Matt Holliday just signed with the cardinals for a 7yr/ $120 million deal. That brings up the question..what’s next for Albert Pujols?
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column about the Yankees leaving room in their lineup for the best player in the game today, Albert Pujols. He says that the DH spot is staying open because the club may want to sign Pujols, or possibly trade for him. Rogers thinks they will go after Pujols for the 2011 or 2012 season, when he becomes a free agent.
Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard are all within two years of free agency. Mauer wants to stay with the Twins. But can they afford him? With Holliday in the mix for years, can the Cardinals sign Pujols to a mega deal? The idea that the Cardinals, Twins, Brewers, Padres and Phillies will sign their stars to contracts is just not going to happen. It’s the business of baseball. Rogers put it best by saying, “However, history suggests that, in the end, the rich get richer.”
Derek Jeter’s contract is up after the 2010 season. The Yankees will negotiate a deal with Derek to keep him in pinstripes for the remainder of his career. He will pretty much get whatever he asks for. Mariano Rivera’s contract is up after the 2010 season as well. Mariano claimed that he wanted to play five more years after he won the World Series. Who knows if he means it. And then there is Jorge Posada. He will have one more year left on his contract in the 2011 season, and who knows what position he will fill on the team. The Yankees whole roster will be filled with the highest paid players in the game. With the Yankees plans of lowering their payroll, are they going to want to do all this? This is still Albert Pujols, and you can’t pass up on him because he’s the best there is. Nobody thought they would ever see A-Rod in pinstripes, but a pickup basketball game by Aaron Boone made it happen.
ESPN’s Buster Olney feels that because the Yankees are invested in Teixeira and A-Rod over the next decade, something dramatic would have to happen in order for Pujols to land in the Bronx.
Can you imagine the heart of the Yankees lineup being: Mark Teixiera, Alex Rodriguez, and Albert Pujols. I’ve compared other lineups to Murderers Row, but that truly would be. This is the Yankees we are talking about, the home of the rich and the famous. They get who they want, when they want it. Money talks in this game we call baseball. The Yankees are more likely to go out and get Joe Mauer then Albert Pujols, but a guy can dream…
M. B. Rozell
Kevin Rozell
You’re an idiot, Pujols to the yankees? Yeah, I’m sure he wants to be the DH and not play in the field. When Vazquez leaves and yankees sign Cliff Lee next offseason, Pujols will mean 240-250+ payroll wise…no chance. If the sox miss out on agon, look for them to be the high bidder here, especially if Mauer goes to the bronx.
Yeah, it’s not like he hasn’t played the outfield OR third base ever! Sheesh.
I’d love to see Pujols a Yankee..or Mauer would work too…
And Matt…first off…Rob is not an idiot…he writes lots of great articles..and second..there is an equal chance of Pujols in pinnies as there is Lee.
Kevin wrote the article. I can see Lee in pinstripes before I see Pujols, just personal opinion. Pujols is a god in St Louis.
My bad…but Kevin is not an idiot either. I can usually tell who wrote the article without reading the author…you are rubbing off on Kevin!
And you are probably right, Rob, but I don’t see how they can pay Pujols and Holliday and still have enough left to field a WS competitive team. That is a lot of money for bats..some of which will need to go fer pitching to win in the playoffs.
No, you’re absolutely right. It was a dumb move for the Cardinals to bid against themselves. Paying that much for Holliday is insane, personally I didn’t like Holliday. Boras also said he was like Teixeira! I can’t see Pujols leaving, its an image I just can’t shake. What about him taking a pay cut?
Doubt he would need to to don pinstripes…Jetes is going to eat up a lot with his new contract, but I wonder if some of that could/would be ownership stock. He has stated he wants to be an owner…