OT: Cards agree to overpay Holliday for the next 7 years...

[goon attack]

feel free to move this, but I thought there'd be plenty of people wanting to opine.

This sucks.

[abc789987]

Ehh, I don't think it's too bad. I'll take it.

Better we spent a little extra to keep him than loose out altogether.

Happy Holliday!!

[BF44]

Ehh, I don't think it's too bad. I'll take it.

Better we spent a little extra to keep him than loose out altogether.

Happy Holliday!!

How much of the motivation was to keep Pujols happy with someone to provide protection in the lineup?

[abc789987]

Ehh, I don't think it's too bad. I'll take it.

Better we spent a little extra to keep him than loose out altogether.

Happy Holliday!!

How much of the motivation was to keep Pujols happy with someone to provide protection in the lineup?

Very true. This should prove to Albert that we mean business.

I wouldn't be surprised to if Albert signs an extension soon now. Something like 8 years, 200 mil?

[glen a richter]

Ehh, I don't think it's too bad. I'll take it.

Better we spent a little extra to keep him than loose out altogether.

Happy Holliday!!

How much of the motivation was to keep Pujols happy with someone to provide protection in the lineup?

Very true. This should prove to Albert that we mean business.

I wouldn't be surprised to if Albert signs an extension soon now. Something like 8 years, 200 mil?

One can certainly purchase a lot of juice with that kind of change...

[philco_3]

Career ending back surgery will happen cause of this signing.

[goon attack]

Albert was tearing it up until Holliday got here. Then he couldn't buy a home run.

Albert doesn't need protection. What we need are two good players for half the time and half the jack. now we got 20 mil a year for 7 franking years tied up in this clown. Bad call if you ask me.

How do we sign albert now for a huge deal and stay competitive with killer pitching? We don't.

The only way this is a good deal is if we win the WS within the next 2-3 years. Otherwise, it's lame.

[glen a richter]

Albert was tearing it up until Holliday got here. Then he couldn't buy a home run.

Albert doesn't need protection. What we need are two good players for half the time and half the jack. now we got 20 mil a year for 7 franking years tied up in this clown. Bad call if you ask me.

How do we sign albert now for a huge deal and stay competitive with killer pitching? We don't.

The only way this is a good deal is if we win the WS within the next 2-3 years. Otherwise, it's lame.

The Cards best chance at keeping Pujols is if he takes a hometown discount. But with his stats, how much of a discount could they really expect without insulting the guy?

I agree with what I assume you're getting at: Pujols won't be a Card for a whole lot longer. Could end up a Met down the road...

[goon attack]

I agree with what I assume you're getting at: Pujols won't be a Card for a whole lot longer. Could end up a Met down the road...

I don't know the status of Wainwright and Carp. How much longer are they under contract?

How could we keep both of them, Albert and Holliday? Won't Adam be ready to cash in next contract?

I've never been real attuned to the salaries and the implications but this seems pretty troublesome. Is it possible to sign those four guys long term without the rest of the team being scrubs? Will ownership sack up and pay them all in the interest of winning?

Maybe i'm way off here....

[section319]

They wouldn't have signed holliday for the much if they weren't planning on signing Albert. With Holliday making 17 per, they're gonna have to get into the 20's for Albert. Now whether or not the rest of the team turns into scrubs, I don't know.

[Leedog]

Did a little math. Over the last 2 years, average HR, RBI, AVE for Holliday and Ludwick.
Holliday 24.5 HR, 98.5RBI, .317 AVE
Ludwick 29.5 105 .283

Granted Ludwick had a great year and fell off last, but he made 3.7mil. Even if he doubles that, he is still 10 mil per cheaper. Not saying he is as good, but 10 mil less?
And the first year of the 2, Holliday played in Colorado.

Having said that, it is nice to see them spend on SOMETHING instead of raping the fans and not reinvesting in talent and giving the same BS over and over.

[BF44]

Have they hired Andy Murray as bullpen coach?


Just askin'.....

