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Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

attgig Mar 15 2010 09:27 AM

you gotta be kidding me. please tell me this is just all crap made up by the media... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4994845 It's the sort of thing that is much more likely to happen in fantasy baseball than in real life, but according to sources, an idea has been kicked around the Phillies' organization internally, with discussions about proposing a swap of slugger Ryan Howard for St. Louis superstar Albert Pujols. It's not fully clear whether the Phillies actually have approached the Cardinals with the idea, and even if St. Louis were to seriously consider such an offer, executives with the Cardinals would have to swallow very hard before dealing Pujols, a player widely regarded as the best in the sport. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro flatly denied that the internal discussions have taken place. "Lies," he said. "That's a lie. I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie." The talk may well echo, in the end, another blockbuster deal that was discussed but never consummated many years ago: Executives of the Red Sox and Yankees once famously discussed a trade of Ted Williams for Joe DiMaggio. The logic for a Howard for Pujols swap, as discussed within the Phillies' organization, could fall along these lines: Pujols, 30 years old, is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season, and early conversations about a contract extension have not led to any long-term deal. The expectation within baseball is that Pujols may ask for a deal that would rival, in annual value, the record-setting 10-year, $275 million deal that Alex Rodriguez negotiated with the Yankees in fall 2007. If the Cardinals were to decide, at any point, that they could not afford to sign Pujols, they could consider dealing him, in the way the Toronto Blue Jays traded Roy Halladay, or the Minnesota Twins traded Johan Santana. And Howard, who is just a couple of months older than Pujols, would not be a bad alternative. In the past four seasons, Howard has hit 198 homers and accumulated 572 RBIs, and has finished in the top five of the NL MVP race. Here's the public relations kicker: Howard was born in St. Louis, and is regarded as a hometown kid in that city. Howard is under contract for each of the next two seasons as well -- for $19 million in 2010 and $20 million in 2011 -- as part of a three-year deal he signed last year. He would be more expensive than Pujols in each of the next two seasons, but on the other hand, he probably will not be as expensive to sign as Pujols in his next contract. Pujols is a right-handed hitter who would help to balance a Philadelphia lineup that has been very left-handed, and he is regarded as a superior first baseman, as well as being the best hitter in the sport. Pat Gillick, who preceded Amaro as general manager and is currently serving as an adviser, knows something about making out-of-the-box blockbusters. Twenty years ago, as general manager of the Blue Jays, he stunned the baseball world by trading stars Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar.

metirish Mar 15 2010 09:35 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

I suppose it could happen but I just don't see it , and if I am a Cardinals fan I'd hate it. Howard is great and all but Pujols is twice the player no?

Edgy DC Mar 15 2010 09:40 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Yeah, Howard --- in good seasons --- is an MVP candaidate. Pujols lives there. I don't think there's much there, but it's true that the Cards are going to have trouble paying him.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 15 2010 09:41 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Both will likely command 20M-plus dollar salaries within 2 years. Only Pooholes will be worth it.

Edgy DC Mar 15 2010 09:44 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

This may only get more pronounced in the future, but when it comes to mega-deals, the AL clubs --- prmarily the Yankees, Sox, and Angels --- will continually have the advantage, because they can throw 7-10 years at a guy and not worry that his legs will fail him.

MFS62 Mar 15 2010 10:01 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

This reminds me of the mental masturbation "what if?" articles that were written 60 years ago about trading Joe DiMaggio for Ted Williams, so that both players could go to better ballparks for them to hit in. (Sorry for the dangling participle. I usually try to avoid them). Ain't happenin'. But interesting to think about. (dammit. I did it again) Later

Edgy DC Mar 15 2010 10:05 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Those aren't dangling participles. You're thinking about dangling prepositions, but those aren't sinful, merely a little awkward. What makes this a little bit different is the author's clear implication that he has actual sources in the Phillies' organization, which makes it --- I don't know --- a quarter of a story.

Ashie62 Mar 15 2010 10:14 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

It all sounds like Fantasy baseball trade talk...

MFS62 Mar 15 2010 10:15 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Thanks. I feel a lot better. I still remember the line by Winston Churchill, "Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put." Later

Edgy DC Mar 16 2010 07:11 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

"The media can be really useful or really abusive. To come up with that one is really abusive" --- Tony LaRussa You know, who's really being abusive --- the writers who speculate about who is to be traded or the baseball execs who actually do it?

MFS62 Mar 16 2010 07:49 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

[quote="Edgy DC"] "The media can be really useful or really abusive. To come up with that one is really abusive" --- Tony LaRussa You know, who's really being abusive --- the writers who speculate about who is to be traded or the baseball execs who actually do it?

The reporters are more abusive.
Prisoners before a firing squad are blindfolded so they won't know when the bullets will be fired.
In this case, the reporters are letting them know that the GMs might pull the trigger.
That's cruel and inhuman.
But we already knew that about reporters.

Later

Edgy DC Mar 16 2010 09:20 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

I don't think that analogy works.

MFS62 Mar 16 2010 09:54 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Whatever the analogy you want to use, I still think the reporters are more abusive with their speculation than the GMS who actually pull the trigger (didn't want to continue the analogy, but that phrase fits) on a deal. Why have the players worrying about a deal while they are still on your team? I'd rather have them playing with a clear head (hold the laughter) until/ if something happens. Later

Ashie62 Mar 16 2010 10:18 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Personally, I think the idiot pulled the "story" from the Phillies Nation Board and ran with it Send him to the jerkstore

Valadius Mar 16 2010 10:39 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

It's more like the fantasy of Bob from Cherry Hill.

TheOldMole Mar 16 2010 09:10 PM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

Supposedly Dan Topping and Tom Yawkey got drunk together one night and made that trade, then woke up with hangovers and second thoughts. There was a batting champ traded for a HR champ -- Kuenn for Colavito.

Edgy DC Mar 17 2010 07:16 AM Re: Howard for Pujols?!?!?!

The balls-out challenge trade of all time to me is Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter to the Toronto Blue Jays for Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff. That's 27 All Star appearrances on the table.