MLB 2012!

[Mark Asher]

Sorry to see Albert go but no way can the Cards afford that kind of contract for that length. At least he won't be playing against us very often.

[Sarkus]

Angels payroll is at $103 with 9 players for 2012. Kendrick is in his final arby year this year, so his deal will likely put them at $110m, or higher if they decide to try to sign him and keep him from going. Their total payroll as it stand right now projects then at about $120-130m. Moreno isn't going to want to willingly go further than $140 or so.

Or not. These moves put the Angels up near the Red Sox payroll now. On a side note, Nightengale says that the Marlins offered more on both Pujols and Wilson, supposedly considerably more. The refusal to offer no-trade clauses may have been the deciding factor against them, or maybe players just don't trust the suddenly active Marlins to be committed to winning long-term.

The AL West is not very appealing right now if you are not an Angels or Rangers fan. Now even if Seattle signs Fielder they are still going to have a very hard time competing. I guess this is what its like to be an Orioles or Blue Jays fan.

[Alan Dunkin]

Oh, fuck you Angels.

--- Alan

Edit: Now that we've lost out on both Buerhle (whom I've never liked anyway) and Wilson (sigh, but hey he got about as good of two offers that he was going to get with Miami and LAAAAA), I fully expect the Rangers to expend lots of energy and money on Yu Darvish coming out of Japan.

[Erik J.]

I guess this is what its like to be an Orioles or Blue Jays fan.

You got it. D:

[Greatatlantic]

I view the Angels contract move as buy now, pay later. $25/year million for the "best player in baseball" is not to high an amount. However, he's getting older, and its very hard to maintain athleticism past 35. I think in 5 years time, Puljos will have more in common with Jim Thome than this wonder years. Thome made 3 or 4 million last year. So, the Angels are going to overpay down the road, but if they think they are ready to compete for a World Series berth, this is one way to add a lot of offense in a single movement.

Eventually, I suspect the Angels will have to move him to the Designated Hitter spot to get production out of him. The fact that the Cardinals play in the other league means they can't get that kind of long term value out of an aging player.

[Erik J.]

I view the Angels contract move as buy now, pay later. $25/year million for the "best player in baseball" is not to high an amount. However, he's getting older, and its very hard to maintain athleticism past 35. I think in 5 years time, Puljos will have more in common with Jim Thome than this wonder years. Thome made 3 or 4 million last year. So, the Angels are going to overpay down the road, but if they think they are ready to compete for a World Series berth, this is one way to add a lot of offense in a single movement.

Eventually, I suspect the Angels will have to move him to the Designated Hitter spot to get production out of him. The fact that the Cardinals play in the other league means they can't get that kind of long term value out of an aging player.

You'll see him shifted to DH _now_ I'm pretty sure. Not solely, mind you, but they will extend his career by giving him ample breaks as DH.

[Mark Asher]

You'll see him shifted to DH _now_ I'm pretty sure. Not solely, mind you, but they will extend his career by giving him ample breaks as DH.

Yeah, I can see this. Instead of sitting out for a rest he'll DH. And then near the end of the contract he can DH exclusively.

[Mark Asher]

Another bonus for the Angels. If Pujols can play the entire contract and can average 32 HRs a season, he'll break Bonds HR record. The Angels will get the benefit of ticket sales to see him hit 500, 600, 700 HRs, and possibly break the all-time record.

Not sure Albert can do that, but if avoids injury he's a lock for 600.

[rowe33]

I just hope it's not money ill-spent if they do somehow get Darvish. I'm ok with not resigning Wilson though it's annoying he went to a rival.

Oh, fuck you Angels.

--- Alan

Edit: Now that we've lost out on both Buerhle (whom I've never liked anyway) and Wilson (sigh, but hey he got about as good of two offers that he was going to get with Miami and LAAAAA), I fully expect the Rangers to expend lots of energy and money on Yu Darvish coming out of Japan.

[sluggo]

So Wilson was asked about other teams who were in the mix, and the Yankees came up.

