The Los Angeles Angels stunned the sports world in the second week of December by spending more than $320 million on two premier free agents – first baseman Albert Pujols and starting pitcher C.J. Wilson. After missing the playoffs the last few seasons, the Angels served notice that they will not be denied again and that winning a World Series is a must. With the signing of this deal, Angels fans have flooded our site to make sure they’ve reserved their Angels tickets to see these two play.
The Deals
The Angels have long believed in an institutional philosophy of developing young players and not overpaying for free agents. Well, that philosophy appears to have been tossed on the garbage heap. The money the team has thrown at Pujols and Wilson is simply staggering.
Most fans know that Albert Pujols is arguably the best player in the game. This fact has sparked huge interest and many cant wait to use their Angels tickets to see him play. He has performed consistently well over the last decade and always puts up the big numbers. Now he’ll be paid like it. The Angels committed $254 million to him over 10 years with a full not trade clause. That is an average of $25.4 million a year for a player who is about to turn 32 and will be 42 at the end of his deal. The contract is also the second or third biggest in the history of baseball depending on how you calculate the first contract the Texas Rangers gave Alex Rodriguez.
Having just spent over a quarter of a billion dollars, one might think the Angels credit card would’ve melted. Apparently not. The team also went out and signed starting pitcher C.J. Wilson away from the division rival Texas Rangers. The contract is for 5 years and $77.5 million dollars or an average of $15.5 million a year.
How much money are we talking about? To give you some perspective, consider the total team payroll of the Florida Marlins [now the Miami Marlins] in the 2010 season – $36 million. The angels just committed over $40 million a year to two players!
Good Deals?
The question many are asking is whether these are actually good deals for the team? Let’s take a look at each.
Albert Pujols is a stud. There is simply no other way to state it. He has a .328 career batting average, which is amazing for a power hitting first baseman who has averaged 42 home runs and 126 runs batted in a year over his career. The fact he is a good citizen as well who gives back to the community only makes fans want to buy Angels tickets more.
Still, there is some risk with Pujols. First, he is 32 years old. The Angels are going to be paying him till he is 42. Few power hitting players have lasted that long. Pujols most likely can since he will ultimately become the teams designated hitter to save on the wear and tear of playing the field. Still, it is the rare player who brings much to the game at 42. Considering his large physical size, one has to think Pujols will break down well before the end of his contract. This is not a man who does yoga!
If anything, C.J. Wilson is perhaps the more risky deal. Yes, he was an All Star in the 2010 season with a 16-7 record and a 2.94 ERA. However, he has only been a starting pitcher for two seasons after spending the previous five in the bullpen with the division rival Texas Rangers. The Angels are undoubtedly counting on him continuing to grow into the starting role, but free agent pitchers are notoriously bad signings and this one has to make Angels’ fans nervous.
Overall
Ultimately, I think we can say the Angels came out big winners today. Pujols will revive the entire organization and its fans. Even if Wilson is not a stud, his signing hurts the rival Rangers. Angel owner Arte Moreno has shown that he will not stand for missing the playoffs and has put his checkbook where his mouth is. With the Yankees and Red Sox in apparent decline, Moreno is making his big move. All I can say is…it is a very good day for anyone who owns Angels ticket!
