Out of the Hot Stove, Into the Fire

Once the MLB season ended I started paying attention to the movement of players, with a lot of talk around some huge names moving around. Today was probably the biggest free agent day that I can remember in a long time.

I have to say, it's nice to have an offseason where the Red Sox and Yankees aren't heavily involved to drive up the price/end up signing every single major free agent, so the quiet on that front is great, but we've seen a couple other teams drop major money the past week or so in Miami and Los Angeles/Anaheim.

I'll be honest from the get-go: I hate the Marlins. I'm still bitter about 2003. But they've made some good moves this week in getting Jose Reyes and yesterday, Mark Buehrle. You now have a legit leadoff hitter (when he's healthy and gives a crap) and a workhorse who will give you 200 innings and at least 10 wins. I'm a Cubs fan, but I've always respected Mark Buehrle, and it'll be weird seeing him in different colors next season. Is Miami now the favorite in the NL East? Not by a long shot. The Phillies are still the team to beat (assuming Ryan Howard's Achilles is okay), and the Braves are right behind them. While we're at it, don't forget about Washington with a healthy Steven Strasburg for all of 2012.

Meanwhile, the Angels came out of nowhere to get the biggest name in free agency in one Albert Pujols. I'll have more on him in a minute. But the Angels also shored up their rotation with C.J. Wilson from the Rangers. Wilson finished in the top 10 in several major categories in the AL last year (wins, IP, ERA, K's), and any team would have been lucky to get him. Pairing him with Jered Weaver and Dan Haren gives you a great 1-2-3 in your rotation. The balance of power has definitely shifted a bit in the AL West, though with Texas talking about moving closer Neftali Feliz to the rotation lessens the blow the Rangers took.

Now let's talk Pujols. As a Cubs fan, it was a possibility that would have been kinda fun to see: the best player on your archrival team changing sides and coming over. That being said, I didn't want Pujols. Best hitter in baseball or not, at age 31 going on 32, you don't want to sign him to a 10 year deal, especially one paying $250 million (unless you obscenely front-load the deal, screwing yourself over for those first couple years in the process). And the Cardinals should be glad that they get to save the money from Pujols and maybe get a couple other good players for him.

This would be where Cardinal fans start talking about the value of Pujols, and not in dollars. I've already seen comparisons to The Decision from last year, with some fans already burning Pujols jerseys. The difference here is that I picture Pujols as a classier guy than 2010 LeBron. There was no heart-wrenching televised special of his decision, and I would hope he called the Cardinals' brass before signing. But what we need to remember is that professional sports are a business, and favorite players will come and go.

That doesn't mean fans can't be sad about it, but they need to understand both sides. Albert won 2 World Series in St. Louis, and it's not like he's going to a team with no shot of winning. And if more money was his priority, fair enough. Though the ESPN experts may have been onto something: they cited the Matt Holliday signing as a problem, since Albert wasn't the main focus that year. Did he feel a bit betrayed? Maybe. But he left St. Louis with a perfect on-field memory: winning a title.

I've seen Pujols play in person 5 times, and it's been an honor to see him play. His numbers in those 5 games:

.400/.550/1.133, 3 HR, 5 RBI


Take into account 2 of those homers came in one game back in 2009, but those seem about par for one of the best hitters in the game over a 5 game sample. My dad and my brother saw him get his 2000th career hit this year and I'm pretty sure were giving Pujols the ovation along with every other fan in attendance.

When it's all said and done, Pujols will end up coming back to St. Louis at least once (barring injury, thanks to interleague play). It's hard to project the exact reaction when he bats for the first time, but I would hope he gets an ovation as a thank you for all the memories in his 11 seasons as a Cardinal. And when he retires, I'm sure the team and city will welcome him back with open arms, retire #5, and see him wearing Cardinal red when he goes to Cooperstown.

Albert, from this Cubs fan, while I hated seeing you destroy Cubs pitching year after year, I do thank you for playing a part in a historic rivalry, wish you luck on the West Coast, and pray that the NL Central's balance of power continues to shift with Prince Fielder coming to the North Side to hit 45 home runs a year for a few years.