$272mm

[Inside Pitch]

So the Angels lose two in a row and the national hacks have gone back to talking about Pujols, and Hamilton being bad contracts?  Who could have seen that coming?  Certainly not anyone that's followed baseball for more than 5 minutes.

[Ohtaniland]

So the Angels lose two in a row and the national hacks have gone back to talking about Pujols, and Hamilton being bad contracts?  Who could have seen that coming?  Certainly not anyone that's followed baseball for more than 5 minutes.

 

It's 5 loses in a row. 

[QuinlansMinion]

Arte's request was to make the playoffs.  The team had a magical season - most runs scored in MLB.  Best record also.

 

Arte pissed?  Nope - disappointed to be sure wondering like some of the adults here - what happened to the offense?

Do you really believe Arte is satisfied with a division title?  

[Ohtaniland]

Arte's request was to make the playoffs.  The team had a magical season - most runs scored in MLB.  Best record also.

 

Arte pissed?  Nope - disappointed to be sure wondering like some of the adults here - what happened to the offense?

 

Bruce,

 

I'm sure that Arte expects much more than a 3 and done with the salaries he's paying. Arte and the Anaheim economy could have benefited from a deep playoff run that had the potential of selling out 6-11 home games. We are talking about a team that has Pujols, Hamilton and Trout. He has to be as pissed as the fans or he don't care.

 

I'm sure that RED OCTOBER was suppose to last longer than that.

[joeywings]

Remember when Kevin Brown signed with the Doyyers ?

Hambone signing  is just as bad  ?

Nolan Ryan did not want to sign him . I wonder why.

[Bruce Nye]

 

Bruce,

 

I'm sure that Arte expects much more than a 3 and done with the salaries he's paying. Arte and the Anaheim economy could have benefited from a deep playoff run that had the potential of selling out 6-11 home games. We are talking about a team that has Pujols, Hamilton and Trout. He has to be as pissed as the fans or he don't care.

 

I'm sure that RED OCTOBER was suppose to last longer than that.

 

 

 

Claude - the salaries he is paying is yesterday's news.  They have been covered and recorded.  He, I'm sure, is pleased with the new faces with low salaries.  So the overall compensation costs for the team are not relevant.  Take that out of the equation.  The post season is a crap shoot we all know that.  His stated goal was getting to the post season.  Disappointed, yes but not pissed off. 

 

His team is loaded for next year.  

[bloodbrother]

Are we sure Hamilton still isn't on the Rangers payroll?

Edited October 4, 2014 by bloodbrother

[Adios]

Isn't it sooooooooooo much fun rewarding players for all their hard work and accomplishments. I mean it's only FAIR. They should definitely get paid for what they have done. I think it's good that we are here to help them with all the costs of retirement and all. This is just such a grand time.

[QuinlansMinion]

If Pujols doesnt turn it around, and lets face it hes only going to get worse as he ages, he will be public enemy number 1 in Southern California.  This is the best shot at delivering that title we wanted.  His legacy wont mean shit to anyone not in St. Louis.  

[Stradling]

Isn't it soooo much fun paying Trout $550k his first two years when he was the best player in the game. Then paying him a million for this season. The league has valued a win at about $6 or $7 million, well Trout gave the team about 30 wins for around $2 million, or $30k a win. Or paying a very good MLB pitcher, that starts game 2 of a playoff game the league minimum. Free agents are over paid and young players are under paid. Welcome to baseball the last 20 years.

[Ohtaniland]

Claude - the salaries he is paying is yesterday's news.  They have been covered and recorded.  He, I'm sure, is pleased with the new faces with low salaries.  So the overall compensation costs for the team are not relevant.  Take that out of the equation.  The post season is a crap shoot we all know that.  His stated goal was getting to the post season.  Disappointed, yes but not pissed off. 

 

His team is loaded for next year.  

 

 

Angels owner Arte Moreno, who stayed the course, closes in on big goal

 

 

 

"My goals are not going to be met until we win a world championship," Moreno said.

[Glen]

Old argument, not valid....We haven't spent a lot of money on free agents since Hamilton...there is a reason...the luxury tax seems to matter to Arte.

You're talking about one offseason, and there weren't many free agents that for the team. And, the Angels had just spent big bucks with minimal return in each if the last two seasons. Look at how they did without the big spending: best results since 2009.

[Stradling]

Angels owner Arte Moreno, who stayed the course, closes in on big goal

"My goals are not going to be met until we win a world championship," Moreno said.

So he's not complacent and doesn't lack a sense of urgency.

[Angels]

Haha. Of course Arte's goal is to win a championship. Not sure how anyone can say otherwise.

Making the postseason is an expectation. Winning the title is a goal.

Given the payroll and talent level on this team...making the postseason isn't a goal as much as it's an expectation.

