Dollars & Sense - The Man Behind The Winning Pirates

How bad is your favorite team? Maybe they are really bad or, if you are lucky, maybe they are really good. They could also fall somewhere in the middle – like toiling between the eighth and ninth spot of the NBA playoffs every year middle – but fans are too emotional to ever admit being in the middle.

For years the Pittsburgh Pirates were one of those teams that were really bad. Really, really bad. Just ask Bryan Fyalkowski who used to write the Route 30 Detour for us. A tortured Pirates fans for all of his years on earth, the years of losing certainly got to him.

espn.com

But now, as of this very week, the Pirates are winners. After 20 straight losing seasons, the beloved Buccos have reached 81 wins meaning that no matter what they do the rest of the way they will finish .500. Just talk to a Pirates fan and you will see what it feels like to get a monkey the size of an entire city off your back.

The greatest news of all is that the Pirates have the framework in place to keep winning. Last year looking like the year that they were finally going to do it until a wretched final month and a half of the season derailed their chances. This season they finally did it, and they can do it again going forward.

At the core of the Pirate’s recent success is All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen is only 26-years-old and is working off of one the most team-friendly contract in all of baseball after signing a6-year $51.5 million extension prior to last season. “Cutch” has also been able to keep his name in the National League Most Valuable Player discussion for the last two years, going for 31 home runs, 96 RBI, and a .327 average last year followed by 18 home runs, 75 RBI, and a .320 average through 135 games this season.

Even though he plays in Pittsburgh, McCutchen is marketable as well. He has a notable endorsement with EvoShield, a company that makes protective athletic gear such as McCutchen’s shin guard. He is most known, though, for his appearance on the cover of the popular video game MLB 2013 The Show.

Most importantly, in this day and age when the actions of athletes are often overblown, McCutchen has managed to stay away from it all. Keeping a clean image in the current social media ultra-microscopic climate is essential and something that McCutchen recognizes which helps to boost his approval amongst fans and endorsers alike.

It is difficult for an MVP caliber player on-the-field to be just as effective off-the-field, but McCutchen is doing just that. Now that the Pirates have broken the 20-pluc year curse, McCutchen’s marketability will continue to climb and he will continue to put Pittsburgh on the baseball map.

Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

The Impulses of Philly Sports Fans

Philadelphia fans are showing their impulsive nature again.  This time it is all centered on Eagles quarterback Mike Vick.  Well, some things just never change, I suppose.

For those that aren’t Philadelphia sports fans, here’s how it all went down.  The Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb in the second round in 2007.  He backed up Donovan McNabb and was named the “Quarterback of the Future”.  Upon his release from prison, the Eagles signed Michael Vick in 2009.  Vick was a back-up to McNabb as well, but got to play a little bit due to his speed and athleticism. 

In 2010 everything changed.  McNabb was traded to the Redskins and Kolb was named the starter.  Kolb suffered a concussion in week one against the Green Bay Packers, which paved the way for Vick to become the full-time starter (with all of Philadelphia wanted Vick over Kolb except myself and a select other few).  Vick’s play was strong the rest of the way, and he earned himself the right to start going into 2011.  The strong finish in 2010 earned Vick a 6 year $100 million contract with Philly.  For whatever reasons, the talented Eagles went 8-8 and fans began to get a glimpse at a glaring turnover epidemic in Philadelphia.  This season, the turnover issue has plagued the team and there’s no end in sight.  After three games the Eagles find themselves sitting at 2-1, though the two wins were 1-point victories with week one against the Browns coming in unconvincing style.

With the turnover problem having no end in sight, many Eagles fans are calling for rookie Nick Foles to take over the starting quarterback reigns and bench Mike Vick.  Foles had an effective preseason playing mostly with the second and third teams. 

Here is where I kindly ask Eagles fans to stop.  Please.  I am begging all of you. I know that you all know everything about the Eagles, but clearly you don’t know much about money.  Vick is in the midst of a $100 MILLION contract.  That’s $100,000,000.  Teams don’t make that kind of financial commitment to a player and then bench him.  In the business world, that doesn’t fly. There is an option at the end of the season where the Eagles can get out of Vick’s contract, and if his play continues down the path it’s on, then the team could very well use it.  Even then, $40 million of Vick’s contract is guaranteed which leaves the Eagles with a hefty price to pay to not have Vick on the team next season.

