the cardinals couldve matched it and it wouldnt even mattered

Angels To Sign C.J. Wilson
By Tim Dierkes [December 8 at 9:56am CST]

Lefty C.J. Wilson will join Albert Pujols in Los Angeles, as the Angels continue a surprising free agent spending spree. The Halos completed a deal with Wilson today, an executive who spoke to the team told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It's a five-year, $75MM deal, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Wilson, a 31-year-old Fountain Valley, California native, posted a 2.94 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.64 HR/9, and 49.3% groundball rate in 223 1/3 innings this year. He added another 28 innings in the postseason. Including the playoffs, Wilson has tallied a massive 479 2/3 innings over 76 starts since being converted back to a starter in 2010. Wilson joins a stellar Angels rotation that includes Dan Haren, Jered Weaver, and Ervin Santana.

pretty sure that's not going to happen. a few years after he retires, everyone will welcome him back with open arms.

no shit.

those OC yuppies will sell out angel stadium and the luxury boxes will probably be the most expensive in MLB next to NY and it wont even matter. the money flows down there

That's a lot of jack for a guy as overrated as Wilson, but for some reason I'm actually surprised he didn't get more.

honestly after reading the responses by these cards fans im completely not surprised why he left.

you guys might be worse than cleveland cavs fans

$183 million.

He bought it at an incredible time, right before revenues really took off. He made a great purchase there.

Now tell me - did getting Vernon Wells increase the value of the Angels? No, no it did not. Torii Hunter? Nope. The value of the Angles increased as a product of excellent timing and little else.

If Pujols is the player he was last year, there's no way that contract will ever pay for itself. Fans, especially fans in LA, have the attention span of a rodent. If he's not winning MVPs and driving championship runs, the contract will be a bust.

Granted - there's a chance that he feels slighted and this contract drives him to kick ass. It could pay off for him. Then again, every other big-money purchase that Moreno has made over the last 5 years has blown up on him, so I see no reason to see why this would be much different.

:spock:

2.94 ERA in the AL is not something to laugh at.

That's all well and good - but how does it apply to STL's ability to extend him?

The Cardinals have already sold their Pujols jerseys. They've already built their brand. Re-signing Albert does nothing but maintain the status quo; not create an influx of revenue.

Perhaps the Angels will be able to recoup the investment. Maybe they'll be able to raise ticket prices to compensate for this contract. But that absolutely doesn't mean the Cardinals would have been able to do the same.

St. Louis isn't LA. The Cardinals have won by being smarter than the big-market teams with how they spend their money. It looks like that's how they'll have to keep winning. Such is life in a mid-market city.

Did albert live in stl? Where did he spend all his time?
Not taking about the cards or most of their fans, but stl is a shit city with shit citizens. I can see multiple reasons to leave. He won them titles and dominance. Now hegets to be happy in great weather away from the midwest. Also prolong his career in the al.

Again not talking about the cards, but the town itself.

Cleveland fans had a reason to hate.

Albert never did any of the shit lebron pulled.

He lived outside of St. Louis, I believe it was Bellville, Illinois.

But here's the problem - I agree that STL is a shit city. I pretty much hate it there. At the same time, Albert has always crowed about his Midwestern roots and how much he loves STL. He's always given the same song about how he's a Midwestern guy with quiet Christian values and Midwestern sensibilities.

He's essentially spent a decade telling us all about how much he loves the history of the Cardinals and the low key nature of the city.

And then he gives it all the bird for more money.

If this is Matt Holliday, there's no resentment. If it's Prince Fielder, there's no resentment. But this is a guy that's always sworn that he's 'better' than your rank and file money-grabbing superstar.

The bottom line is that he isn't. It was essentially all a lie. It's that sense of betrayal more than anything that has Cards fans a little somber today.

Again - this is a guy that hit .299 with 99 RBI last year. A guy who's defense is slipping a bit and who's legs have been fighting him for 2 or 3 years now. From a purely baseball standpoint, this is a GREAT thing for the Cardinals. At the same time, there's an emotional element there. Albert told the fans of St. Louis that he was someone he clearly isn't and the fans are fairly upset upon learning the truth about him.

He's just another ballplayer.

look im not an angel fan but that guy isnt a dumbass. hes an extremely smart businessman that deals in financial numbers that you or i just wont ever experience.

strictly from a baseball point of view vernon wells was stupid, yes. i agree that they shouldnt have gotten rid of napoli. i always wondered why they never gave him more of a chance behind the dish because of his offensive numbers were always better than the other catchers but i think scioscia values pitching and defense far more than how much a catcher will give you with the stick.

but he signed vladimir that was a great move that completely changed the face of the team and showed that the angels werent the dodgers little kid brother and theyre here to play with the big boys. you can say its way too money but hes already got it figured out. even if pujols sucks in five years that contract will have already been paid. guaranteed

His career ERA is 3.6 which isn't bad but he really is just above average and getting paid start $.

The Angels have way overpaid 2 players now. They will be ****ed and its going to be funny.

You know he is now a starter right?

4.57 ERA as a reliever.

3.14 ERA as a starter.