Holliday to Cards, 7 years $120 million

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Sounds done from Heyman. Full no-trade clause.

 

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[JoeH33]

This is pretty much what I expected. I'm sure Holliday will be a stud for the first 3-4 yrs of this deal, but by the end of the contract he won't be worth it. I guess you could say that with any big free agent deal though.

[AJAY]

Not good news for the Brewers and other NL Central teams. Pujols/Holliday is comparable to Fielder/Braun. However, I don't think we have anything close to Carpenter/Wainright at the top of our rotation.

[Ennder]

Not good news for the Brewers and other NL Central teams. Pujols/Holliday is comparable to Fielder/Braun. However, I don't think we have anything close to Carpenter/Wainright at the top of our rotation.

Luckily I doubt the Cardinals will either. Wainwrights peripherals didn't match his stats at all last year and I think it is a stretch to assume Carpenter will stay healthy given his history. But certainly not good news when your prime competition signs a big name player.

[Funketown]

This deal will run until he is 37 years old. Given Holliday's skill set, I find it hard to believe that he isn't worth at least $17MM for the bulk of those seasons. As Brewers fans, we just gotta hope they aren't able to get a hometown discount on Albert. Otherwise, it could be a long seven years of Holliday/Pujols.

[Point Beer Is Best]

This is closer to the dollar amount I expected. Bowden had tweeted that the sides were close to a 7 year $98.5 million deal, which absolutely floored me.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Meet the 2010 NL Central favorites. Our chances to win the division just dropped big time.

[logan82]

Anybody still think we are in the same size market salary wise as the Cardinals?

[crewcrazy]

It'll be interesting to see what Holliday does in a full season in St. Louis, since it'll be his first full season in an NL park outside of Coors. Probably a nice deal for the next few years and it certainly makes the Cards more dangerous, but for some reason I can't shake the feeling that they're going to regret the back end of that contract, especially with the full no-trade clause. If/when they lock up Pujols long-term, they're going to have a significant portion of that payroll tied up in a couple players.

[colbyjack]

Meet the 2010 NL Central favorites. Our chances to win the division just dropped big time.

 

The way I see it, the Cardinals already had Holliday, so it's not like they're getting better by re-signing him. It's more like they're having a sigh of relief that they didn't lose him, and they're pretty lucky since he probably would have been in a lot greater demand any other year. Plus, as already noted, there's a good chance the Cardinals regret this deal in 3-4 years. They now have a lot of money tied up into two players, which likely will hamper the other kinds of moves they are going to be able to make moving forward.

 

They're still the team to beat, but re-signing Holliday didn't suddenly destroy the chances in 2010 for the Brewers or any other NL Central hopeful contender.

[BrewCrewForever]

Where are the Red Sox and Yankees when you need them to open up the wallet.....

[TheYoShow]

In my opinion the Brewers were playing for a Wild Card anyway.

[Invader3K]

It's an overpay. He's not going to be that good over the course of the contract, more than likely, and I say that as someone who likes him as a player. The upside for the Brewers is that if the Cardinals do re-sign Pujols to a similarly large deal (and it could end up being much more), St. Louis' payroll flexibility will probably decline quite a bit.

[craigharmann]

What is Poo going to want now? See, here's the way I'm looking at this....they're going to spend so much between this insane deal and the deal they will have to give Poo, how can they afford decent players or pitchers? That's a good thing!

[BrewCrewForever]

A friend made a good point to me on this, when they have to resign Pujols half of their payroll may be tied up in two players. Good luck with that St. Louis.

[craigharmann]

I had a buddy try to tell me that they'll be fine with a $100 million payroll....if half is tied up in Holliday and Poo, what will they be able to spend it on?

[nate82]

The top 3 players in the Cardinals roster will make a total of $47.5m according to Cot's. That is Carpenter, Pujols, and Holliday.

