The December 13th, 2011 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Williams and Morales sign one-year deals, Mrs. Pujols speaks out on Albert’s decision, Pujols is a man “obsessed” and much more…
The Story: Jerome Williams avoided arbitration with a one-year, $820,000 contract, plus incentives.
The Monkey Says: Jerome is pretty close to a lock to be the Angels fifth starter after his surprising comeback last season. If he pitches anything like he did in limited time in 2011, his next contract will be for several times more than the one the Halos just inked him to.
The Monkey Says: Morales gets a $250K raise for doing nothing. Nice work if you can get it. The other three will all head towards arbitration hearings or settlements. It will be interesting though to see if the Halos try and talk long-term contract instead. Given how much money they just laid out for Pujols and Wilson, it is possible that Kendrick and Aybar, who are in their final arbitration season, could end up getting set free on the open market after the 2012 campaign.
The Monkey Says: According to Deidre claims Pujols was insulted by the Cardinals’ first offer and then suggested that their final offer, rumored to be 10 years, $210 million but with $30 million deferred without interest, was well short of what they would have wanted to see in terms of showing proper respect for what Albert did for the Cards. This is all great info and everyting, but let’s hope this doesn’t mean Dee Dee Pujols is some kind of pot-stirrer who is going to create problems in Anaheim for the next decade.
The Story: Joe Posnanski offers his insight on the “obsessed” Albert Pujols.
The Monkey Says: Poz believes Pujols is obsessed with being great and suggests that might be the one thing that drives him to be productive beyond normal expectations and age and prevent his ten-year contract from being a total bust. That sounds like a good premise if you ask me. Michael Jordan was always obsessed with greatness and carried a chip on his shoulder and he too excelled for longer than he should have.
The Story: Looking at Pujols and the best seasons by WAR for players from 32 to 41.
The Monkey Says: Remember, these are the BEST seasons, which goes to show how hard it will be for Albert to not be financial sinkhole by the time his contract is up. Then again, why can’t Albert be the next Edgar Martinez? So long as his body holds up, he has the work ethic and skill set to remain capable into his forties.
The Story: A look at the tax implications of Pujols choosing the Angels over the Cardinals and Marlins.
The Monkey Says: Really, when it comes to this much money, does a few percentage points really make a big difference in the way a guy lives? The money in the deals was never about Pujols maximizing his take-home pay, it was about getting respect.
The Story: Unsurprisingly, St. Louis sports columnists don’t seem to be buying what Albert Pujols is selling.
The Monkey Says: It really is a shame that the Cards and Angels don’t play this season, I would love to see how the St. Louis natives react to Albert. Are they really as upset as all the columnists? I don’t ask that facetiously either. Columnists have a way of blowing opinions out of proportion for the sake of getting noticed. I have to think that St. Louis fans are hurt by Albert leaving but some of them certainly have to appreciate what he did for them, no?