[cprice12]

I like this deal, IF, and only IF, Holliday delivers at the plate. He sucked in Oakland after he left Colorado...but he tore it up here...so... we'll see.

This deal was a hair more than I'd have liked it to have been, but you have to shell out some dough once in a while for proven top level talent if you want to win a championship. So I'm fine with it. I'd rather have him at this price than not have him at all. Teams like Pittsburgh don't make these kinds of deals, and look where they are every single year...in the cellar.

If this amount of money to Holliday wouldn't allow us to sign Pujols, they wouldn't have signed Holliday to this contract. So I wouldn't worry about Pujols not being signed. Cardinal nation would riot if he isn't re-signed, and ownership knows it. Pujols will retire a Cardinal...no doubt in my mind.

Hopefully, ownership will increase payroll a bit so we can continue to have good pitching and quality players at other positions...and they may do just that.

I'm excited about this season. Probably more excited about the Cardinals since they went to the WS in '06.

[dmiles2186]

He'll be fine. This is great. Name a combo in the NL that rivals Pujols-Holliday in the 3-4 spots in the lineup? This only bolsters a lineup that now features Ludwick, Rasmus, Schumaker, Ryan, Molina....

That's pretty stout. Match that with a pitching staff that includes Carp, Waino, Lohse, Penny....that's great.

In a few years, there's going to be almost 50 mil tied up in 2 players. Scary thought, but for those two players, definitely worth it.

[richtedm]

I agree with what I assume you're getting at: Pujols won't be a Card for a whole lot longer. Could end up a Met down the road...

The biggest reason to sign Holliday was to relay to Albert that the Cardinals are serious about winning. This deal does that. There is no way on this effing planet the Cardinals brass would have even tried to sign Holliday for that amount if they thought it may jeopardize their ability to sign Pujols. To me, this suggests Pujols WILL be a Cardinal for years to come.

Carp and Wainwright are locked up through 2011 I think. That gives the core of Pujols, Holliday and a pair of Cy Young candidates a couple shots at bringing home the title. If they win it all even one year then it was worth the signing. They've made themselves divisional favorites for foreseeable future. Losing the prospects they spent to get him becomes easier to swallow. And Pujols stopped hitting when opposing pitchers stopped sending him first pitch fastballs. Not because Holliday showed up. The only time I might be upset about this deal could be years 5-7... and there is absolutely not telling what will happen in the tail end of that contract, hindsight is 20/20 if it doesnt work out.

Props to Cardinals management for getting it done. Cardinals look fierce. Now fill out that bullpen.

[philco_3]

I agree with what I assume you're getting at: Pujols won't be a Card for a whole lot longer. Could end up a Met down the road...

The biggest reason to sign Holliday was to relay to Albert that the Cardinals are serious about winning. This deal does that. There is no way on this effing planet the Cardinals brass would have even tried to sign Holliday for that amount if they thought it may jeopardize their ability to sign Pujols. To me, this suggests Pujols WILL be a Cardinal for years to come.

Carp and Wainwright are locked up through 2011 I think. That gives the core of Pujols, Holliday and a pair of Cy Young candidates a couple shots at bringing home the title. If they win it all even one year then it was worth the signing. They've made themselves divisional favorites for foreseeable future. Losing the prospects they spent to get him becomes easier to swallow. And Pujols stopped hitting when opposing pitchers stopped sending him first pitch fastballs. Not because Holliday showed up. The only time I might be upset about this deal could be years 5-7... and there is absolutely not telling what will happen in the tail end of that contract, hindsight is 20/20 if it doesnt work out.

Props to Cardinals management for getting it done. Cardinals look fierce. Now fill out that bullpen.

Did the Cardinals pull a Chicago Blackhawks or a Detroit Red Wings move?

[goon attack]

And Pujols stopped hitting when opposing pitchers stopped sending him first pitch fastballs.

But he rarely swings on the first pitch.

[DaDitka]

Dude hasn’t hit 30 homeruns in 3 seasons…..that’s a lot of jack.

I’m glad they invested in the team, but I wonder what the long term cost will be.