 

2013 maybe a huge problem year for the Cardinals when Carpenter and Wainwright I believe will be Free Agents. Not only that but I believe Pujols is going to be asking for Arod type of money in his next contract. So somewhere between $25-30m a year for Pujols. Now add in Pujols making lets say $25m a year that is $42m for Pujols and Holliday in 2011 adding in Carpenter's raise to $15m that will be $57m owed to 3 players. I don't see the Cardinals getting anyone in free agency for the next few years so it basically is going to be Pujols and Holliday or bust.

 

I doubt the Cardinals are going to have as good of pitching as they did last year. They had a lot of players overachieving for them last year in their rotation. They were the favorites before Holliday signed this deal. I still don't see the Cardinals repeating the success that they had last year though.

[owbc]

As with every big signing, it will greatly help the Cardinals in the short term while the long term remains unknown.

 

The other long term issue is whether an offense can succeed with a pair of star players and a bunch of average/below average players elsewhere. The Brewers need to pay attention before they split up Braun/Fielder.

[davego]

I was stunned when I heard 7 years. Wow. Good for Matt I guess.

[Invader3K]

I'd also like to point out this signing (and the Lackey one, to an extent) kind of shoot down the idea that every team except the Brewers were getting major discounts due to the economy.

[crewcrazy]

The top 3 players in the Cardinals roster will make a total of $47.5m according to Cot's. That is Carpenter, Pujols, and Holliday.

 

2013 maybe a huge problem year for the Cardinals when Carpenter and Wainwright I believe will be Free Agents. Not only that but I believe Pujols is going to be asking for Arod type of money in his next contract. So somewhere between $25-30m a year for Pujols. Now add in Pujols making lets say $25m a year that is $42m for Pujols and Holliday in 2011 adding in Carpenter's raise to $15m that will be $57m owed to 3 players. I don't see the Cardinals getting anyone in free agency for the next few years so it basically is going to be Pujols and Holliday or bust.

 

I doubt the Cardinals are going to have as good of pitching as they did last year. They had a lot of players overachieving for them last year in their rotation. They were the favorites before Holliday signed this deal. I still don't see the Cardinals repeating the success that they had last year though.

 

Don't forget the nearly $12M per year they owe Kyle Lohse in the next two seasons, too. Really, they got lucky that they locked up Wainwright when they did, because his current deal is a bargain considering what he could've gotten in arbitration.

 

Keith Law made a good point that while this deal is good in the short-term for the Cards, they're taking a serious gamble here that they're going to win in the next few years. It's the last part of the contract that's going to be an issue, especially since they have one of the thinnest minor league systems in baseball after graduating Colby Rasmus (who will be good, but won't be cheap for the entire Holliday stay) and trading Brett Wallace (who, to be fair, probably couldn't play third in the majors anyway).

 

At least we know that when he stops living up to the contract, The Best and Classiest Fans in Baseball won't boo him.

[monty57]

The other long term issue is whether an offense can succeed with a pair of star players and a bunch of average/below average players elsewhere. The Brewers need to pay attention before they split up Braun/Fielder.

 

That was my first thought as well. This could show whether a strategy of locking up Fielder, going "cheap" with the rest of the offense and spending on pitching is a viable strategy for the Brewers.

[Invader3K]

I think it should be viewed as such. I think if Fielder will sign a deal similar to Holliday's (maybe a bit more per year or adding an extra year), it would be well worth it. Without Fielder the Brewers' offense becomes much more impotent. We already have Braun on a discounted deal through 2015. If the Brewers aren't willing to pay Fielder with not much money committed beyond 2010, I will really be disheartened.

[TooLiveBrew]

I was stunned when I heard 7 years. Wow. Good for Matt I guess.

I agree. The Cards really outbid... themselves, it appears.

[wishicouldhit]

last year the wild card team had 92 wins. unless the brewers add davis, garland, bedard, or sheets it will be wishful thinking they they could get 90+ wins.