Mike Young is still in the news but it seems the trade talks are dying down. I think Young will be with the team because the Rangers need him just as much as Young needs the Rangers. I also think that ultimately Young does not want to be anywhere else.
Albert Pujols is now in talks because of his expiring contract at the end of the year. Pujols has made it clear as to the figures and years he wants in the contract but he has said that it must be reached before spring training opens up next week. The market is bad still; none of the big market teams are in need or can afford a 1st baseman. It looks like Pujols will be the most coveted free agent next offseason. The Cards have thought about trading him but Pujols has said he’ll reject any and all trades no matter the team. That right there shows that he wants to stay with St. Louis but he also does not want to be paid less than he is worth. Pujols is by far the best consistent hitter in baseball and it would be weird to see him in another uniform. He deserves to get paid a lot of money but what he is asking (10 years, $300 million) is just not realistic because of the economy and how much a team is affect by that kind of a contract. New York and Boston could not bring him on because of the money they already have tied up with their current players. Both of those teams also have established 1st baseman on their respective teams. I have heard that the Cubs could possibly sign him as well as the Angels, but I just think that that is not realistic. It’s hard to say how much he’ll eventually make whenever he signs with a team and as to where he’ll go. I think somehow the Cards are going to retain him because of the established player and figure he is on that team. He has won a ring there already so that also can be an indicator that he doesn’t necessarily feel obligated to stay. We’ll just have to see how the season plays out and where he really wants to be (St. Louis or wherever the money takes him).
The Rangers were also in the news again but not because of Mike Young. Josh Hamilton agreed to terms with Texas and avoided arbitration for this year and next year by signing a 2 year, $24 million dollar contract. I think that both Texas and Hamilton wanted to get this done for the sake of the team and the public outlook on the Rangers and how they deal with their players (Mike Young drama). This is definitely a big increase in pay for Hamilton and I think he has received this contract because he is deserving of it. He is still looking to prove himself to the league even after winning the MVP; to show that he is healthy and able to stay healthy throughout an entire season. It’s realistic to think that the Rangers need to see how he performs and how he stays healthy to decide if they will pull the trigger on giving him a big and expensive contract in 2013. I hope Josh can put up strong numbers and show Texas that he can consistently play the way he has been so that he can become the “new” face of the Rangers. Wish the best for Josh!
Arbitration is never a good thing for players that are hoping to stay on the same team in the following years. What is arbitration? Arbitration is used so that a player and a team can decide on increasing the player’s pay the last few years the team has control of that player. Usually a player wants a certain amount and the team has a figure in mind, and they try to work out a deal before the arbitration date. If they cannot decide by that date then the player and team officials will go to a mediator to decide whether the team’s offer or the player’s figure is the right amount. Obviously this would cause tension between the player and that team. Jared Weaver went to arbitration with the Angels today and there was only about a $1.5 million dollar or so difference between each party’s conflicts. At the arbitration hearing, the player will plead his case and the team will tell the player everything he is not and how he is not deserving of his desired amount. Needless to say, the Angels won the case today and Weaver will make around $7.5 million this year. No matter the difference in money, Weaver and his agent will probably not forget this once he becomes a free agent. This is worse news for the Angels because Weaver is such an important part of their rotation; they really cannot afford to lose him to free agency in the coming years. The Angels have not done themselves any favors this offseason and it is looking bad for them this year and in the near future.
Getting closer to spring training. It’s awesome!
we need a Albert Pujols blog!
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