Comments on: Can Cardinals Afford to Pay Pujols $35m/year?

By: Ted

Ted — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:48:41 +0000

As goes Larusa….so will Albert. If the Cardinals can’t sighn Larusa in the offseason Pujols will go to the highest bidder by his own reasoning not the organization.

By: Kale

Kale — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:03:58 +0000

Can the Cardinals afford to pay Pujols $35m/year? I think they have to whether they can actually afford it. I agree that baseball salaries are too high but Pujols is the best player in baseball right now and he should be paid accordingly. Pujols doesn’t even make the list of the top 25 highest paid baseball players for 2009. He makes a little over $14 million a year where as Alex Rodriguez is making well over $30 million a year. That will change when Pujols is resigned when his current contract is over. The Cardinals will sign him because they have to. They need a big name player to help draw in the crowds. It is true that diehard fans will still go to the games but that is not where the money is made. The real money is made in the merchandise. The bigger the star then the more stuff that is sold. So to answer the question, yes. I do think a figure more around $25-30m/year is where he will end up.

By: David Kelley

David Kelley — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:49:55 +0000

I agree with you Brian. Players are being paid way to much to play. I wish I had the chance just to play the game every day. That should be payment enough. The only thing I see good about having these players like Pujols is the whole drug use thing going on in baseball. I can see paying a person like Pujols more then someone like A-rod. I think that if they are busted doing drugs they should be kicked out. The fans should not have to pay to see cheaters.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:38:46 +0000

I agree that every baseball player is overpaid (Actually that applies to ALL professional athletes) and $35 million is absurd to pay anyone. However, (you knew that was coming) we are talking about a man who may be the best who’s ever played the game period. Someone is going to pay him that kind of money and he will win games for whomever he plays. It might as well be the Cards. Again, I will be the first to say that they shouldn’t make that kind of money but the reality is that they do and owners keep offering it. Keep him here. I love baseball but I would much rather see a winning team like the Cards than a team like the Royals (or Rams).

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:51:16 +0000

It is not just Pujols’ salary that should be criticized, but ALL of baseball. It is no longer America’s game–it is a money trap. A young family can no longer take their children to a major league baseball game without floating a loan to do so. I like to watch the Cardinals, but can do so in my living room with pop corn, hot dogs, or much more and not shell out a wad of money to see it “live”. It is no longer about competition among teams for the joy of winning, it is all about money!! So sad.

By: Brian Becker

Brian Becker — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:58:44 +0000

What would be awesome is if Pujols said:
Rather than $35m, I’ll take $20m if you reduce 20,000 tickets per game by $10.
$10 x 20,000 x 81 games = $16,200,000 + $20,000,000 == $36.2m

By: gk

gk — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:53:08 +0000

Have Albert involved to a certain extent in the negotiations with Holiday, DeRosa, Duncan, and Larussa. See if a agreeable decrease in his salary is enough to help the others sign with the Cardinals.

By: richard

richard — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:29:37 +0000

First of all they would not have to pay him that much. you are looking at one of the top three greatest players in baseball history if not the best. albert has already said he would stay in st.louis for less if the they will build a winning team around him. I am sure that several of the others would also. They need to sign him as a lifetime or franchise player and if they don,t they a foolish

By: angela

angela — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:44:15 +0000

Very well stated, I agree completely. I have to admit I hate to see favorites go too, but in the end, we do fine the following year without them. As for Pujols, he isnt the only one playing the game, he isnt the only one winning, they all are. I love the game more than the team and def more than the players. I watch many teams play, the Cards r my favorite b/c its St. Louis, but I watch for the game, not the fame.

By: Alan

Alan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:14:23 +0000

I agree Brian but here are two reasons that won’t happen:

First, Bill Dewitt is to cheap to pay him that much.

Second, there are too many players and coaches he is going to have to sign or re-sign at the same time. If he spends all his money on Pujols there is nothing left for Larusa, Duncan, Holliday, Schumaker, Ryan and several pitchers.

Ooo, I just thought of another,

Third, he wouldn’t even give the 2006 World Series MVP $3m a year. There are still people mad about that one. (Personally I think Ryan is doing just as good.)