View from the Couch

BY SCREAMIN' LEEMAN

Dateline: Dallas

Baseball Winter Meetings

Well, those nutty Major League Baseball owners are at it again.  Every few years there seems to be something in the air, and it catches hold, and they start throwing money around like New year's Eve confetti.

First, the Marlins spend $106 million on shortstop Jose Reyes (six years) right after signing reliever Heath Bell for $27 million (three years), and pitcher Mark Buehrle for $58 million (for four years).

And that, my friends, turns out to be chicken feed.

Enter the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California Near Disneyland.  What'd they do?  They signed first baseman Albert Pujols to a whopping $250 million, ten-year contract, then, before the ink was dry, gave pitcher C.J. Wilson a five-year deal worth $77 million.

Now, some people think that Pujols is a mercenary, just after the money, but I don't think so.  This is about respect, or the lack of it.

The St. Louis Cardinals made an offer to Albert of $190 million over ten years, which would have made him the fourth-highest paid first baseman in MLB.   That is a huge slight at best, and a supreme insult at worst.  He IS the best player in the game, and deserves to be paid commensurately.   What were they thinking about by not signing him two years ago?

In March of 2010, as Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer entered the final year of his contract, Twins management re-signed him to a new eight year contract.  Why?  Because they understood his tremendous value to their franchise.

How could St. Louis let the 'best player in the game' go?  Was Cardinal management asleep at the wheel?  Do they not care?  I'm sure their fans do.

In any case, don't feel sorry for the Cardinals.   They still have a great team, and they always find ways to get back to the World Series (Only one team ahead of them in all-time World Series Crowns, whose name won't be mentioned here for fear of besmirching the column).

If it were just about money, Albert would be a Marlin, since the Marlins offered him 275 million.   But I guess even greed has its limits.  I mean, 250 million for ten years comes down to about 2.1 million a MONTH.  That's a lot of cash.  How do you spend that much?   Well, first, you have to rent a really nice house.  Then, buy a couple of cars.   Maybe go out to dinner a few times a week.  Oh, stop it, Screamin'...

Now, some would think that signing a 32 year old to a ten year contract is lunacy.  I agree.  But looking a little closer, we need to remember, this is the American League.  You know, the League with that silly designated hitter rule.

It is a better fit.  Albert can hit, and play first base for say, five or six years, then tail off into a designated hitter's role for the last few years of his contract.

Let's just hope he can still see the ball when he's 39.

So, at this point, free agent Prince Fielder hasn't been signed, I'm thinking he'll be headed to Miami as well.   They might offer him another $200 million.  Say, maybe it is New Year's Eve down there...

On the home front, the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants have signed acquired Angel Pagan from the Mets.

All together now:  WHOOP DE FRICKIN DOO!

Way to go, big spenders!   I am quite sure that Angel Pagan is the final key that will get us to post season play once again.   And do you see these monkeys flying around over here?

So, it seems that the Giants have returned to their old, tired, frustrating ways.   The 2010 Championship season was indeed an aberration, a once in-a-lifetime quirk.

I'm just glad it happened once in my lifetime.