Albert Pujols as a Cub in 2012?

[Dave19642011]

The Cubs are potentially putting themselves in a position to target Albert Pujols next winter when he becomes a free agent. However, it remains to be seen whether or not St Louis will sign Pujols to a mega-deal before he hits free agency. Despite talking during the Winter Meetings, the Cardinals and Pujol’s camp are not close to establishing the basic parameters of a deal yet. But, I still believe that the St Louis Cardinals will eventually sign Albert Pujols to a long term extension. Because it just seems that the Cardinals have been setting themselves up over the past two year to give Pujols the mega-deal that he is probably seeking. Although, Pujols may be seeking a deal that is better than the 10 year, $275MM deal that the New York Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez in 2008. While it may not be for 10 years, the expectation is that Pujols could get a 7 year deal that would pay him $28MM to $29MM a year. That would put the combined total of the contract at $196MM or even $203MM.
On the off chance that the St Louis Cardinals do not re-sign Albert Pujols, the Cubs are in a prime position of all the big market teams to land the game’s best player. Because with -New York Yankees having Mark Teixiera; The Red Sox with Adrian Gonzalez; The White Sox with Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko; New York Mets with Ike Davis- many of the other big market teams already have a proven first baseman, they probably will not be in the running for Pujols. Which would leave the Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels as the only two teams that can offer big money to Pujols.
But lets say that Pujols does stay with Cardinals, who would the Cubs then target? Well, that answer may be the guy that Cubs just signed to a one year, $10MM deal in Carlos Pena. If Carlos Pena does in fact have a bounce back year, let’s say .240 with 35 home runs and over 100 RBI’s, the Cubs would be very interested in signing him to a long term extension. This is another reason why you have to like the Carlos Pena contract for the Chicago Cubs. Because, essentially Pena is auditioning for a big payday in 2012, a payday in which could be provided by the Chicago Cubs.
Regardless of what happens with Albert Pujols and St Louis, the Cubs will almost certainly be big spenders next winter.

 

[kcclones]

why don't you just put a link to the articles? It seems like your chiefs updates are the same. give the writer credit if you aren't writing the summary.

sorry not trying to be an ***

 

[chuckd4735]

If the Cubs sign another 31 year old (or so he says) to a contract in which he (Pujlos) is demanding, I will not be happy.

 

[tejasclone]

As a Cards fan, I've arrived at the opinion that we should NOT attempt to re-sign Albert. The team just so has so many pressing needs that could be addressed with the added flexibility in payroll. As much as I love watching Albert play, the team around him has not been very good for the last 5 years.

That said, I really hope he doesn't end up with the Cubs.

 

[Cyclonz]

Cubs would be better off targeting Prince Fielder - he's four or five years younger.

 

[HiltonMagic]

Cubs would be better off targeting Prince Fielder - he's four or five years younger.

or six or seven

 

[Cyforce]

Cubs would be better off targeting Prince Fielder - he's four or five years younger.

Plus he's a lefty

Barney
Castro
Fielder
Ramirez
Byrd
Colvin
Soto
Campana

sounds like runs

 

[rebecacy]

The Cubs are potentially putting themselves in a position to target Albert Pujols next winter when he becomes a free agent. However, it remains to be seen whether or not St Louis will sign Pujols to a mega-deal before he hits free agency. Despite talking during the Winter Meetings, the Cardinals and Pujol’s camp are not close to establishing the basic parameters of a deal yet. But, I still believe that the St Louis Cardinals will eventually sign Albert Pujols to a long term extension. Because it just seems that the Cardinals have been setting themselves up over the past two year to give Pujols the mega-deal that he is probably seeking. Although, Pujols may be seeking a deal that is better than the 10 year, $275MM deal that the New York Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez in 2008. While it may not be for 10 years, the expectation is that Pujols could get a 7 year deal that would pay him $28MM to $29MM a year. That would put the combined total of the contract at $196MM or even $203MM.
On the off chance that the St Louis Cardinals do not re-sign Albert Pujols, the Cubs are in a prime position of all the big market teams to land the game’s best player. Because with -New York Yankees having Mark Teixiera; The Red Sox with Adrian Gonzalez; The White Sox with Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko; New York Mets with Ike Davis- many of the other big market teams already have a proven first baseman, they probably will not be in the running for Pujols. Which would leave the Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels as the only two teams that can offer big money to Pujols.
But lets say that Pujols does stay with Cardinals, who would the Cubs then target? Well, that answer may be the guy that Cubs just signed to a one year, $10MM deal in Carlos Pena. If Carlos Pena does in fact have a bounce back year, let’s say .240 with 35 home runs and over 100 RBI’s, the Cubs would be very interested in signing him to a long term extension. This is another reason why you have to like the Carlos Pena contract for the Chicago Cubs. Because, essentially Pena is auditioning for a big payday in 2012, a payday in which could be provided by the Chicago Cubs.
Regardless of what happens with Albert Pujols and St Louis, the Cubs will almost certainly be big spenders next winter.