Also, you all want to bench Vick for a rookie in Foles.  A rookie that does not have one regular season snap under his belt.  I don’t want to hear about his preseason.  He played a majority of the preseason up against second and third string defenses.  Teams weren’t game-planning specifically to stop him.  It’s a lot different when the defensive plan is to get after the rookie quarterback. 

Which all brings me to the next point… have you seen all of the injuries to the Eagles’ offensive line!? Demetress Bell is starting.  Bell is worse than King Dunlap which says a lot.  Jason Kelce is out for a while.  Dallas Reynolds is starting in Kelce’s place.  I feel bad for the mobile Vick sitting back there let alone a rookie in Foles. 

Take this as my plea.  I beg you all to think for about 30 seconds.  It’s amazing the damage you can do.  When you finally put that old rusty dusty thinking cap on I’m positive that you’ll realize the nonsense you’ve been thinking.  The team is 2-1.  With the season not even at the one quarter point, it’s too soon to make a change.

Eagles fans, please think.

Dollars & Sense - The Dwight Howard Saga Ends

The unthinkable has happened.  The dust is clearing.  The Dwight Howard saga is over!  Let us all rejoice! If anybody was able to keep count of how many days the whole “Dwightmare” lasted, then I commend you because I lost track about a year ago.

Unfortunately, Dwight Howard took advantage of sides of sports that the purists like to ignore.  He took advantage of power and greed, but more importantly he showed a side of immaturity and indecision that was magnified at a daily national level.

But the obsession is over now.  We can all sleep soundly; no longer checking Twitter on an hourly basis through the night solely to know the latest Dwight Howard trade rumor for talk around the water cooler the next morning. 

Late last week, trade rumors emerged about the 4-team deal that would send Dwight Howard to the Lakers.  Talks progressed quickly (and stole my thunder when I broke news about Samme Givens signing with a Dutch pro team on Philahoops).  By the time the dust cleared, the trade was bigger than anybody could have ever imagined.  Details:

Los Angeles Lakers Get – Dwight Howard (from Orlando)

Philadelphia 76ers Get – Andrew Bynum (from LA) and Jason Richardson (from Orlando)

Denver Nuggets Get – Andre Igoudala (from Philadelphia)

Orlando Magic Get – Arron Afflalo (from Denver), Al Harrington (from Denver), Nikola Vucevic (from Philadelphia), Moe Harkless (from Philadelphia), and future first round draft picks.

It is up for you to decide which team you think was the big winner of the deal.  I must say, as a Sixers fan and Philadelphia guy, I was not expecting the Sixers to be in on this.  In reality though, it’s just too early to tell.  For now, let’s break down this trade further to look at contract money given away and contract money taken on (2013 contract numbers are from ShamSports.com).

Los Angeles Lakers:

Give – Andrew Bynum ($16.1 million)

Get – Dwight Howard ($19.5 million)

Trade Difference – Lakers take on $3.4 million in salary.

Philadelphia 76ers:

Give – Andre Igoudala ($15.9 million) – Nikola Vucevic ($1.7 million) – Moe Harkless ($1.7 million)

Get – Andrew Bynum ($16.1 million)

Trade Difference – Sixers shed $3.2 million in salary.

Denver Nuggets:

Give – Arron Afflalo ($7.8 million) – Al Harrington ($6.7 million)

Get – Andrew Igoudala ($15.9 million)

Trade Difference – Denver take on $1.4 million in salary (but shed a good amount of long term money)

Orlando Magic:

Give – Dwight Howard ($19.5 million)

Get – Arron Afflalo ($7.8 million) – Al Harrington ($6.7 million) – Nikola Vucevic ($1.7 million) – Moe Harkless ($1.7 million)

Trade Difference – Magic shed $1.6 million in salary.

Nobody in the trade went for a huge salary dump and nobody took on an abnormal amount of salary.  The Magic seem to be looking to the future by taking on the young talents of Afflalo, Vucevic, Harkless, and a handful of future draft picks.  The Sixers were able to flip Igoudala’s inflated, expiring contract for Andrew Bynum’s potential to be a top big man in the NBA and willingness to resign with Philadelphia at the end of his current contract.  The Nuggets trade long term salary for short term salary, which could give them some flexibility down the road.  And the Lakers get Superman. 

