Pujols has turned into our worst nightmare.

[Scott34]

When we signed Pujols we were all happy, but at the same time, the majority of us had that voice inside our head saying 'this is a horrible contract.' I think we all expected a few MVP type years and then a gradual decline. Instead we got a broken down, old, replacement level DH.

The dude can't run or throw anymore and has to DH a couple times a week. Oh yeah and he can't hit.

This is our worst nightmare realized. We have a zero production player who struggles to limp down the line.

8 2/3 more years. ~$220MM

Good going Dipoto, Moreno, etc.

[bloodbrother]

Don't forget to add in $125 million for a mediocre platoon hitter!

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

I wouldn't put DiPoto up against the Pujols signing. Moreno was way too hands on during these negotiations. He was going to have the final say.

[AZMike]

...

This is our worst nightmare realized. We have two zero production players

 

...

 

 

ftfy

[Brent Maguire]

I thought this was the production we'd see in year 7 or 8. Year 2 and he's hitting like this? This is absolutely a nightmare contract. 

 

Lets hope he opts out. 

[Docwaukee]

I can cut Albert a little slack because of his foot.  At least there is hope for him to get better.

 

If Albert is the nightmare then Hamilton is Freddy Krueger. 

[AZMike]

I thought this was the production we'd see in year 7 or 8. Year 2 and he's hitting like this? This is absolutely a nightmare contract. 

 

Lets hope he opts out. 

only way Pujols opts out is if Moreno is blackmailing him with rock solid evidence that he lied about his age.

[Halos of Anaheim]

He'll be back on the juice very soon. Pujols has too much pride to be playing like this. 

[Scott34]

Hamilton is much less of a problem.

Still can play D, good arm and I would bet a lot of money on him having at least another good season or 2. Plus, he's only here for 5 years.

I think he will be fine eventually and we will see a .900-.1000 OPS stretch for a month or 2 here.

[Ray McKigney]

They need to sit him for a couple of weeks, at least. He is really bad at this point.

[Brent Maguire]

Hamilton is much less of a problem.

Still can play D, good arm and I would bet a lot of money on him having at least another good season or 2. Plus, he's only here for 5 years.

I think he will be fine eventually and we will see a .900-.1000 OPS stretch for a month or 2 here.

You really think so? I keep telling myself it will happen but his approach has still been pretty much awful and he literally can't hit lefties this year. 

 

As long as pitchers continue working outside the zone on him and he keeps chasing, I don't see a ton of improvement coming. 

[ukyah]

i agree with the sentiment of the original post. it's amazing how many players just fall off a cliff once they come over here. in my mind, it has been and continues to be coaching.

[ukyah]

i, also, don't appreciate the "juicing" comment. we've been testing for quite a while now and tons of huge names have been sullied and some destroyed. logic dictates that if pujols was an habitual user, then he too would have been named. to my knowledge, his name has never even been linked. if that's true, then any insinuations are just cheap, ignorant and irresponsible.

[Bashbrothers]

The best barometer of predicting decline is when you have multiple years of linear decline.

 

Pujols didn't get worse because he was coming to the Angels, he got worse because that's the natural progression.   Angels coaching isn't negatively affecting free agent signings.  Just around 50 percent of free agent signings bust.  

 

Now onto evidence against the Angels 'awful' coaching staff is Trout.  He was internally developed and is the best younger player in all of majors. 

[gurn67]

Actually, the bust rate on high priced free-agents over the last five years is way over 50%. Probably more in the 80-90% range. Owners and general managers have to start to realize that there was about a 15-20 year stretch that was a complete fraud as far the natural aging of ball players. Throughout the history of the game, a hitters' peak years were 28-32. The great players could still perform at a high, but gradually declining level until their mid 30's, but after 35 it was usually a swift and sudden drop in production. Steroids, HGH, and God knows what else they were taking, was allowing these guys to not only perform at their peak levels but they were performing better in their late 30's than they were in their early 30's.

