Hell of a Day to Be a Texas Rangers Fan as Angels Snap up Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson

cactusflinthead

I just don't trust Prince to not break down. I don't expect LAA to get ten years out of Albert. 32? This smells a lot like the AFraud deal. Good luck with all that. Letting CJ go is not going to kill us. I had rather see them keep spending wisely and not blow out the bank on Prince. From what I heard from Uncle Norm today it is gonna be in the neighborhood of 120mil to get Darvish. That kinda scares me. That is a big ole pile of coin for a player man that might not cut the mustard. It might be a bargain for one that just kills. I sure hope they know what they are doing if they are going all out to get him. Adios Ceej and howdy Albert.

Cheshyre

Rangers are DONE!! They'd rather be liked than be winners - which is why they have a mascot for a manager. Game Six permanently altered the landscape for this team, drinking the same old kool-aid won't do. Watch them get off to a very fast start next year - until they finally take a breath and it all collapses.

TheRealDirtyP1

Richie?

Andrew Gunter

You're dumb.

Josh's broken records

Corntrolio? Ceej? Clee's wife cousin?

ScottsMerkin

stupid bitch! Go suck on red headed jeezus or something

Lee

Thanks for stopping by.

primi_timpano

Fuck you and your trash talk. Take two ALC pennants and stick them up your _ss.

Kevin H

He and his dead pan, does not bother me, what's the big deal personna can have Happy Fun times on the Waste Coast...Personally, I think a true champion performs at his best under the most pressure....NOT C.J. Wilson !

primi_timpano

I am a little surprised about both Pujol and Wilson. Pujol made a lot of sense in Miami; perhaps the stumbling block was the lack of a no-trade clause, which Miami needs as all of their money is speculative based on projected increased revenues.

Wilson surprises me in that he ends up in LA, where he doesn't fill a major need.

I don't think the Rangers or its fans should be laughing this off. This is going to make winning the division a lot more difficult, possibly relegating Ranger post-season participation to wild card status for some of the next five years.

As for prices, you pay up for certainty and quality, and these prices increase every year--as they should if baseball revenues increase as well.

While a quality pitcher like CJ is an enormous advantage--he's not hurt, he eats a lot of innings, no drug, alcohol, personality issues--what the Rangers need is an old school stopper who ends losing streaks and wins the first and fourth games of a post-season series. As we have seen with Cliff Lee, this is a rare and very expensive athlete. Wait till you see what quasi-aces like Darvish, Gio, Garza, and Shields go for, Wilson's pay will not be out of line.

Scruffygeist

I'd sure as hell rather hand Shields the ball for $15 million a year than CJ Wilson. Let us not forget that he only has two solid years of starting after being a white knuckle reliever. The prices in trade for Gonzalez and Garza are high because they're under contract for reasonable amounts of money. Darvish is a big time gamble.

Andrew Gunter

Look at Shield's numbers from 2010.

primi_timpano

Hit the internet and it looks like Buehrle is getting about 14mm per year. CJ's 15mm+ is not out of line.

Scruffygeist

Granted, it's not my money and that's the way the market go, but neither of them are worth that kind of per year money. CJ's contract is pretty backloaded and he only gets $10 and $11 the first 2 years with a signing bonus, I believe, but you're right about the average per. It makes Cliff Lee's contract seem pretty damn good, but I still don't think the Rangers should've gone 7 years there. And no way would I give CJ 5. Hopefully Holland can pitch to 80% of CJ last season and cost a fraction.

primi_timpano

If Shields were a free agent he would go for much more than 15mm per year. Players with club controlled contracts appear to make less because because they only receive their salary, which under baseball rules is set below free market rates, which in effect transfers the difference (free market rate minus salary) to the club controlling the contract. Either way the purchaser of Shields, Gio et al pays, just some goes to the player and the rest goes to the selling club.

I agree with you about Darvish, and all the Japanese players. The game is too different over there to compare with American baseball.

Josh's broken records

The only question on Josh is how much/how long. As far as CF goes, I figure we'll end up with another platoon out there this year..probably a year too soon for Martin (cuban dude?) and I liked what I saw from Gentry...if the team requires Josh in CF, we'll do that..they just would very much prefer to take it easy on him.