Any trade needs time to determine whether the dollars make sense.  For now this trade is a blockbuster that was able to overshadow the US Men’s advancement to the Gold Medal game at the London 2012 Olympics.  The “Dwightmare” is over… For now at least.  Now we can start our days with updates on Dwight Howard’s back.  Oh joy.  Check back in 5 to 10 years to find out which teams won and which teams lost in this deal.  Everybody, enjoy the peace and quiet because the Dwight Howard soap opera is over.

Dollars & Sense - Steven Jackson

Respect.

That’s the word that comes to mind what I think of St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson.  On Tuesday, Jackson told Pro Football Talk Live that he wanted to retire as a member of the St. Louis Rams and was working on a contract to fulfill his desires. 

Throughout the 8 year career of the now 29 year old, Jackson has been nothing short of a workhorse running back in every sense of the word.  The 6’2” 241 lb. Jackson has averaged over 265 carries per year with 7 straight 1000 yard seasons (only season he did not reach 1000 yards was his 2004 rookie campaign).  The big bodied Jackson has also been a viable threat in the passing game averaging over 45 catches throughout his career.  Currently the active leader in career rushing yards with almost 9100 yards, Jackson is a physical specimen to be reckoned with.  At the 2004 NFL Draft Combine, he ran consistently in the 4.5s in the 40 yard dash not to mention scoring a respectable 28 on the Wonderlic test. 

When Steven Jackson was drafted by the Rams with the 24th pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, the team was on the backend of their days as the “Greatest Show on Turf”.  Since then, the team has languished.  Jackson has been the piece holding the team together throughout.  Constantly playing hurt for the good of the team, Jackson couldn’t care less if the team was 3-13 or 8-8; he was playing football.  Playing through injury has been a consistent piece of Jackson’s career, showing the colors for a true team player each and every year. 

Since baseball guys like Curt Flood, Andy Messersmith, and Dave McNally made free agency the cool thing to do since the 1970s, athletes in all leagues have not been shy to use their power to move anywhere and everywhere.  Free agency does not discriminate against league either.  Recently the NBA has been seen as giving free agency a bad name with guys like LeBron James making their decisions into a public spectacle all while attempting to align the star power among a handful of teams.  Some people see it as selling out.  Some people see it as athletes just trying to better their career and chances of winning.  Free agency is one of the reasons that the NFL has been dubbed “Not For Long”. 

With the vast majority of professional athletes making a uniform change at one point or another during their career, there is something to be said about guys that decide to stick out their careers with the organization it all began with.  It seems to be almost admirable.  Current athletes like Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant (I know he was a draft day trade from the Hornets), and Mariano Rivera come to mind as guys that have stuck it out with their original teams.  Those guys are all-time greats in their respective sports.  Steven Jackson is a guy that has a chance to be among them.

It would have been easy for Steven Jackson to demand a trade or hold out or simply not sign an extension.  Instead, he saw his work through and now he wants to continue seeing it through until the end.  Coming up on the dreaded running back age of 30 years old, Jackson already has the mileage on him of a 1967 Chevy pickup truck.  There is something truly admirable about what Jackson has done.  Throughout his career he has laid it on the line every season, every game, every down through injury and atrocious Rams teams of the late 2000s.  He has done it all without ever needing to be the highest paid running back in the NFL.  He has done it all with minimum complaint, no hold outs, and no arrests (In 2010 he was accused of domestic assault however the accusations came 10 months after the fact, Jackson was never charged, and he issued his own personal statement to meet the allegations head on).  Most of all he has done it all with the respect, integrity, and character that our ideal view of athletes outlines. 

Let Steven Jackson serve as an example to all aspiring professional athletes.  When faced with a losing team or a contract dispute, don’t make a public spectacle of the situation (and for the love of God do not pull a Dwight Howard).  When Coach continues to call halfback dives straight into the A gap on the goal line, continue to put your head down and do the job that lies ahead.  When faced with adversity, meet it head on.  Own up to mistakes and admit guilt.  If faced with a rocky stretch either on or off the field, use Steven Jackson’s actions as guidance.  Steven Jackson is a true professional and that is something to respect.