Q: You said New York was something that would have been attractive to you, but you said you were surprised they really didn't get into it too heavily.

CJ Wilson: I lived in the Lower East Side last offseason. I love New York, it's a great place to be, a great place to play, they have great players there, great fans. But they weren't just feeling it for whatever reason... (shrugs) .... They were on my list, they were a place I would have gone for sure, because, who wouldn't want to be a Yankee, you know?

Maybe it's just me, but that strikes me as a weird thing to say the day the Angels give you a truckload of cash. Today is a day you should be talking about how excited you are to be playing for the Angels, not expressing disappointment over other teams who didn't give you bigger offers.

[Chris]

That's just C.J. being C.J. He is a free spirit with a certain amount of douchbaggery along for the ride.

[Cubit]

The Cubs have sent Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu to the Rockies in exchange for Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers.

[triggercut]

My buddy Dave--who truth to tell is a professional standup--with this gem:

"Parents all over St. Louis telling their young children that Albert Pujols is gone. He's with the Angels now."

[triggercut]

BTW, here's how the Angels can afford Albert and CJ Wilson and Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,4052777.story

[Sarkus]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...=1s5fbz0rj4jqq

Interesting piece by Nightengale of USA Today explaining how the Pujols situation evolved. Pujols was not happy with the Cardinals when they re-started negotiations after the season by offering shorter deals. The Marlins were super aggressive and offered the most money but the lack of a no-trade clause caused Pujols to elminate them early. Then a still unnamed mystery team stepped in and made a better offer then the Cardinals ever did, but it was close enough that Pujols was still considering it when the Angels came in late with an even better offer (though still short of the Marlins in $ terms.

And as a comparison to Triggercuts link about the Angels getting more then $85m annually in their new TV deal, the Seattle Mariners make about $33m/year in the deal they signed back in 2007 even though they are one of the better teams nationally in terms of local TV ratings.

[grahamiam]

2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun tested positive in October. Not sounding good.

Edit: per ESPN, not confirmed by MLB

[godhugh]

Wow, never would have guessed Braun would stupid enough to juice.

[Brettmcd]

Wow, never would have guessed Braun would stupid enough to juice.

I still don't trust a single one of them to not be using something. There are always things out there that they think can't be detected.

I also wish testing positive would allow the team to void the players contract if they wanted to. He just got a 105 million dollar contract this year based on numbers that now may be based on cheating, if this is all true of course.

[triggercut]

I still don't trust a single one of them to not be using something. There are always things out there that they think can't be detected.

What are those things, specifically, Brett? Please detail them.

MLB--especially with the HGH testing in the new CBA--now tests its athletes more thorougly and rigorously than any other professional sport in North America.

[Brettmcd]

What are those things, specifically, Brett? Please detail them.

MLB--especially with the HGH testing in the new CBA--now tests its athletes more thorougly and rigorously than any other professional sport in North America.

Im am not a chemist or someone who cheats at a sport I play so I can't name them all, but it is always a race between the chemists and the testers. There have been drugs and methods of cheating that were undetectable for a time then the testing caught up. Why do you think things are different somehow now?

[Thongsy]

I also wish testing positive would allow the team to void the players contract if they wanted to. He just got a 105 million dollar contract this year based on numbers that now may be based on cheating, if this is all true of course.

That's wishful thinking, but even if there was such a clause, the Brewers would never excise it on Braun. He's such a bargain to the Brewers they would never even consider the option just because he makes such a relatively low salary compared to his worth.

[triggercut]

Im am not a chemist or someone who cheats at a sport I play so I can't name them all, but it is always a race between the chemists and the testers. There have been drugs and methods of cheating that were undetectable for a time then the testing caught up. Why do you think things are different somehow now?

Right. You don't actually have anything at all, you're just spouting unsupported nonsense.

OK.

At any rate, various official bodies--including the IOC, Word Doping Agency, and assorted professional sporting leagues around the world are pretty specific on the fact that if an organization wants to test individuals for performance enhancing substances, those substances can be detected using currently-available methods.

