Albert Puljos DFAed!

[Tony-OH]

7 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. Universe at age 21.   OK, so he had a little help...Still, there are plenty of guys who are pretty built at that age.   Just look around college football.  

I've seen a lot of professional baseball players and I don't think I've ever seen arms as big and hairy at 21 years old. But either way, by his own math he's 44 years old now.

[Tony-OH]

2 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

That was one of the early tells to me that something was up with Pujols' stated age. Looking at other players who come up in their early 20's they almost always fill out their bodies once as they age. Manny was skinny when he first came up compared to him today. Adam Jones was another player who gained muscle as he got older

Pujols always looked big, but I know it's not definitive proof of him lying about his age. 

 

 

Let's just say, if he was 21 and looked like that, Jack Clark was right about him. 

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

That was one of the early tells to me that something was up with Pujols' stated age. Looking at other players who come up in their early 20's they almost always fill out their bodies once as they age. Manny was skinny when he first came up compared to him today. Adam Jones was another player who gained muscle as he got older

Pujols always looked big, but I know it's not definitive proof of him lying about his age.

 

17.

[Tony-OH]

There are some interesting factoids from Wikipedia:

"Pujols played baseball at Fort Osage High School in Independence and was named an All-State athlete twice.[14] As a senior, he was walked 55 times intentionally, but he still hit eight home runs in 33 at bats. One of his home runs travelled 450 feet (140 m).[10] After graduating from high school a semester early in December 1998, he was given a baseball scholarship to Maple Woods Community College.[14] Pujols hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in the first game of his only college season.[15] Playing shortstop, he batted .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before deciding to enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.[10]

Ok, so how did he play so well as a senior and not get drafted? How did he play his senior year but graduated in December 1998 and then played baseball in college in 1999.

"Few teams were interested in Pujols because of uncertainty about his age, which position he would play, and his build.[10][15] Tampa Bay Rays scout Fernando Arango recommended that his team sign Pujols, and quit his job when Tampa Bay failed to do so.[16] Pujols was not drafted until the 13th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick.[17] Pujols initially turned down a $10,000 bonus and spent the summer playing for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk Collegiate League (a summer league in the National Baseball Congress); his total of 48 runs batted in (RBI) with the team was tied for ninth with Tyler Wasserman in Larks' history.[18] When the Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $60,000, he signed.[15]

It was pretty apparent no one thought he was 19-years old. he ended up one of those draft and follows and then the Cardinals gave him $60k.

 

It's pretty obvious the Cardinals felt like he was pretty "mature" as well as they moved him from Low-A, to High-a, to AAA in his first minor league season. How many other 20-year old 13th round draft picks get moved like this?

Then as a "21 year old," he makes the Cardinals and the rest is history.

All of his makes the Angels 10 year contract even more ludicrous. Who signs an "old" 32-year old to that massive contract? They deserved to get the lack of production the probable 35-year old gave them. Just dumb.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

There are some interesting factoids from Wikipedia:

"Pujols played baseball at Fort Osage High School in Independence and was named an All-State athlete twice.[14] As a senior, he was walked 55 times intentionally, but he still hit eight home runs in 33 at bats. One of his home runs travelled 450 feet (140 m).[10] After graduating from high school a semester early in December 1998, he was given a baseball scholarship to Maple Woods Community College.[14] Pujols hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in the first game of his only college season.[15] Playing shortstop, he batted .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before deciding to enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.[10]

Ok, so how did he play so well as a senior and not get drafted? How did he play his senior year but graduated in December 1998 and then played baseball in college in 1999.

"Few teams were interested in Pujols because of uncertainty about his age, which position he would play, and his build.[10][15] Tampa Bay Rays scout Fernando Arango recommended that his team sign Pujols, and quit his job when Tampa Bay failed to do so.[16] Pujols was not drafted until the 13th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick.[17] Pujols initially turned down a $10,000 bonus and spent the summer playing for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk Collegiate League (a summer league in the National Baseball Congress); his total of 48 runs batted in (RBI) with the team was tied for ninth with Tyler Wasserman in Larks' history.[18] When the Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $60,000, he signed.[15]

It was pretty apparent no one thought he was 19-years old. he ended up one of those draft and follows and then the Cardinals gave him $60k.