That's actually another reason not to consider Fielder, he'd be the everyday firstbase..and one of the luxuries of how our team is currently structured..is being able to rest people in the DH spot and move the Face around the field. 1b one day, DH a couple, 2b a little..3rd once in a while.

I think the most important move in the offseason this thing can make, is keeping what is your'n (i.e. sign up the guys that are free after this year)..and if you can add Darvish for nothing but cash..do it. He's 25-26, ready for the rotation now..you'd have control for what 7 years?

primi_timpano

Darvish gets all the raves and over at MLBRumors they say Jon Daniels and the Blue Jays are the international experts. Apparently Bobby Valentine knows and likes him from his Japan days. And he is very productive at a very young age. So if JD wants go all in on the kid, then XTC and company needs to give him the chips. Same with Fielder. My big question is Josh. If Sam is right and CF is becoming a problem, does Josh go to 1B or DH? If it is 1B is there room for Fielder?

Josh's broken records

Colby hasn't translated at all..while I would generally gagree in regards to Japanese leaugers..never heard anything but raves about Darvish...I'd rather push the chips in on him, sign a few of our future f/a's (Nap/Kins/Colby/Boomstick) than go crazy and give Fielder a 180/220 million dollar contract

ScottsMerkin

did everyone like his douchy statement about LA, said he would have chosen the Dodgers over the Angels if they werent in bankruptcy with no money. Way to endear your self to the Angels

TheRealDirtyP1

i can't wait for him to come back to the ballpark and get one of those high pop flies that carry out to right, against us. Douchey McDouche.

Kevin H

That's CJ is a coke-spoon...He's a Douche !

phe_75034

Neither of these deals look very smart.

Sure, Pujols is All-World, and probably will be for the next few years. But 10 years for a guy who's 32 (and maybe older if there's anything to the rumors)? On what planet does that make sense?

As for CJ, they're welcome to him. He's showed nothing to indicate that he's worth five years, esp not at $15+ million per. His post-season, esp his WS, were horrible, and his mouth is a constant irritant. How could the other guys in the clubhouse NOT want to beat the sh** out of him?

Maybe this is just sour grapes, but I don't think so. It may not be Gay-Rod/Chan Ho Park, but it's hard to see how the Angels are going to get their money's worth.

Sam_Merten

Losing out on C.J. was good for Texas; it just hurts that he'll be in the division. As for Pujols, I think everyone (except Arte Moreno and Jerry Dipoto) would agree that the contract length is nonsensical. However, he should still be playing extremely well over the next three or four years, which, of course, coincides with the Rangers' window of opportunity.

While the moves unquestionably make the Angels better short term, I'm confident that JD and crew have some moves of their own on the way. No need to knee-jerk about what LA has done until the offseason concludes.

Josh's broken records

The Ranger's window is exactly what I thought of when I heard the news this morning...Good point.

Metroplexual

C.J. Who?

Evan

The rest of their lineup sucks? You realize that the only two below average hitters in their lineup were Jeff Mathis (gone) and Vernon Wells (LOL). There's no world beaters in their lineup, but consider this - the Angels lineup w/ Pujols is far more deadly than the Cards lineup w/ Pujols. And if Mike Trout ends up worth half the hype he's had, there's another talented hitter.

Andrew Gunter

Yeah dude, the Angels can totally mash it. I'm scared shitless of Pujols when he's going to get protection in the order from Mike Napo..... oh, wait. Sorry. I mean Chris Ianetta.

Sam_Merten

The Cardinals had the best offense in the NL this year with Pujols, so it's unlikely the Angels lineup will be better than the 2011 Cards, especially since St. Louis has Matt Holliday, David Freese and Lance Berkman, while LA has ... meh.

Evan

Angels don't have a Holliday type, you're right, but I can't fathom Berkman having the year that he had last year, and Freese compares pretty equally to Howie Kendrick. LAA scored 95 less runs than StL last year, but add a Pujols and subtract a scrub like Jeff Mathis and we're talking about a pretty similar line-up.

Just saying that all this "well they don't have anyone else" sentiment is either sour grapes or just plain wrong - and to say "we can just pitch around him" is ignorant, it didn't work in a 7 game series against StL, it won't work in 19 meetings against LAA this year.

Oak Cliff Townie

I would say I want the old Rangers back.But they just show up later every year.

Andrew Gunter

Geezer.