MLB Trade Deadline

Time is counting down to the Major League Baseball trade deadline at 4pm on July 31st.  Teams have baited their trade hooks with their finest players.  Players like Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, Justin Upton, Ryan Dempster, Carl Crawford, and Zack Greinke (among many others) are being cast into the Major League Baseball trade deadline sea of possibilities (you know, the MLBTDSP for short).  Fans sit in their cubicles and cook up scintillating trade possibilities that could only be pulled off in a video game.  MLB team executives meet and discuss whether their team will be a buyer, a seller, or sit tight at the deadline.  Instead of speculating and adding to the baseless rumors people throw out into cyberspace, I am going to breakdown an Antonio Alfonseca handful of names that have been heavily talked about in the media and the business implications that come with trading or not trading these players.

Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies may be the most intriguing team to follow going into the break.  As a fan, I’m deathly scared.  We’ve seen what crazy deals the mad scientist Ruben Amaro Jr. has come up with before.  However, those deals came when the Phillies were buyers.  Now as possible sellers, I’m scared to open my eyes to see what RAJ can conjure up.  Two of the biggest Phillies names that have not only been thrown around, but are most likely to be traded, are Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino.  We’ll start with Hamels.

I strongly believe that trading Cole Hamels would be a terrible mistake.  The 28 year old lefty, is the youngest of the big three of the Phillies rotation (Halladay is 35 and Lee is 33).  Hamels was the work horse on the 2008 staff that won the first World Series in franchise history since 1980. This year Hamels makes $15 million dollars, but he is sure to command much more when he hits free agency after this season.   The fact that Hamels is in the final year of his contract and the amount of money it will take to re-sign him is why he is eligible to be moved at the deadline.  Many compare Hamels’s impending free agency to Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants.  Cain is a right hander and got 5 years for $120 million.  Hamels is a left hander which makes him a little bit more valuable than Cain.  Reports say that the Phillies are ready to offer Hamels upwards of $130 million.  My gut tells me that the point of contention is over the number of years.  The Phillies typically do not like to go too long term on their pitchers’ contracts.  For all the fans out there who are convinced that the Phillies will trade Hamels with a side deal in place that he will return via free agency after the team replenishes the farm system with the trade, please put your delusions of grandeur aside.  That is absurd and highly unlikely.  In a perfect world sure, but this world is far from perfect.  For business purposes, I think it is imperative that RAJ gets this deal done with Hamels if not just to reassure his competence.  If the Phillies lose Hamels to free agency or trade him because of lack of financial resources, it proves to me that RAJ and the team’s front office has shown a tremendous lack of foresight in recent years.  The additions of Halladay, Lee (the second time), Oswalt, and Pence have been fantastic, but they still haven’t won a World Series.  In fact, they have made the Phillies one of the oldest teams in baseball and left the farm system extremely thin.  Get a deal done with Hamels because he is in the prime of his career and a proven front end starter to build around.  Plus, trading Hamels will open up a media firestorm and possible overthrow of Ruben Amaro and his cabinet.  Re-sign Hamels.

Shane Victorino – Philadelphia Phillies

Shane Victorino is a completely different case from Cole Hamels.  I believe that the Phillies need to trade Victorino.  I would like to preface with the fact that I like Victorino as a player.  He’s one of those pesky players that you just loathe when they aren’t on your team.  He’s also one of those players that has been exceeding expectations throughout his career.  Always outperforming expectations is great, but it usually comes with a hard ceiling that comes up quickly.  Unfortunately, I think Victorino may have reached his ceiling.  Do I think that he is a 3-WAR player that he projects to be this year?  Not necessarily, but I also don’t think the 5.9 WAR of last season is the norm.  The Flyin’ Hawaiian is 31 years old and he’s going to be looking for a 5 year contract somewhere.  He makes $9.5 million this year and the Phillies would be crazy to re-sign him at that dollar figure for 5 years.  The problem for Victorino’s future with the Phillies is that some team will be crazy enough to do it.  There will be teams out there to pay the large price tag and possibly give him (gulp) 5 years for $40-50 million.  The Phillies aren’t under as much pressure to hang onto Victorino as they are Hamels.  The once highly touted prospect Domonic Brown is waiting in the wings in AAA, and it is time to see what he’s got in the majors with regular at bats.  A team looking to add a good glove, solid bat, and speed on the base paths will give the Phillies a solid return of prospects.  Upon further review, it is worth noting that Victorino is a reasonably marketable player.  Many of the Philadelphia fans love their Flyin’ Hawaiian.  The Phillies have capitalized off of Victorino with a small line of Flyin’ Hawaiian merchandise.  Typically though, it does come down to on-field performance.  In reality, Victorino is dispensable due to his girthy price tag and age.  Trade Victorino.

