Albert Pujols Is The Worst Player In Baseball

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Albert Pujols Is The Worst Player In Baseball

Post by Popeye_Card »

We should totally believe the guy, since he’s clearly been so truthful about all subjects including his age.

Albert, thanks for what you gave the Cardinals, and thank you even more for what you continue to do for children with Down Syndrome. I won’t however miss your Jordan-esque quality of being driven to suceed by perceived slights against you. It is also hard enough watching Wainwright’s body betray him while making relative peanuts. It would have really sucked watching your 40+ year old body betray you on a nightly basis for 5 years while still collecting one of the highest salaries in the game.

Socnorb11
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Re: Albert Pujols Is The Worst Player In Baseball

Post by Socnorb11 »

Big Amoco Sign wrote:Yep, the exact attitude I expected. It's fine to disagree. Not trying to argue, but I think the Cards wronged him.

120 wRC+ his first 5 seasons with Anaheim while we had a huge void at that position in the same time frame. 112 OPS+ up to and including today with about the same defense he had his last few years in STL.

Yeah loved Adams, Reynolds, and Brandon Moss.

The point is this: The Cardinals told an all-time legend to eat [expletive].

No they didn't. They made a great offer. Pujols himself says it would have been more money than he's making now.

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33anda3rd
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Re: Albert Pujols Is The Worst Player In Baseball

Post by 33anda3rd »

Big Amoco Sign wrote:Yep, the exact attitude I expected. It's fine to disagree. Not trying to argue, but I think the Cards wronged him.

120 wRC+ his first 5 seasons with Anaheim while we had a huge void at that position in the same time frame. 112 OPS+ up to and including today with about the same defense he had his last few years in STL.

Yeah loved Adams, Reynolds, and Brandon Moss.

The point is this: The Cardinals told an all-time legend to eat [expletive].
So first of all let's not ignore two facts:
--He went from an ok baserunner to a bad one.
--He went from a defensive asset to a defensive liability.

Factor that against him being a hitter who overall has been ~10% better than league average over those combined seasons and he's been worth about 2 rWAR per year since LA picked him up. Less if you follow fWAR, but we'll use bbref to give Pujols even the most optimistic outlook.

LA made the playoffs once and got swept 3-0 in a series he didn't hit the mendoza line. Meanwhile the Cardinals went to a WS without him, missed another WS by one game, missed another WS by two games, went to an LCS and have finishd above .500 every season without him.

Hate Matt Adams? Since Pujols left:
Pujols 2.1 rWAR per 650 PA for $153MM or $11.59MM per rWAR
Adams 1.7rWAR per 650 PA for $12.99MM or $2.31MM per rWAR

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Albert Pujols Is The Worst Player In Baseball

Post by Popeye_Card »

Also left out Allen Craig, who was pretty good (offensively) for the first two seasons after Pujols left. 137 and 134 wRC+ in 2012 and 2013, respectively. In case you are keeping score at home, that's higher than Pujols (133, 112) those same seasons.

I can partially buy an argument that the Cardinals should have "treated Pujols better" through negotiations, if he felt like he was slighted. But the Cardinals absolutely made the right decision not to beat out the Angels (and Marlins--remember that?). And I have a feeling that Pujols may be exaggerating a bit, as he has the tendency to do.

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