The Cardinals front office knows what they have in fan draw with Albert Pujols. I cannot see him leaving St Louis until the new hero has arrived and been established. The recent 60 minutes piece on Albert did a great job of showing how closely he is tied to STL and TDR......his two homes. I also very much miss the days when players had careers with one team, so I carry that bias and could be wrong. But I doubt it.

 

[cycfan]

First off, I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but I think the last place he would end up would be with the Cubs. Pujols is maybe the most competitive player in MLB. He wants championships. Put yourself in his shoes and ask yourself - would I rather stay in STL, make a little less and compete for the World Series, or go to the Cubs for more money and realistically have a minimal chance for more World Series Championships or even appearances? The Cubs haven't had a WS for A HUNDRED YEARS. They routinely bring in high $ players and get the same result. If I'm Albert, I don't want to spend the last years of my career trying to help a team break a 100 year drought. I would want to go someplace with a much better history and chance for championships. Maybe that team isn't the Cardinals, but I definitely don't think it will be the Cubs.

GO CYCLONES!!!

 

[CycloneErik]

The Cardinals front office knows what they have in fan draw with Albert Pujols. I cannot see him leaving St Louis until the new hero has arrived and been established. The recent 60 minutes piece on Albert did a great job of showing how closely he is tied to STL and TDR......his two homes. I also very much miss the days when players had careers with one team, so I carry that bias and could be wrong. But I doubt it.

I don't think he's leaving, either. The Cards don't have that history of letting their legitimate all-time greats walk away. I'd be stunned. Happy, but stunned.

Prince Fielder, on the other hand, I expect that we can get, and he fits in very nicely, too.

 

[djcubby]

If the Cubs sign another 31 year old (or so he says) to a contract in which he (Pujlos) is demanding, I will not be happy.

+1

 

[Incyte]

First off, I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but I think the last place he would end up would be with the Cubs. Pujols is maybe the most competitive player in MLB. He wants championships. Put yourself in his shoes and ask yourself - would I rather stay in STL, make a little less and compete for the World Series, or go to the Cubs for more money and realistically have a minimal chance for more World Series Championships or even appearances? The Cubs haven't had a WS for A HUNDRED YEARS. They routinely bring in high $ players and get the same result. If I'm Albert, I don't want to spend the last years of my career trying to help a team break a 100 year drought. I would want to go someplace with a much better history and chance for championships. Maybe that team isn't the Cardinals, but I definitely don't think it will be the Cubs.

GO CYCLONES!!!

The Cardinals are very far away from competing for a WS. They have some serious roster issues that are going to be difficult to fix via free agency. A lot of the bigger pieces are exiting their prime years.

Pujols would love to remain a Card but he's made it quite clear he wants to be PAID.

 

[cycfan]

The Cardinals are very far away from competing for a WS. They have some serious roster issues that are going to be difficult to fix via free agency. A lot of the bigger pieces are exiting their prime years.

Pujols would love to remain a Card but he's made it quite clear he wants to be PAID.

The Cards aren't going to make the playoffs this year. The point is that the Cards are always in the mix, the Cubs are almost never in the mix. The one constant every year in the NL Central is the Cardinals. They don't always win it, but they are always the team battling one of the others for the division. The others kind of rotate. This year it is the Cards-Brewers, last year the Cards-Reds, then its the Cards-Astros and even a couple of years the Cubs have challenged, but the Cards are almost always one of 2 teams fighting for the division.