Justin Upton – Arizona Diamondbacks

I must admit, I’m quite confused on why Justin Upton’s name has been thrown around in trade talks.  We are talking about a guy who had a legitimate shot at National League MVP last season when he finished with a .289/.369/.529 slash line with 31 HR, 88 RBI and a 6.4 WAR.  He is struggling a bit this year with a 1.5 WAR, but there’s no reason to give up on him.  Upton is only 24 years old and entering into the prime of his career.  Importantly, Upton has a reasonable contract where he is signed through 2015 and has a $6.75 million price tag this year.  It is unclear why the Diamondbacks would want to give up on Upton before his 25th birthday.  His contract is a little bit back-loaded but even his 2013 salary is below $10 million.  The thing that Kevin Towers and the Diamondbacks front office may see is the huge pull of players that Upton could bring in.  Arizona is hovering below .500, but the NL West is one of the weaker divisions in baseball so even if they do not end up competing this year, they are still contenders next year.  Furthermore, the Diamondbacks are one of the younger teams in baseball.  The best part for them is that they still have fantastic pitching prospects that will be major league ready within the next year and a half.  Not many teams can say that they are at a competitive level in terms of winning a division and still have an army of prospects coming up.  It is a unique situation for sure.  Even though, Upton is only 24, he is a cornerstone of the Diamondbacks success.  There is little reason to believe that this down year will be the norm going forward.  His current contract which is a 6 year extension that he signed back in 2010 bought out his final years of arbitration.  He is under contract until 2015 and at a reasonable salary.  The Diamondbacks are one year removed from being a playoff team and they have an extremely young nucleus.  They will have a chance to compete years to come.  Keep Upton.

Ryan Dempster – Chicago Cubs

Wait… the Chicago Cubs are bad?  Baseball can be predicted after all!  In Theo Epstein’s first year as Cubs GM, there was a lot of work to be done (including fighting off a stalker).  It was too much work to compete this year.  The Cubs are a project and Ryan Dempster is going to be one of those guys sacrificed for the future of the club.  It is inevitable that Dempster is going to be moved before the July 31st trade deadline.  Dempster is a 35 year old right hander who has had a very odd year.  His record is 5-3, but his ERA is an astounding 1.89.  Clearly, run support has been tough to come by.  What makes Dempster a trade candidate is his $14 million price tag and also the fact that he is in a contract year.  With pitching always a team priority going into the playoffs, Dempster and his sub-2.00 ERA are a hot commodity.  Also, it is unlikely that the Cubs are confident in re-signing him going into next year.  The pull of players that the Cubs could get by dealing Ryan Dempster at the deadline is most likely considerably higher in value than the compensatory draft picks they would receive when he signed with another team.  With the Cubbies flirting with last place in the NL Central and the current rebuilding stage that the team is in, it seems that trading Ryan Dempster is a sensible move.  The value of the players received in return would most likely be much higher than the Dempster’s individual value.  He is no longer the 17-6, 5.2 WAR pitcher that he was in 2008.  The Cubs have the money to eat a bit of his contract to get better player value.  Trading Ryan Dempster just makes sense.  Trade Dempster.

Carl Crawford – Boston Red Sox

Carl Crawford is one of the more surprising names that I’ve seen floating around the MLB rumor mill.  He is in the second year of a 7 year $142 million behemoth of a contract with the Boston Red Sox.  The Sox figured that the addition of Crawford along with superstar first baseman Adrian Gonzalez would result in a run of championships that only Lebron could have predicted.  Instead, Crawford for the most part has either been injured or riding the struggle bus at the plate.  When healthy with the Tampa Bay Rays, from 2003-2009 Crawford consistently had a WAR round 5.  In 2009 (his contract year), he had a 7.6 WAR.  After penning the massive contract with the Red Sox, Crawford’s total WAR over the past year and a half is .4 (granted he recently played his first game of the year this year).  Not exactly the value that a team looks for in the $142 million left fielder.  The Red Sox should be working tirelessly to lock up Jacoby Ellsbury and extending Dustin Pedroia past his 2015 option year shortly.  With a core of Crawford, Gonzalez, Ellsbury, and Pedroia, how could they not be favorites to make a playoff run for the next five years?  Crawfords deal would also be inherently difficult to move.  The Red Sox may end up having to eat a large amount of money which is less than ideal when moving further into the future.  I know that Crawford has been less than stellar thus far.  But unless he is bringing in bunches of major league ready talent at positions of big need, then I don’t see why Crawford would be traded.  It is extremely rare that teams sign players to superstar money and then trade the player halfway through their second year with the team.  It is essentially giving up, and it isn’t time to give up on Carl Crawford just yet.  If you take a media look at trading Carl Crawford, you would have to think the media would eat up any deal with Crawford involved.  No matter what the Sox get in return, you would have to think that a majority of the media attention would be focused on Crawford being a bust with the team.  I know that front office executives will never admit that they did or didn’t make a move because of media purposes, but with the problems the Red Sox are already facing, I doubt they would want to keep piling on.  Regardless, the 30 year old simply has too much potential value.  Keep Crawford.

