Albert Pujols to the Angels

Whore.

Okay, maybe that's a little harsh...

No it's not.

Whore.

No, he's not... yes he is... no he's not.

Damn I hate being conflicted by pointless crap like this.

Pujols played more than 10 years with the Cardinals.  He won two World Series (it was two, wasn't it?) and established himself as possibly the best player in the major leagues.  He became an icon in St. Louis.  He was the face of the franchise.  He was the primary reason why folks in that area bought tickets to see the games.  And all of those people who loved him and stood behind him and cheered for him got screwed yesterday for what amounts to a sum of money that Pujols will probably never actually spend.

The Cardinals offered nine years at a little less than 200 million dollars total.  The Angels offered 10 years at 254 million dollars.  Yes, the Angels deal was better.  No questioning that.  In terms of both money and duration the Angels deal was better, but that's not the reason he took the deal.

A little more than 200 million dollars vs a little less than 200 million dollars is not the issue.  Only an idiot could manage to spend that much money and Albert does not seem to be an idiot.  The cash difference would have been socked away and invested and it would grow and eventually the last of it would probably be spent by his grandchildren.  The money isn't the issue.  The issue is how he would compare to his peers.  The Cardinals offer would have made Pujols the 4th highest paid first baseman in the game.  The Angels offer makes him the top paid first baseman in the majors.  That's why he took the Angels deal.

His legacy doesn't matter.  His standing in the community doesn't matter.  The fact that he is hero worshiped by millions of people in the St. Louis area doesn't matter.  His legacy doesn't matter.  History doesn't matter.  The brat wanted to make more money than all the other brats, and that's why he screwed over all of the people who love him.  That's it.  End of story.

If anyone is ever going to clean up the stain that Barry Bonds left on the record books, it is going to be Albert Pujols.  He could have gone down as one of the rare figures in baseball in the free agency era who plays his whole career with one team.  He could have continued to lead one of baseball's most storied franchises to greatness for years to come.  But no.  Instead, he's a whore who went to the Angels.