Sure Albert wants to get paid, but is it worth a couple million a year to a guy like Pujols to go to a team that hasn't won a WS in over a century? I don't think so. I could see him going to the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies or Angels, or staying in St. Louis because they have a reasonable shot at getting him back to a WS multiple times before his career is over. That is very unlikely with the Cubs.

GO CYCLONES!!!

 

[IcSyU]

Pujols will stay a card. Yankees nor Red Sox have anywhere to put him when you have Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, Teixiera, and A-Rod.

 

[Incyte]

The Cards aren't going to make the playoffs this year. The point is that the Cards are always in the mix, the Cubs are almost never in the mix. The one constant every year in the NL Central is the Cardinals. They don't always win it, but they are always the team battling one of the others for the division. The others kind of rotate. This year it is the Cards-Brewers, last year the Cards-Reds, then its the Cards-Astros and even a couple of years the Cubs have challenged, but the Cards are almost always one of 2 teams fighting for the division.

Sure Albert wants to get paid, but is it worth a couple million a year to a guy like Pujols to go to a team that hasn't won a WS in over a century? I don't think so. I could see him going to the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies or Angels, or staying in St. Louis because they have a reasonable shot at getting him back to a WS multiple times before his career is over. That is very unlikely with the Cubs.

GO CYCLONES!!!

After this year the Cardinals will have made the playoffs once in the last five years? Is that correct?

Doesn't exactly speak WS. Mozeliak is a terrible GM. Getting as bad as Hendry.

 

[tyrelrobert]

I don't think he's leaving, either. The Cards don't have that history of letting their legitimate all-time greats walk away. I'd be stunned. Happy, but stunned.

Prince Fielder, on the other hand, I expect that we can get, and he fits in very nicely, too.

Except the 20 extra errors combined between he and Castro. Pena has saved Castro's bacon numerous times this year on throws that should have been errors.

 

[cycloneworld]

First off, I'm not saying this to be a jerk, but I think the last place he would end up would be with the Cubs. Pujols is maybe the most competitive player in MLB. He wants championships. Put yourself in his shoes and ask yourself - would I rather stay in STL, make a little less and compete for the World Series, or go to the Cubs for more money and realistically have a minimal chance for more World Series Championships or even appearances? The Cubs haven't had a WS for A HUNDRED YEARS. They routinely bring in high $ players and get the same result. If I'm Albert, I don't want to spend the last years of my career trying to help a team break a 100 year drought. I would want to go someplace with a much better history and chance for championships. Maybe that team isn't the Cardinals, but I definitely don't think it will be the Cubs.

GO CYCLONES!!!

The Cards aren't competing for championships either. Pujols wants 2 things: Money and a chance to win, in that order.

I'm not saying he goes to the Cubs but if he does and leads them to a WS, he will be a god in Chicago. Plus they can (not sure if they will) pay him his upper $20s he is asking for.

 

[cycfan]

After this year the Cardinals will have made the playoffs once in the last five years? Is that correct?

Doesn't exactly speak WS. Mozeliak is a terrible GM. Getting as bad as Hendry.

Yes, once in the last 5 years (2009), but go back another 5 and see what you get. A World Series Championship in 2006, 100 wins and NL Central champs in 2005, 105 wins and and a World Series in 2004. By the way, Albert was on both of those WS teams. How many of those 10 years did the Cubs finish within 20 games of the division winner? Probably not many.

GO CYCLONES!!!

 

[cycfan]

The Cards aren't competing for championships either. Pujols wants 2 things: Money and a chance to win, in that order.

I'm not saying he goes to the Cubs but if he does and leads them to a WS, he will be a god in Chicago. Plus they can (not sure if they will) pay him his upper $20s he is asking for.

You have your Cub hat on too tight if you think he would go to Chicago for a couple million more dollars. How many star players have they signed over the years that everybody thought would lead them to the promised land yet they are still waiting? Sosa, Garciaparra, Soriano, Ramirez... If I can see this, Albert can see it. He wouldn't have the supporting cast around him to make a run at the WS either. Even if they were to sign him, it would take a few years to put a team around him. By that time, you would have a less effective Pujols and consequently, the same old Cubs.

No the Cards are not competing for a championship this year. But over the last 10 years, probably only the Yankees and Red Sox can say they have been consistently better.

GO CYCLONES!!!

 

[xboxfever]

Cubs fans are as delusional as Hawkeye fans.