SF Giants: 6 Reasons Why the Giants Must Not Sign Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols is arguably the best hitter in the game. If he plays for 20 years, he may well end up the Home Run King. He is an offensive juggernaut; a player so talented that he has almost single-handedly (or battedly, if you will) kept the St. Louis Cardinals in playoff contention for a decade.

The San Francisco Giants will not be champions of the National League West Division. There is a good probability that they will be eliminated from the playoffs entirely tomorrow. The well-documented reason for this is the Giants’ lack of offense.

Even given all this, it would be an egregious mistake to sign Albert Pujols. Here is why. 

Reason #1:His Skills Are on the Decline

…And nobody seems to notice.

Most position players have their very best seasons between the ages of 25-30. That isn’t to say there is the occasional aberration (Barry Bonds, Jose Bautista, etc.), but this is the exception and, especially in the post-steroid era, certainly not the rule.

Behold:

2008: .357 BA, 37 HR, 116 RBI, .462 OBP, 1.114 OPS

2009: .327 BA, 47 HR, 135 RBI, .443 OBP, 1.101 OPS

2010: .312 BA, 42 HR, 118 RBI, .414 OBP, 1.001 OPS

2011: .304 BA, 37 HR, 98 RBI, .372 OBP, .927 OPS

If you take 2011 at face value, it’s still a wonderful season. Just like how if you take Natalie Portman today, she’s still a beautiful woman (individual taste may vary)—but like Natalie Portman, Pujols ain’t what he was four years ago.

Note the monotonic decrease in statistics. At that monotonic decline pace, if Albert Pujols signs a 10-year contract, here is what his final season of the contract will look like:

2022: .162 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBI, .202 OBP, .480 OPS

Will he put up those numbers? Probably not. But I would not anticipate too many more MVP-caliber seasons coming out of Mr. Pujols. 

Reason #2:He Told St. Louis to Shove It

Starting with Brett Appley, as well as other reports, Albert Pujols turned down a very lucrative offer from St. Louis last season.

What does Albert Pujols want? He probably wants something in the neighborhood of an Alex Rodriguez contract.

Maybe Pujols can be just like Alex Rodriguez and sign a fat record-setting contract this offseason and become locker-room cancer, a sideshow and a playoff disappointment like Mr. Rodriguez.

But the San Francisco Giants should not pay $20 million (more like $27 million) per season for that “privilege.” 

Reason #3:He Addresses None of the Giants Holes

Yes, Albert Pujols fills the Giants' lineup holes, but he doesn’t exactly fill any position holes.

The Giants have Aubrey Huff next season. For some reason, people actually want Brandon Belt to play (although that’s a different story), which probably has to do with their “Baby Giraffe” hats.

And, just like a slumber party at Hugh Hefner’s, the bed just keeps getting bigger: Brett Pill has lumbered onto the scene and outperformed both Aubrey Huff and his highly touted (for some reason) “replacement,” Brandon Belt.

For a team without a decent option at shortstop, center field, or right field, having four first basemen doesn’t just seem excessive—it seems idiotic.

Yes, Gary Brown might ride in on a pale horse and save the day as our new leadoff hitter. Nate Schierholtz might explode next season and hit 30 home runs. Brandon Crawford might become the San Franciscan incarnation of Jimmy Rollins.

And I might wake up to Megan Fox tomorrow. Just in case, though, I’m going to keep my eyes open for other “talent.” And so should the San Francisco Giants. 

Reason #4:He Wants Too Much Money

According to Bill James, Albert Pujols has a “wins above replacement” this season of 5.7. This is an impressive statistic. For those of you who are “uninitiated,” a WAR of 5.7 means that Pujols ostensibly provided the Cardinals with either five or six more wins than they would have had this season without him.

However, as I mentioned way back in the first slide, his skills are on the decline. Even if, however, he continues on his current track, he does not warrant the payday that is sure to come to him.

If he does, then God help the San Francisco Giants: Pablo Sandoval has a WAR this season of 6.1.

The Kung Fu Panda will not get $25 million as a free agent. Moreover, Troy Tulowitzki and Mike Stanton have the same WAR as the illustrious Pujols. 

Reason #5:He Wants It for Too Long

Albert Pujols probably wants something in the neighborhood of a 10-year deal. He will almost certainly want a deal longer than six years.

It is actually immaterial how long a contract Pujols wants. What is much more important is that he wants a massive contract after the San Francisco Giants just ate the contract of one overpaid player (Aaron Rowand) and are suffering from a chronic bout of indigestion trying to stomach that of another overpaid under-performer (Barry Zito).

Mark my words: If the Giants sign Albert Pujols to a 10-year deal, then every single reporter on Bleacher Report and the sports-writing universe will be harping on Sabean’s (new) folly.

He’s getting older. He’s been injured. Don’t kid yourself, kids—there is risk. 

Reason #6:He Doesn’t Have a Cool Animal Named After Him

The Kung Fu Panda. The Baby Giraffe. The Freak. The Beard. The…great hitter?

I say this only somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

The Giants just sold out every game for an entire season. Exactly how much additional revenue will Albert Pujols generate? Had Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez not been injured, there is a decent chance that the Giants would have been in position to make a deep run into the playoffs for a second season in a row.

While I will admit that Albert Pujols, at least in the short term, would make it more likely that the Giants would be able to put together a string of consecutive playoff appearances, I would argue that any number of free-agent/trade acquisitions would comparatively yield the same benefit. These acquisitions won’t cost over $20 million dollars a year and yield very little in terms of attendance or merchandise. 

Conclusion:Sign Someone Else

The Giants are in position. They have plenty of money and they have great bargaining chips for a trade (Jonathan Sanchez, Brandon Belt, Jeff Keppinger).

Why crash the coffers on an Albert Pujols when Carlos Beltran and, say, Jimmy Rollins would not only yield a comparable return but also address some pressing position needs for San Francisco?

I realize that many fans and some writers (Manny Randhawa) fantasize about seeing Albert Pujols in black and orange, but not me.