Maybe the Cardinals think there is a real possibility that they will have to trade Pujols and would use Berkman as a stopgap at first.
I still recall Tony Gwynn being asked which of the newcomers he thought was most like him, and he chose Berkman. That said, there must be a reason why his value has plummeted.
Puma made it clear he wanted to re-sign with us, and the Astros weren't interested. No fan can be mad at him. St. Louis offered him AB's, money, and a chance to win. The Astros chose to cut bait not him, and he doesn't strike me as the spiteful type. I hope he succeeds, he could end up being the steal of the off-season, he's only one year removed from a .900 OPS. , or he could be done, 8 mill is worth the risk for a contender.
Agreed. No way any fan should be mad at him. We traded him, we chose not to re-sign him. Why not go to the Cards? They will definitely contend for the division and maybe wild card, and now he gets to hit in a lineup with Pujols and Holliday. Lance only had one bad year...one. I think this will end up being a great signing for the Cardinals. Also, the guy is a franchise icon, and basically in the top 3 in most offensive categories in Astros history, is a great guy, did a lot in the community, went to school here...he will be missed. Here's to watching Brett Wallace and Brian Bogusevic get playing time...
whoever hate on Lance is a douche, Lance wanted to come back but atros don't want him and he went to the team that offer him the most money.
Well it's all good if they don't trade him, it's going to be a very difficult task for them to field a competitive team around Pujols, Holliday and Carpenter's deffered deal, those three would account for well over 50% of the payroll. Did I mention the Cardinals is not a franchise who is known for a balloned payroll?
They are a team that is definitely going to be on the decline in coming years.The Holldiay contract is going to be a killer for them as he ages, it reminds me of the Carlos Lee deal that we are still suffering from. Thankfully the Astros are already in rebuild mode. The Cardinals will probably soon follow that route.
You must be legally mentally r****ded, if you'd rather have Brett Wallace starting at first base over Berkman.
Berkman might be more productive next year but at some point you need to let the young guys play and see what talent you have to work with.
From what i've seen from Wallace so far, i'd rather have a turtle playing first base. At least the turtle could get there faster.
It's unfair to make a final judgment on a rookie after such a small sample size, besides, Wallace is known for his bat. The Astros need to rebuild and Berkman being here would of been counter-productive under these circumstances.
I agree that Wallace has not had a ton of playing time, but my point is, that just because he has not had a lot of playing time, that does not merit ushering Berkman, one of the best players in our history, AND STILL A GOOD PLAYER, out the door. Forget defense, an area where Lance is easily better, Wallace has not show much with his bat. Even in the minors, he has not shown much power, or the ability to draw walks. The guy has been traded 3 times. Why do we have to keep Lance away for him? Just because he was a first round pick? If Lance signed with the Cards for 8 mil, couldn't you have seen him signing with us for less? That contract would not be anything that would prevent us from rebuilding. Imo, he still has a few solid years left in the tank. Trade Wallace for pitching, or a middle IF prospect, or whatever. If he is so good, we could definitely get something in return. For the team. Berkman would provide a veteran presence in terms of good MLB production and Astros icon status that nobody else in the clubhouse could provide. For the fans (at least for me), he would continue to be a player that I would go to a game solely to watch him play. Having Berkman on the team does not hurt us in any way - we have youngsters playing every position except for LF, so if you are saying that having Lance on the team is detrimental soley because he is robbing poor Brett Wallace of playing time, I think that is counter-productive.
anything taking away innings from young guys who we think we MIGHT be building around is counter-productive. the astros aren't building for a playoff run this season...they have to take the long view.
Don't we have Carlos Lee currently in LF? I've seen a lot of posts lamenting Berkman's defense, but I'd much rather have him in LF over Carlos Lee. Hell, I'd much rather have his bat in the lineup over Carlos Lee. So thus, for all the Berkman fans out there, the reason he is not going to retire as an Astro is because they overpaid for a fat-ass at a time when they needed to make a "big splash" due to public sentiment.
OMFG! I can't believe he'll be in a Cards uni...wtf is this world coming to...on a side note, i'd rather him be here, but since that bs didn't happen, he'll be spanking us every chance he gets...quote me on that...