Zack Greinke – Milwaukee Brewers

Just as I talked about with Ryan Dempster, the same is true for Zack Geinke; pitching is essential in making a playoff run.  For that reason, some team will overspend on a pitcher that will likely leave them in free agency.  Greinke is the same way.  He is a 28 year old right hander who already has a Cy young Award under his belt in 2009 with the Kansas City Royals.  Greinke is making $13.5 million with the Brewers this year, but the Brew Crew find themselves on the wrong side of .500.  He is in the final year of his contract and he his pitching pretty well so far.  He would be a huge addition to a team making a playoff run because he has plenty of experience as an ace and front end starter.  The smaller market Milwaukee Brewers are unlikely to be able to re-sign Greinke at season’s end, so why not look to get pieces to put around the solid core of Braun and Gallardo.  You would have to think that Greinke would command a contract above 5 years $100 million (probably something right around that Matt Cain number of 5 years for $120 million).  The Brewers are on the doorstep of contending, but it just probably won’t be this year.  They should add some value around their stars and look to next year because the Brewers’ checkbook simply isn’t fat enough to hold the weight of Greinke’s impending contract.   Trade Greinke.

See I told you it would be an Antonio Alfonseca handful!  Those are my six players to keep in mind as the July 31st MLB trade deadline approaches.  All six players that I mentioned have big business implications riding on whether they are traded or not.  Whether it is strong endorsements tied to their current city or strong media affection or big contract dollars in the near future, all of these players resonate in the sports business world.  Player transactions are starting to be determined by more than just on-field performance.  Baseball, and other sports, is a business.  It is all about revenue and profit margin.  If a player can improve revenue with more than just his on-field performance, then he is instantly more valuable.  For now, we will keep an ear to the rumor mill and see what happens.


Other big names to keep in mind:
Chase Headley - San Diego Padres
Cliff Lee - Philadelphia Phillies
Hanley Ramirez - Florida Marlins
Peter Bourjos - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Wandy Rodriguez - Houston Astros
Francisco Liriano - Minnesota Twins
Carlos Quentin - San Diego Padres
Jonathan Sanchez - Kansas City Royals
Yunel Escobar - Toronto Blue Jays
Matt Garza - Chicago Cubs

Stay tuned to I-95 SportsBiz! There is sure to be more MLB trade deadline coverage to come.

--All player statistics came from Fangraphs.com and all player contract information came from Baseballprospectus.com.

Don't Hate the Player, Hate the GaMe

Welcome to the Route 30 Detour! US Route 30 intersects at I-95 in Philadelphia and goes from coast to coast, including passing through Pittsburgh and the home of Drexel University SMT student and blog contributor, Bryan Fyalkowski (@fyalkowski)...

To give you an idea of the kind of year Albert Pujols is having with the Los Angeles Angels, he went 1-4 with a double on Monday night and his OPS went up. Yes, with his far from impressive stat line thus far it has been a far from normal 2012 season for the future HOFer. Wait, was that just the first time you heard Albert Pujols referred to as a "future HOFer" and actually thought twice about it? Yeah me too.

Totally emo picture bro.

After signing a 10-year, $254 million deal in the offseason, the second-largest contract in MLB history, Pujols was expected to perform around his career average. Is that too much to ask? However, we are now 45 games into the 2012 season and everyone is wondering, "What is wrong with Albert Pujols?" But more importantly, blaming him for the Angels' struggles and asking, "Why isn't he earning his salary?"

One of these years is not like the other.

