LTC with the Reds when he hits Free Agency.
Sign Votto to LTC.
Sign Pujols next year to LTC, move Votto to LF.
Sign Cliff Lee this year to LTC.
Trade for Greinke and Felix Hernandez.
Trade for Choo.
If we were New York, it would be easy. :D
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
Votto I understand where you are coming from but Pujols means more to this team than just a bat and glove. Pujols is the lifeblood of this team and is one of the reasons why the Cardinals consistently draw 3 million plus at the ballpark every year. He is basically what Derek Jeter is to the Yankees.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
MikeThierry
Votto I understand where you are coming from but Pujols means more to this team than just a bat and glove. Pujols is the lifeblood of this team and is one of the reasons why the Cardinals consistently draw 3 million plus at the ballpark every year. He is basically what Derek Jeter is to the Yankees.
Winning teams bring fans to the ballpark. If the Cardinals have 5 losing in a row from the middle to the end of a potential Pujols contract, an aging Pujols likely isn't going to put people in the seats. Don't get me wrong, I want him signed, but if he wants more than we could pay while also remaining competitive, I think it's there is plenty of justification for not signing him.
I do, however, agree that much of the fanbase would be livid, and rightfully so. I don't know where my break even point would be, nor do I know where each side is as of now. I know it'll never happen but if it they can't get him signed this offseason and aren't close in terms of negotiations, I'd look at trading him. The worst thing this team can do is simply let him walk for a pair of picks.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
Razzle it really isn't that easy to say just trade him because he can nix any trade the Cards throw at him.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
MikeThierry
Razzle it really isn't that easy to say just trade him because he can nix any trade the Cards throw at him.
I agree completely and if that's the route he would take under those circumstances I'm fine with that, he's earned it.
I think what it comes down for to me is whether the fans are willing to accept potential down years from the team in the later years of a potential contract to ensure that one of the best players of all time remains in a Cards uni for the entirety of his career. For me the answer is pretty simple, I'm perfectly fine with the tradeoff. Guys like Pujols don't come around very often, if I have to endure 5 mediocre to bad years to keep him a Card for life, I'd do it. Maybe that makes me a bad fan of the team itself, but oh well.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
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Originally Posted by
Hondo
Walts master plan is probably to sign Pujols to a LTC with the Reds when he hits Free Agency.
Oh Gawd. Please. No. For one, I don't care how good he's been, he's due for a long ride on the injury train. We had that with Griffey. Once is enough.
Beside it would make me positively ill to see that man in a Reds uni. :barf:
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
I never understood the logic of people not wanting a player because they feel they are due for a big injury. If management ran on that kind of fear, no team would win. Pujols has never failed to play in less than 143 games. Compare that to Griffey who even earlier in his career had injuries that limited him to 72 games at one point. To also say it would make you ill to see him in a Reds uniform is an exaggeration to the extreme.
Re: Cardinals brass preparing fans for life without Pujols?
Here is actually a pretty good article written by Jayson Stark on the subject:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotsto...son&id=5900442