Hot Stove: MLB Offseason Thread

[Funky Bunky]

I'm not in love with the signing, but I'm still excited to see Pujols in Anaheim. He'll definitely bring in revenue.

I'm just kind of worried that he won't survive the full 10 years. (baseball career wise, I'm not saying he'll die)

[FiddySicks]

Now comes the real test for Cardinals fans. Will they do what Cleveland did and act like jilted lovers, or will they show everyone that they are just oozing with the class, knowledge, and sophistication that we all know they are, and applaud him for what he did in St. Louis?

:ducks:

[The_Admiral]

will they show everyone that they are just oozing with class, knowledge, and sophistication that we all know they are

[McCall]

I personally just move on. It sucks, but hey, we got a good team still and are the defending World Champions. So, who knows. It's different. I've been sick for a week and actually left work after an hour today, came home, turned on the tv right as they were starting the new SportsCenter and the breaking news. Needless to say, didn't help me feel any better.

But, just gotta look forward to a new era. We're not Cleveland. We actually won not only one, but TWO championships before our guy left.

[Burkell007]

so does prince go to the cubs or the nats???....

[McCall]

will they show everyone that they are just oozing with class, knowledge, and sophistication that we all know they are

Laugh all you want. Your last world championship was 103 years ago. Ours was about 6 weeks ago.

[NJTank]

I am rooting for Prince to stay in Beer Town, while the Mets are garbage I can have a team to root for in the NL after the Mets are eleminated in June.

[DaytonBlue]

As a Cards fan, I predict his reception when he comes back to STL (may be a few years depending on interleague rotation) will be nicer than Cleveland fans were but not as nice as the media makes Cards fans out to be.

I think the Cards fans are nice deal has slowly eroded away over the past decade, especially since the new ballpark was built. I remember my first game at Busch the 3rd. It was the 3rd game at the new stadium, and boos were quite loud when Jason Isringhausen was brought into the game (he hadn't had a good start that year). It was the first time I remember boos at a home Cardinal game, and I was 22 at the time, probably going to half a dozen games a year since I was a kid. I think the higher prices for tickets associated with the new stadium and the perception of greedy ownership from the lack of progress on Ballpark Village has really upped the pressure to win and win often. It's not like BOS or NY, but the expecations keep rising.

I also think what will hurt Pujols leagcy with the Cardinals is how he had said he wanted to retire there and be like Musial. Musial is a saint in STL and for Pujols to compare himself to Stan the Man and then not follow through is going to sting for a lot of people.

I agree with a lot of the posters on here too regarding the DH. If the Cards and Angels had made matching offers (they didn't), I'd still have gone to Anaheim.

[Island_Style]

will they show everyone that they are just oozing with class, knowledge, and sophistication that we all know they are

Laugh all you want. Your last world championship was 103 years ago. Ours was about 6 weeks ago.

Even the Marlins had two in that span.

[dfwabel]

CJ Wilson is overrated the Angels will be sorry with this contract.

CJ is smart enough to stay in the AL West where he will face two of the weakest batting teams this year in OAK and SEA. Then in 2013, he gets a weak hitting HOU added to that division. Up to 45% of his starts can be against those teams. His walks per 9 is high, but his ERA was very good for pitching in Rangers Ballpark.

[The_Admiral]

I don't know what's going to be worse: Cardinals fans being overtly butthurt over the move, or Cardinals fans sanctimoniously making a big deal about how they're too bestfansinbasebally to be overtly butthurt over the move. I guess it's just a matter of whether they're gonna jerk themselves off with their right hands or their left.

But this is good! As a wise man once said, "the Cubs don't have to get better, everyone else just has to get a little worse." And the Cubs sure as hell aren't getting any better!

[Cujo]

Anyone done the "Today we are all..." thing yet?

I mean, it would be fitting (for once) 'cause Pujols just KILLED the St. Louis faithful today.

[FiddySicks]

That's the thing though. At this very moment those teams can't hit. But considering the freaking Angels just dropped about 350 mil in an hour, who knows what'll happen in the AL West down the road? Astros just got a new owner, A's are close(ish) to getting a new park in San Jose, Rangers will do all they can to remain competitive, and the Mariners... Well, maybe Fielder will sign there.

The Pujols deal is steep, but the CJ Wilson deal is just crazy. He's going to be a 4th starter at best come a year from now IMO.

And Curt, I was gonna put that today we all have the intestinal fortitude of perching songbirds, but isn't that like a death sentence now?

[DEAD!]

Anyone done the "Today we are all..." thing yet?

I mean, it would be fitting (for once) 'cause Pujols just KILLED the St. Louis faithful today.

Today, we are all Angels... happy now?

[TFoA]

Marlins won't be getting Fielder.

[Island_Style]

Marlins won't be getting Fielder.

NO,NO,NO! To me, he was the hitting gem that Flor.... err, Miami needed. This one crushed me.

[Cujo]

Marlins won't be getting Fielder.

Are the Angles out of the running as well?

[infrared41]

Wow. I'm actually kind of torn on this Pujols thing. As basically an Angels fan, I'm thrilled they got Albert Pujols. As a baseball fan, I kind of wish he'd stayed in St. Louis. The Angels just tied up ten years of big money into a guy who's going to probably give them 5 more really good years. Cardinals fans won't like this today (Pretty much like Angels fans are going to feel about C.J. Wilson around July.) but in five years they'll be thanking their lucky stars they didn't do this deal with Pujols. But what the hell, it's Albert Pujols. I'll take that.

[pcgd]

My heart is sad.

My brain is happy.

I was on the fence about the reported 10/220 deal but 10/254 is way too much.

I've said from the beginning the only teams that made sense at those numbers were the cardinals (paying for the past) and an AL team for the DH.

Cardinals have $20 or so million to spend the next 10 years so that's good. And they picked up 2 draft picks which is a little but it still stings for sure.

[Still MIGHTY]

Wow. I'm actually kind of torn on this Pujols thing. As basically an Angels fan, I'm thrilled they got Albert Pujols. As a baseball fan, I kind of wish he'd stayed in St. Louis. The Angels just tied up ten years of big money into a guy who's going to probably give them 5 more really good years. Cardinals fans won't like this today (Pretty much like Angels fans are going to feel about C.J. Wilson around July.) but in five years they'll be thanking their lucky stars they didn't do this deal with Pujols. But what the hell, it's Albert Pujols. I'll take that.

Exactly.

I don't care about the money. It's not my money. Arte obviously gave the go-ahead (and that's huge with his recent reputation of penny pinching). And if there is a guy you're going to take a flyer on with that money, it's Albert ing Pujols.

And in five years if Albert is deteriorating in the field, you throw him in a DH. That's why this deal makes way more sense for the Angels than it would the Cardinals. His usefulness runs longer in the AL.

And for any qualms about Wilson, he's still a damn good pitcher. And he's not the one or two. Hell, he's going to have to fight Santana for the three spot. Wilson is still damn better than Pinero or anybody else that's been trotted out in the four spot recently.

Iannetta in, Mathis out, Hawkins in, Pujols in, Wilson in. And there's probably more to come (not in form of signings. More jettisons if anything). I'm thoroughly enjoying the Jerry DiPoto era in Anaheim. Go Halos.