Well, sports fans, I'm here today to tell you that Albert Pujols is not to blame for not living up to his uber-contract; Jerry Dipoto is. Never heard of him? He is the General Manager of the Angels, and he is the person responsible for signing Pujols, and other free agent CJ Wilson, to large and in charge contracts this past offseason.

In this instance, and all others, I will blame the GM 100% of the time when it comes down to whose fault it is when a player "underperforms" in relation to their contract. Let's go over something. During last year's free agency, did Albert Pujols go around to each team and say: "I will only sign a 10-year, $254 million deal and nothing else."? No. Jerry Dipoto, at some point, offered that deal and Pujols agreed.

Is Pujols supposed to say: "Sorry Jerry, I'm not worth that much money any more."? No. He was offered the deal and he took it. It is a no-brainer for anyone with $254 million just one signature away. Now, everybody is mad at Pujols for not living up to that contract? Give me a break.

Yes please!

When a fan base gets all bunched up about a mega-deal that did not work out (see: Barry Zito, San Francisco Giants... Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs... Johan Santana, New York Mets... Vernon Wells, Los Angeles... Etc.), they always seem to blame the player, and it is usually for some combination of three reasons:

1. Player was no longer motivated to perform and/or had poor attitude.

Everybody always uses the phrase, "He's only hitting/pitching well because it's a contract year." So when that type of player, like Jose Reyes last season, has a huge year right before free agency, it is up to the GM to decide whether or not the player will have a mental letdown after he has already signed a new deal.

And the kind of player who takes himself out of the game after he won the batting title. Bush league.

I actually do not blame the player in this instance. If the player is the type of person who is motivated just by money, it is the GM's responsibility to not extend an offer to this player. To be honest, these types of players are very rare, and their decline in production is usually attributed to a decline in ability. But, it is just another reason fans and the media give to blame the player.

You suck bro! Lemme throw batteries at your face!

2. Player did not meet expectations based on his salary.

Now this is a tricky one. Whose expectations is the player supposed to live up to? The fans? The organization? His own? Well, if the player is trying his best and his best still is not good enough, maybe he was not good enough in the first place and did not deserve a big contract. Also, you have to remember that in baseball, there is another team trying to make you fail, so you are not just going to go up and hit homeruns just because you want to.

Because this ain't golf, cowboy.

Barry Zito, for example, won the Cy Young Award and had some great seasons with the Oakland Athletics. But with his low velocity, low strikeout rate and large inning count early in his career, among other factors, it is hard to believe his services warranted a 7-year, $126 million deal. At the time, it was the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, but since then, it has seemed to be a big mistake.

Chillin.

Zito is a guy who has been known to try his hardest even though the results have not been consistent. As I covered in the first point, Zito has worked through mechanical issues and nagging injuries to do his best to fulfill his contract obligation. But overall, Brian Sabean, the GM of the Giants, is responsible for Zito's contract and for the entire roster of players.

Even this guy.

3. Player was injured and playing time and/or performance was hindered.

For this happenstance, how could you possibly blame the player? For baseball-related injuries, it is difficult to place blame on anybody; they just happen. If the player being out of shape causes a dip in performance or injury, it is the GM's fault for offering a contract to a player that would allow himself to become out of shape.

Not naming names or anything.

In conclusion...

I do not care how MLB teams spend their money. There is no salary cap, so there is no penalty for making a bad business deal. Whoever owns the team can spend as little or as much as he would like and I could not care less because it is not my money the team is spending to sign players.

Overall, I personally believe that GMs need to be held more accountable for being better judges of talent and character. Players are going to be who they are; they are not going to change. It is the GM's responsibility to determine which players are worth the money and which are not.

On the contrary, I also believe GMs should be praised for making good deals, at least more so than they are now. It is a double-edged sword, but it only makes sense to me that the people in charge of decision-making are held more accountable in general.

Even though I gave a lot of crap to Albert Pujols for the majority of this article, I need to specify one final point before your brains turn completely into Jello. The success or failure of a contract should not be decided until the contract is completely fulfilled.

So even though Albert Pujols is struggling, he is not even 1/3 through this season and still potentially has about 29/30 to go before we can determine whether it was a good or bad deal. It is just fun to make fun of the slugger because he has as many homeruns as Rod Barajas.

ZOLTAN!

Hope you could follow along!

Enjoy your trip back to I-95 and I'll see you next week!