Pujolsapalooza: Multiple Reports - 10 Year Contract with Angels

[jOOj]

The tables are always in play.

[Big Z]

Does this possibly make us a top 3 offensive team?

I really don't mind Gaby at 1st and more pitching.

A Pujols doesn't come around often though.
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LeBatard said that he spoke to some Marlins people and he says there is "no joke" about the Marlins offer. That it's a legit offer to compete with what St.Louis is offering him.

He also said Pujols wouldn't come down here just for a stadium tour, if he's down here it's legit.

[Swifty]

Having Pujols, Hanley and Stanton in the same lineup makes us top-3, putting Reyes in there too makes us retardagood.

[Bobbob1313]

We'd still have the worst catcher ever, though. I hope it's not to late to get Lackey!

[Swifty]

John Buck really fucking sucks. And you're a tool.

[Bobbob1313]

:-)

[lou]

John Buck does not really fucking suck.

He's really fucking unlucky with a .268 BABIP, which is 18 points below his career, and a whooping 57 points below his 2009-2010 (650 PA give or take). His BB rate highest in career, his K rate lowest, LD rate highest since 2006, and his OPS went up every month this season as he was adjusting to the new league, until he just feel off the planet in September. My guess is over work as he never played in this many games before as the Marlins refused to trust Hayes for months. (Which is why they need a legitimate backup catcher on the roster. Not that I hate Hayes, but there is better out there for where he is in his career.) Additionally, he inexplicably stopped hitting lefties, career .765 OPS 2011 .586 OPS.

It's pretty much across the board periphery statistical improvement. He just didn't get those 12 extra hits which would dramatically have changed his overall line and your perception. These are really good omens for predicting future production. I'm not saying a world beater, but I think it's safe to give him 20-25 average points, knock down his BB rate a little as he probably over achieved there, and the slugging will come back with the average/league change and this is a .250/.315/.425+ catcher which is really solid and push into "top 15" territory.

Saying that, he had a 1.8 WAR last year when he "really fucking sucked." Among catchers with 200+ PA, tied for 18th (we can also say 19th as Buster would have sky rocketed past him if Cousins did not TKO him, everyone else behind "meh"). He's a clear middle of the road starter in MLB, which does not fucking suck. Also, let's look at every major free agent catcher of 2010, as this is the pool the Marlins had to choose from.

Rod Barajas 1.3 WAR
Ramon Hernandez 2.0 WAR
Russel Martin 3.1 WAR
Miguel Olivo .7 WAR
Yorvit Torrealba 1.1 WAR
A.J. Piersynski 1.7 WAR
Jason Varitek . 5 WAR

So Russel was really good (and coming off 2.1 and 2.3 WAR seasons even with those drastically low OPS years he had with the Dodgers), and Ramon/AJ were not going to leave their teams. Should they have gotten Martin instead? Sure. I don't know if he would have signed a 2-3 year deal (as the Marlins clearly needed to bide their time until Realmuto/Skip are even remotely ready, if ever), but I don't blame them for going Buck here coming off his 2010. Especially as the team was an outside contender to start the year before the Johnson/Ramirez tankjobs. Catchers are historically late bloomers anyways. He underperformed in 2011, yet was at the upper end of the class. You can argue the guaranteed money over 3 years makes him not as valuable, but given the options and where the franchise was, really needing a stable catcher, it wasn't a bad deal, it wasn't a good deal. It was just a needed average deal. Signing Buck isn't preventing the Marlins from doing anything in free agency/arbitration player retention 2011-2013.

There is nothing wrong with buying a solid average performance in free agency. It would be fantastic if every contract a team signs is "club friendly" which I understand the drive for, but that's nearly impossible in free agency. If it was 3/$15 instead would it really have mattered? I simply do not understand this anti-buck stance. This could have been much worse. Don't love it, don't hate it. It's cool.

[Party]

It won't be off the table when Reyes signs.

[TheMendozaLine]

If they offered Reyes 6yrs/$90 million, then Pujols must have come away with, what, 8yrs/$160 million?

[Bobbob1313]

If it's "competitive" then it's at least what the Cards offered in money/yr, so I'd guess something more like 7/160.

[Big Z]

I think Gaby can get the job done at 1st base. Let's boost up our rotation and forget about Pujols.

[Ramp]

There's a massive difference between "getting the job done" and one of the greatest hitters ever.

[Swifty]

I think Gaby can get the job done at 1st base. Let's boost up our rotation and forget about Pujols.

Second half last year: .225/.320/.359, 19 XBH total (3 HR). Gaby probably shouldn't be anyone's first choice.

[Erick]

Second half last year: .225/.320/.359, 19 XBH total (3 HR). Gaby probably shouldn't be anyone's first choice.

That's silly.

[Jay]

I think people are forgetting about income produced while he is chasing milestones and records in the later years of the contract.

Gaby really just was horrible in August posting a .519 OPS. He recovered in September. His June was also subpar but his May was absurd.