 

It's pretty obvious the Cardinals felt like he was pretty "mature" as well as they moved him from Low-A, to High-a, to AAA in his first minor league season. How many other 20-year old 13th round draft picks get moved like this?

Then as a "21 year old," he makes the Cardinals and the rest is history.

All of his makes the Angels 10 year contract even more ludicrous. Who signs an "old" 32-year old to that massive contract? They deserved to get the lack of production the probable 35-year old gave them. Just dumb.

Arte Moreno.  It was all on the owner.

[Tony-OH]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Arte Moreno.  It was all on the owner.

MLB owners. Mostly old rich guys with more money than baseball smarts. 

[DrungoHazewood]

5 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Nice to see a team cut a player who can't compete even if they are making a substantial salary.

Really a quick, decisive, gutsy move to cut him a mere five years and $140M after he sunk below replacement level.

[DrungoHazewood]

5 hours ago, SteveA said:

11 years with SL:  .328 / .420 / .617 / 1.037  445 HRs (over 40 per year)
Three MVPs, 10 top 5 MVP finishes (finished 9th the other year), 10 All Star Games
OPS+ between 148 and 192 every season

-- signs 10 year, $240 million dollar contract with Angels at age 31(?)

9+ years with LAA:  .256 / .311 / .447 / .758  222 HRs (24 per year)
Received MVP votes in just 2 years, finishing 17th each year;  1 All Star Game
Highest OPS+ was 138

Wow, what a precipitous drop.   Everyone knew the last years of the contract would be problematic, but the fact that his first year with the Angels was significantly worse than his worst year with St Louis, and that he pretty much got worse every year thereafter, made it especially bad.

 

The Angels paid $240M for Jeff Manto.

[Can_of_corn]

22 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Really a quick, decisive, gutsy move to cut him a mere five years and $140M after he sunk below replacement level.

He was above replacement level in 2018 and 2019 (bWAR).  He was only truly bad in 2017 and so far in 2021.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

He was above replacement level in 2018 and 2019 (bWAR).  He was only truly bad in 2017 and so far in 2021.

Sure, he was half a win to the positive over those two years combined.  In 2019 he was slightly less valuable than Austin Wynns for $28M.

[Gurgi]

Wouldnt you hire an army of private detectives to crawl over the life story of anyone you are thinking of giving a contract like that to?  If he was older California had to know, they just must of thought they would get five good years out of him at least.  Never thinking they would get the crap they did.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Sure, he was half a win to the positive over those two years combined.  In 2019 he was slightly less valuable than Austin Wynns for $28M.

You comment made it sound like they were throwing Davis out there.  He was still at least a functional player.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Gurgi said:

Wouldnt you hire an army of private detectives to crawl over the life story of anyone you are thinking of giving a contract like that to?  If he was older California had to know, they just must of thought they would get five good years out of him at least.  Never thinking they would get the crap they did.  

Going by dim memories of articles written at the time Moreno was trying to become the dominant team in the market.  Remember when they signed Pujols McCourt still owned the Dodgers.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

You comment made it sound like they were throwing Davis out there.  He was still at least a functional player.

Pujols OPS+ for his Angels career is 108 and Davis since he's signed his contract has put an OPS+ of 80 for the O's.

Pujols is getting overpaid, but at least he's been putting up some numbers for the most part. I wish Davis was anything close to what Pujols' output with the Angels. He'd still be overpaid, but at least there would be some offensive production. 

[jabba72]

1 minute ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Pujols OPS+ for his Angels career is 108 and Davis since he's signed his contract has put an OPS+ of 80 for the O's.

Pujols is getting overpaid, but at least he's been putting up some numbers for the most part. I wish Davis was anything close to what Pujols' output with the Angels. He'd still be overpaid, but at least there would be some offensive production. 

Barely putting up numbers. The O's released a guy who was putting up similar numbers to Pujols and he was making league minimum.