MushMouth1

Can't wait to see Scioscia backpedal in 2 or 3 years about how it wasn't his idea to mortgage the Angels future on a guy who's been breaking down for a couple of years like he did on the decision to get rid of Napoli.

As far as CJ goes not worried at all. Easy to get in his head. Guy has no intestinal fortitude.

If Angels don't win 2 of the next 3 World Series then these moves will go down as the worst free agent signings ever.

Scruffygeist

The Angels do have a history of terrible acquisitions.

See Gary Mathews Jr, Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells...

Andrew Gunter

Tony Reagins definately had a fine taste for the aging overrated black dudes. Let's hope DiPoto matches that but with Latino players.

Joe Tone

That Pujols deal is going to look awfully silly in five years. Maybe even three. Whatever deal Wilson got was going to look silly regardless. And as a Giants fan, I have a terminal degree in Deals That Look Silly Shortly After They Look Awesome.

Evan

Oh come on now, when was the last time the Giants signed anybody that didn't make everyone laugh at them? Sabean is a dunce when it comes to free agent deals.

Tone's Taint

yeah it was a kick to me when Zito failed to contribute to anything with the club

TheRealDirtyP1

well played.

Lee

Affectionately known as BarryZitoitis

Lee

At least Yu Darvish is being posted on Thursday! #silverlining

byStander

blah, blah, blah... the Angels just committed ~325 million to two players in there 30's.

Pujols won't have much protection in that line-up... that deal smells a lot like the Rangers / A-Rod deal.

Holland's numbers next season will be as good as C.J.'s.

the Rangers line-up will treat C.J. like the Rays treated him in Game 1 of the ALDS.

TheRealDirtyP1

CJ Wilson only worries me during the regular season. If we face him in the AL Championship, we'll be just fine. Opening up the checkbook for Prince is not a bad idea if you're not going to re-sign Josh.I don't want this thing to keep playing just the tip. Let's get it in and wear it out. Our biggest bugaboo the past two world series has been pitching. While I'm not sad about losing CJ, I'll be utterly disappointed if more isn't added to this staff. We're banking on amazing years by Holland, Feldman, Alexi, and Neffy. I'm tired of hearing about prospects; Sheppers is brought up over and over, and he'll be 25 in January. Neffy has been in the majors since he was 21.I'm worried about the bullpenis.

Josh's broken records

Enjoyed your "just the tip" reference, don't worry bout the bullpenis. JD is not done with this thing.

Remember when Beltre and NapNapWeiner were acquired last year? (Answer: January)

Remember when we were cooked because we lost Clee?

Remember when Ogs was put into the rotation? (Last week of Spring Training, after Fatty Hunter pulled his arse tying his shoe)

Remember when we kept the Maddux's?

If JD can't get three of the following signed to extensions in the next two months, then we have problems: Kins, Colby, Cruz, Nap, Hambone

TheRealDirtyP1

I'm totally fine with this thing the way it is. Let's get some pitching and whip their asses. Their crack pitching staff kept them within 10 games of us last year, maybe it'll be a little closer now.

primi_timpano

Well said. Good home cooking kicks ass on anybody else's restauarant.

just sayin'

So the Angels just paid 250 million for a guy that everyone will simply pitch around since the rest of their lineup is dookie. And they paid 78 million for a number 3 starter that thinks hes going to be a hollywood star. Holy shit, I see the early favorite for 2012 GM of the year.

Lee

In the famous words of Billy Beane, OBP is the most important stat in baseball.

therrick

Actually he considered it the most undervalued stat...10 years ago.

just sayin'

In this case, it would be important if the Angels had anybody that could knock him in. Or if he could ever be counted on to steal a bag.

Scruffygeist

So far all we've lost is CJ Wilson?

Meh.

He's a good #3 pitcher, okay #2, not an ace. I stand by the Rangers not wanting to go 5 on him. They may go all in on Yu Davish bidding now though. This team obviously needs a legit starter, but unless the A's stop wanting a team's top 18 prospects for Geo Gonzalez and the same for the Cubs and Garza, it may have to wait until next summer.

Plus I still have my theory that a clubhouse without CJ will be a better one. I have the feeling he was a constant turd in the punchbowl.

TheRealDirtyP1

yeah, seemed that way when Washington was asked about CJ. He didn't come out and say it but it seemed like the Rangers had no intention of going after him.