I'm sorry, but if you sign a guy at 32, you have to realize that his peak years are over and he's gradually going to decline into an average player by 35 and almost useless by 37. You can track the careers of all of the players who's careers ended before, lets say, the mid-80's and you'll see the same pattern over and over with very few exceptions.

[Lou E Ville]

^{Take away his first month last year and Pujols had a decent year. He's trying to play hurt this year and it's hurting him and the team. Anyone who has ever had plantar fasciitis knows how hard it must be to play a pro sport with it.}

[Halos of Anaheim]

i, also, don't appreciate the "juicing" comment. we've been testing for quite a while now and tons of huge names have been sullied and some destroyed. logic dictates that if pujols was an habitual user, then he too would have been named. to my knowledge, his name has never even been linked. if that's true, then any insinuations are just cheap, ignorant and irresponsible.

So a guy can't be accused of juicing even if he hasn't been caught yet? If Pujols continues to decline this badly then there's two options 1. He's lying about his age. or 2. He used to juice and has since been off of it. Nobody declines this hard this fast.

[wopphil]

Pujols looks terrible. The pitch he popped up in his last at bat last night should have been hit out of the park.

I, too, thought we would get good production from Pujols for at least seven years. Looking at guys like Chipper Jones, Frank Thomas, and David Ortiz, I figured Pujols could still be good until his late 30s.

[Lifetime]

He's f'n injured. WTF do you expect?!? He shouldn't be playing right now. Do you people really not remember how well he hit after a slow start last year? Yes he's in decline, he has been for a couple years now, but he's not as bad (or even anywhere close) as he has been showing while hobbling around with PF It's not like this is what we should expect from him going forward. He can throw, he can field his position, he can run and he can hit. He's trying to play through a very painful condition that quite frankly should keep him on the DL. PF is effecting every aspect of his game right now. Once that is taken care of he'll be a different player. 

[fan_since79]

The best barometer of predicting decline is when you have multiple years of linear decline.

 

Pujols didn't get worse because he was coming to the Angels, he got worse because that's the natural progression.   Angels coaching isn't negatively affecting free agent signings.  Just around 50 percent of free agent signings bust.  

 

 

Pujols' OPS:

 

2009  1.101

2010  1.011

2011    .906

2012    .859

2013    .726

[wopphil]

He's f'n injured. WTF do you expect?!? He shouldn't be playing right now. Do you people really not remember how well he hit after a slow start last year? Yes he's in decline, he has been for a couple years now, but he's not as bad (or even anywhere close) as he has been showing while hobbling around with PF It's not like this is what we should expect from him going forward. He can throw, he can field his position, he can run and he can hit. He's trying to play through a very painful condition that quite frankly should keep him on the DL. PF is effecting every aspect of his game right now. Once that is taken care of he'll be a different player.

I hope you are right lifetime. I just think if his injury was still hurting him that bad, he would be on the DL now.

[Lifetime]

I hope you are right lifetime. I just think if his injury was still hurting him that bad, he would be on the DL now.

But he isn't and you can clearly see its effects when he walks or tries to run, in his batting stance and swing and when he tries to play his position. He's trying to play through it but someone needs to talk him down to accept a stint on the DL. 

[sneaky_flute]

it's weird that they're keeping him on the roster with that injury. he's not going to heal until he gets several weeks of bed rest.

[xboom28x]

But he isn't and you can clearly see its effects when he walks or tries to run, in his batting stance and swing and when he tries to play his position. He's trying to play through it but someone needs to talk him down to accept a stint on the DL. 

No one needs to talk him down. The front office needs to put him on the DL regardless of what Pujols says. He is clearly hurting the team. I say when Bourjos comes off the DL, Pujols should go on it.

[Lifetime]

Talking him down is simply a matter of respect for who he is. I agree that they should force the issue at this point.