How about this... it hurts enough to lose him for nothing, and it magnifies it with him staying in the division. The Cubs may remain contenders for another season. Dec. 18: A deal between Alou and the Cubs could be wrapped up later this week, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Alou might agree to a three-year deal worth $9 million a year, sources close to the situation told the paper, and team president/GM Andy MacPhail expressed optimism that it will get done. "I feel pretty good but there are a lot of loose ends to tie up," he said. Alou wouldn't have this opportunity if Rondell White had accepted the Cubs' two-year offer to stay with the team. White instead signed with the Yankees for $10 million, $6M below his best-case scenario with the Cubs. http://espn.go.com/mlb/mlbrumorcentral2001.html
Well, it sucks that he is staying in the division. But I am thinking Moises will probably suffer another serious injury this next season. He is long due for one now.
I hope this doesn't happen. I don't want him in the NL Central. He will have an axe to grind every time the Cubs play the Astros.
That's a lot of money to pay for someone who missed 162 games in 1999, 36 in 2000 and 26 in 2001 and will be 38 when the contract expires. In addition he is 5-28 with 1 RBI lifetime for the Astros in the playoffs (along with everyone else on the team ). Alou is a marvelous offensive player, but his health is too questionable to warrant a team like Houston committing that much money and years to.
I sure wish someone outside of the division would have signed him. I see a few Tim Redding and Wade Miller fastballs getting jacked into outer space. Sosa, McGriff, and Alou is pretty scary if they're healthy.