I'll take their word for it over yours.

[Brettmcd]

Right. You don't actually have anything at all, you're just spouting unsupported nonsense.

OK.

At any rate, various official bodies--including the IOC, Word Doping Agency, and assorted professional sporting leagues around the world are pretty specific on the fact that if an organization wants to test individuals for performance enhancing substances, those substances can be detected using currently-available methods.

I'll take their word for it over yours.

So there has never been a substance that was performance enhancing but was undetectable for a time? That is what is unsupported nonsense.

HGH was undetectable for a time, so were some steroids, other substances were legal at one point and later decided to be illegal. I am 100% confident there are performance enhancing substances out there right now that cannot be detected by current methods.

[Brettmcd]

That's wishful thinking, but even if there was such a clause, the Brewers would never excise it on Braun. He's such a bargain to the Brewers they would never even consider the option just because he makes such a relatively low salary compared to his worth.

I understand they wont do it, so I know it is wishful thinking. But then I am also of the opinion that if you get caught using steroids or other performance enhancing substances you should be banned from baseball for life. It is cheating and should not be tolerated in any way.

[triggercut]

So there has never been a substance that was performance enhancing but was undetectable for a time? That is what is unsupported nonsense.

Yeah, never said that.

What I did say was that the folks who know such things--now that HGH is testable--are confident that they can detect the presence of any PED's if given the opportunity and sample.

You claimed that there were some mystery substances out there that were undetectable *and unknown*. I asked for evidence of this. You offered none.

Your point falls. Thank you for playing.

[Brettmcd]

Yeah, never said that.

What I did say was that the folks who know such things--now that HGH is testable--are confident that they can detect the presence of any PED's if given the opportunity and sample.

You claimed that there were some mystery substances out there that were undetectable *and unknown*. I asked for evidence of this. You offered none.

Your point falls. Thank you for playing.

No my point does not fail, there have always been undetectable substances around, why do you think all of a sudden places have stopped trying to come up with new substances? You seem to think there is zero chance anything undetectable is out there.

[triggercut]

No my point does not fail, there have always been undetectable substances around, why do you think all of a sudden places have stopped trying to come up with new substances? You seem to think there is zero chance anything undetectable is out there.

I'm asking you to cite one honeybunny.

[Brettmcd]

I'm asking you to cite one honeybunny.

GFY, you condesending piece of trash.

As I said I am not a chemist, someone who cheats at sports, or someone like you who has your head in the sand thinking no cheating is at all possible anymore. I can't name a substance anymore then you would have been able to name HGH before it was known as a PED. It doesn't mean they don't exist anymore then HGH didn't exist before it was detectable.

[triggercut]

GFY, you condesending piece of trash.

As I said I am not a chemist, someone who cheats at sports, or someone like you who has your head in the sand thinking no cheating is at all possible anymore. I can't name a substance anymore then you would have been able to name HGH before it was known as a PED. It doesn't mean they don't exist anymore then HGH didn't exist before it was detectable.

So I guess I'm not getting that cite, huh? (By the by, you spelled "condescending" wrong. Did you know?)

You're so adorable when you rage, Brett! Huggable even!

In any event, seeing lots of scribe traffic that Braun will be exonerated due to a false positive. Secondary and follow up tests failed to show evidence of PED usage according to the Brewers beat writer Tom Hardricourt. Guessing we should let due process play out.

[triggercut]

Oh, and Brett, lets help you try to figure some of this out.

HGH was never "unknown" as a PED. It wasn't developed in a meth lab--synthetic human growth hormone was developed in some of the most prestigious medical labs in the world, and has several very beneficial indications for patients who need it.

What was unknown was how to test for it accurately. That's the key thing you seem to be missing here--that in the past there have been known substances without known testing procedures. All I humbly asked was for a cite of some current PED's that--like HGH used to be--were known but lacked an effective test. So whatcha got for me big fella?