Albert Pujols had a record-breaking Game 2 on Monday night but was anyone really surprised? He’s a machine, right?
In the Cardinals’ 12-3 win over the Brewers in the NLCS, Pujols went 4-for-5 with a home run, three doubles and five RBI. He became the first player with three extra-base hits in two games in the same postseason and just the fourth player with four extra-base hits in a single playoff game.
If the price tag for the free-agent-to-be wasn’t already going to be astronomical, Monday’s historic postseason performance may have caused some inflation.
But if you’re not the Yankees and don’t have endless pockets, would it be worth it to make the 31-year-old the highest-paid player in baseball?
Some of the highest paid non-Yankees players for the 2011 season include: Angels outfielder Vernon Wells, Mets pitcher Johan Santana, Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, Astros first baseman Carlos Lee, Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, Angels outfielder Torii Hunter, Giants pitcher Barry Zito, Mets outfielder Jason Bay and Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.
This underperforming group had a lot in common in 2011. Each was at least 30 years old and among the top-20 highest paid players. And no one in the group played in the playoffs or All-Star Game this season.
No one on that list is Albert Pujols, either. But teams that don’t have endless financial liberties (see, anyone but the Yankees) can get trapped by back-loading huge contracts with 30-something players who have their best seasons behind them.
Although Pujols has been the most consistent player in the game over the past decade, it’s hard to believe in the post-steroid era that his best seasons are still to come.
A team will be paying for what Pujols was, not what he will be over the future years of his contract.
Pujols’ past suggests he deserves to be the highest-paid player, but at what cost to the organization?
– Jeffrey Tomik