[Adios]

One thing that is pretty obvious is that Albert is not going to be PLAYING for us 7 more YEARS, we're just going to be PAYING him for 7 more years.

[eligrba]

Pujols' contract is not necessarily the problem.  He could be a valuable piece to a championship team.  The problem is that he is being put into situations that requires more talent, discipline and athleticism.  His failures are not entirely his fault.  He should be hitting in the middle of the order, but not third.  When the #3 hitter comes to the plate, there is an expectation of performance, especially against great pitching.  Pujols' at bats in this series speaks to his misplacement in the lineup.  Unfortunately, there is probably no one in the organization willing to have that discussion with him.  He had a great at bat last night to drive in the only run of the game, but then abandoned the approach.  Albert's value will be determined by his approach to the game and his ego.  Unfortunately, his ego is negatively affecting his approach.

[Stradling]

Or he stays true to his word and retires, then they won't have to pay him.

[Stradling]

Pujols' contract is not necessarily the problem. He could be a valuable piece to a championship team. The problem is that he is being put into situations that requires more talent, discipline and athleticism. His failures are not entirely his fault. He should be hitting in the middle of the order, but not third. When the #3 hitter comes to the plate, there is an expectation of performance, especially against great pitching. Pujols' at bats in this series speaks to his misplacement in the lineup. Unfortunately, there is probably no one in the organization willing to have that discussion with him. He had a great at bat last night to drive in the only run of the game, but then abandoned the approach. Albert's value will be determined by his approach to the game and his ego. Unfortunately, his ego is negatively affecting his approach.

Sadly no one this series deserves to bat third.

[Adios]

Well we don't have to be the dummies signing these free agents. Notice how the smart teams aren't afraid to let HOF players walk and still remain competitive.

[joeywings]

Or he stays true to his word and retires, then they won't have to pay him.

Jimmy Abbott  didn't

No way he walks away from that dough.

[Adios]

@stradling your right Trout has been underpaid but that isn't the point of this thread and doesn't undo 2 huge mistakes made by our front office. Wouldn't we be better off without having signed both aging and declining players for 100s of millions of dollars. Trout has definitely been a Godsend, but we now will be held back for years by these 2 anchors. There will be a cost for the huge mistakes we made in not having the financial flexibility that we will need to make some smart moves that will be needed to fill holes to make us a championship caliber team. Any blessing for the amazing value we have gotten for Trout has been erased by the curse of those 2 overpaid and decling players.

[dimitrig]

OUCH

 

Didn't we *STILL* pay Vernon Wells $18.6M this season? Talk about ouch!

[tomsred]

Baseball has never been a pay for performance sport.  Salary structure wise it's more akin to some caste seniority system.  Players that generally have a few (or in some cases one) good year finally get a payoff later in their careers because many owners are willing to bid up their contracts, and are willing to give them financial security because they are generally recognized as stars, and have attendance drawing power.  Young players who achieve great things in the early part of their career are generally grossly underpaid, and given little security due to the player control policies now in effect.  Until the owners and players are willing to change that basic methodology there will be many, many situations where salary does not match performance.  So for fans who are trying to match player performance to salary level, well let's just say it will drive you crazy, it will not make any sense in many, many individual situations.

 

Owners don't want to give up control over young players, and players don't want to give up free agency concepts.  Until those facts change, it worthless to try to compare performance to salary.  In a nutshell that how situations like Hamilton and Pujols exist, and it's also how situations like Trout and Calhoun, and Shoemaker, etc. exist.

Edited October 4, 2014 by tomsred

[Ohtaniland]

Baseball has never been a pay for performance sport.  Salary structure wise it's more akin to some caste seniority system.  Players that generally have a few (or in some cases one) good year finally get a payoff later in their careers because many owners are willing to bid up their contracts, and are willing to give them financial security because they are generally recognized as stars, and have attendance drawing power.  Young players who achieve great things in the early part of their career are generally grossly underpaid, and given little security due to the player control policies now in effect.  Until the owners and players are willing to change that basic methodology there will be many, many situations where salary does not match performance.  So for fans who are trying to match player performance to salary level, well let's just say it will drive you crazy, it will not make any sense in many, many individual situations.

 

Owners don't want to give up control over young players, and players don't want to give up free agency concepts.  Until those facts change, it worthless to try to compare performance to salary.  In a nutshell that how situations like Hamilton and Pujols exist, and it's also how situations like Trout and Calhoun, and Shoemaker, etc. exist.

 

I think you make some good points but big contracts are for the players that are expected to deliver on the big stage. Arte didn't sign Pujols and Hamilton to $365M to roll over and die during the post season. He signed them to help win a championship. If those two continue to decline Arte is going to be waiting a long time and may never reach his goal.  

[Inside Pitch]

It's 5 loses in a row. 

 

Oh well that changes everything.  I forgot how meaningful those games in Seattle were after the Angels clinched HFA.