BillJamesOnline: Release Pujols

[Amazing Larry]

13 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

Do we have to go through this yet again?  

[Ohtaniland]

He’s going to be fine this season. He’s had pretty much everything repaired so he should be good to go........again.

 

[Chuck]

6 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

He’s going to be fine this season. He’s had pretty much everything repaired so he should be good to go........again.

 

C'mon Claude. 

Let it go and root for him to do well. We already know how you feel about him, but wouldn't it behoove you to get behind a guy that really is the key to success since he will be hitting in the middle of the order. 

He's healthy and in great shape. All signs are pointing to him having a good season. Give him some time and get behind him. 

The constant Pujols trolling in every thread is incredibly old. 

Be a supporter, not Debbie Downer re: Pujols.

Please?

[Tank]

4 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

How about circle back to this article come midseason at least. 

Spring is in the air, optimism surrounding the club & Pujols is at an all time high. Let's just see it play out and root for Albert to succeed rather than be incredibly pessimistic. 

welcome. you must be new here.

[Tank]

6 hours ago, Glen said:

Claude must not be awake yet.

 

[JustATroutFan]

55 minutes ago, Tyler said:

Drove in 100 runs last season. Put some damn respect on his name. 

Yeah, he did have a great season last year. Having 100 RBIs in a season is a great year. And his OPS, which was under .700, was elite, too.

[DCAngelsFan]

6 hours ago, totdprods said:

They'll give him the full year. If he lands anything .700 OPS or higher this year, they'll give him next year as a part-time DH with Ohtani.

I imagine if he's sub .700 OPS this year, the team and him will have some discussion on how to proceed for the final two years. Maybe they give him '19 as a PH/Farewell Tour year and he retires afterwards.

Don't really understand the idea of releasing him - what you suggest is the only way this can play out. 

It's not like we have Lou Gehrig stuck in the minors, blocked by Pujols.  So, the only reason I see to release him is if we're trying to save some back-end money, and outrighting him pretty much guarantees he'll collect his money - all of it.   

If he does poorly, then that conversation you mention will give him an opportunity to go out on his own terms, without suffering the indignity of sitting on the bench for 2 or 3 years.  Do that farewell tour, then retire, or work out a release settlement that saves us some money.

Which he won't have to accept - but to save him the humiliation of riding the bench 162, or being "cut", there may be some room there.  I don't think he'd ever actually retire without a settlement - there's way too much money on the table for that. 

The escalating pay was an obvious mistake from day 1 - he was already in decline when we signed him, everyone knew he'd be a disaster in the out years, and back-loading the contract encourages him to bitter-end it.  

 

[Stradling]

He is exactly what he is @Chuckster70, he’s been this guy since the day we signed Albert, before that he was just an anti-Angel, anti-Arte guy.  

[fan_since79]

1 minute ago, JustATroutFan said:

Yeah, he did have a great season last year. Having 100 RBIs in a season is a great year. And his OPS, which was under .700, was elite, too.

...and the .286 batting average was outstanding.

 

Wait a minute...that was the OBP.

[JustATroutFan]

Just now, fan_since79 said:

...and the .286 batting average was outstanding.

 

Wait a minute...that was the OBP.

An OBP of .286 is outsanding. 

[fan_since79]

1 minute ago, JustATroutFan said:

An OBP of .286 is outstanding. 

Yeah, for Mathis and guys like that.

 

[JustATroutFan]

1 minute ago, fan_since79 said:

Yeah, for Mathis and guys like that.

 

No, for anyone, that is an outstanding OBP. lol

[AngelsLakersFan]

2 hours ago, floplag said:

Why would we release a guy who is still likely our best option at the position?    I mean really who do you plug in to replace him?  We have some 2-3 WAR guy sitting on the bench i dont know about?    Where is the sense in cutting him to give Valbuana more at bats? 

Finances, return on investment... i mean its easy to just say cut him and sign someone else but is that realistic?  

Sometimes the Bill Jamsians need to sniff fresh air i think. 

Well CJ Cron is the better player right now, and we gave him away to give Albert more reps at first.

[floplag]

4 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Well CJ Cron is the better player right now, and we gave him away to give Albert more reps at first.

Most people here couldnt wait for that to happen either.    Not me, but most.  
Regardless hes gone, hes not here to even be an option at this point only making the question of why release for who even more relevant 

[Stradling]

I like Cron, but I’m not releasing Albert to give Cron more at bats.  

[AngelsLakersFan]

I understand the decision, but it's been clear since last year that accommodating Pujols is costing the team wins on the field. My fear this year isn't that the team didn't find a way to get Cron more at bats, it's that they adjusted their roster to be more reliant on Pujols' health and production.

[Ohtaniland]

3 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I understand the decision, but it's been clear since last year that accommodating Pujols is costing the team wins on the field. My fear this year isn't that the team didn't find a way to get Cron more at bats, it's that they adjusted their roster to be more reliant on Pujols' health and production.

This will all blow up in Scioscia’s face eventually when Ohtani is raking but forced to sit out. 

[Stradling]

30 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

This will all blow up in Scioscia’s face eventually when Ohtani is raking but forced to sit out. 

Because he’s a pitcher first. He’s going to DH 2-3 days a week.  This isn’t a Albert or Ohtani thing, stop trying to make it out to be.  

[beatlesrule]

LOL at eating 100 million dollars.

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, SuperTroopers said:

Because he’s a pitcher first. He’s going to DH 2-3 days a week.  This isn’t a Albert or Ohtani thing, stop trying to make it out to be.  

Lol..... Good luck on this one...  That narrative is already percolating 

[Dtwncbad]

4 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

C'mon Claude. 

Let it go and root for him to do well. We already know how you feel about him, but wouldn't it behoove you to get behind a guy that really is the key to success since he will be hitting in the middle of the order. 

He's healthy and in great shape. All signs are pointing to him having a good season. Give him some time and get behind him. 

The constant Pujols trolling in every thread is incredibly old. 

Be a supporter, not Debbie Downer re: Pujols.

Please?

I am rooting for him to do well but how can you say all signs are pointing to him having a good season?

Hope is not a sign.

[Chuck]

49 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

I am rooting for him to do well but how can you say all signs are pointing to him having a good season?

Hope is not a sign.

No injuries that he's coming off rehab or surgery. 

He looks like he's in great shape.

The team around him is incredibly talented and I believe Pujols is a prideful guy that wants to show what he can do when healthy. 

[Dtwncbad]

49 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

No injuries that he's coming off rehab or surgery. 

He looks like he's in great shape.

The team around him is incredibly talented and I believe Pujols is a prideful guy that wants to show what he can do when healthy. 

Plus he feels good.

Plus he said his body is bueno.

Plus he likes to hit.

Plus he shaved and got a haircut.

Plus he listened to a Tony Robbins cassette.

Plus he did NOT eat any pie at Christmas.

Plus the team wants to win.

Plus he got a new glove.

Plus he picked up 4300 Twitter followers.

 

Look I love Albert Pujols and always have.  I am just not willing to pretend there are more good signs than bad in terms of forecasting his actual production.

 

[Blarg]

I think I'm going to wait this one out and not make any bold predictions one way or another about what Pujols will do until at least his third at bat in Spring Training.

So far in three plate appearences Ohtani is batting 1.000 with a 2.000 OPS so Pujols has some work to do.

[Docwaukee]

I am just starting to read this thread from start to finish and I'm very excited.  Just thought i'd let everyone know.