I-Rod to Detroit Tigers

ndleo

I should be happy, but $40 million for a 32-year old catcher with a gimpy back seems like too much. I guess the Tigers had to pay since they blow.

grilloj39

If I am not mistaken...that is the same salary Florida was willing to pay him. I guess he thought he could make more elsewhere.

calleocho

the marlins offered him around 24-28 mill for 3 years with most of the money being paid over 5 to 10 years

not the best deal ... but the people loved him in south florida , he lives in south beach .. he could have played near his wife and kids

i just dont understand his greed ...enough is enough he is filthy rich already what difference does a few millions make?

i mean his multi million mansion is paid for ..his 10 million boat is paid for...he has millions in the bank his kids are set for life

to have the opportunity to play with the world champions, especially in the role he had with the marlins ...and give it up to play for the lowly tigers ...

luis castillo and mike lowell took probably smaller contracts in order to stay.

i think pudge is a great player...but i would rather have javy lopez.

i think the marlins did the right thing by not giving into preassure and paying an ridiculous amount of money...if they had done so ..they would have to let go of some other key players.

ndleo

Details emerging - $37 million/four years. Back loaded with the last two years at $11 million. Tigers have an option to buy it out if his back causes him to miss significant time. It is actually not a bad deal for the Tigers.

yawie99

Absolutely, calleocho. Whatta whore.

Putty

Exactly what is wrong with sports today! Pudge had the chance to be a legend in Florida, to be a permanent part of the community, get paid millions to play ball and see his family 50 times more than what he can now. Curt Flood did indeed change the game but for better or worse?

CW

I think one of the main reasons players look so greedy, and often times
find themselves on worse teams playing for the same (or less) money,
is the agents. Part of the reason Federov ended up signing with the
Ducks for less money than the Wings offered him is because his agent
kept telling him he was worth more. Sometimes these players listen to
their agents *too* much!

Putty

CW, I completely agree. Is it just me or sometimes when I see a player sign with a bad team that clearly has no chance to win a championship, I right away think it is because of the agent, or worse it is simply for the money not the love of the game. I understand that each athlete has the right to make as much money as the can, but when the difference is only a few hundred thousand over 3 years for a player who has made many,many millions, why not stay with the team that gives you a better chance of winning. My money says by the end of next year the Lions will be using Pudge for trade-bait, becuase they will be rebuilding again.

helionaut

How do you think Rangers fans feel? We love having A-Rod, but I-Rod was ours, homegrown. I was happy to see him get a ring in FLA, but I never got the sense he was going to be there much longer than the last HOF catcher they briefly had (not Charles Johnson). He's been shopping for a long-term deal (or at least up through age 35) for at least 3 years, so he was going to go wherever. I don't understand the Cubs not making a serious offer, though. That would've been a great fit, I think.

ndleo

I think the Tigers are actually serious about putting together a team. They have spent money in the past on players, most of it poorly - Dean Palmer and giving Bobby Higginson $11 million per year. The owner of the Tigers built a championship hockey team, so I'm giving the Tigers the benefit of the doubt and believe they actually want to field a winner.

Getting I-Rod was a great first step. Since our division stinks, it won't take much to be a contender.

80sToyguy

Actually helionaut, as soon as the Rangers signed A-Rod you'll remember I-Rod whining and complaining that he was ONLY getting 8-10 million, and he bacame a problem to the team at that point. I don't understand how one day a player is happy making 10 mil a year, then someone else signs for more (which SHOULD be completely irrelevant to that player), and all of a sudden he's no longer happy but otherwise NOTHING has changed?!?!?! The fact that Scott Boras is his agent should tell you all something though--he only plays for money, and when the last out of the World Series was made all he (and Boras) could think about was cashing in! I'll give him maybe a year and a half with the Tigers, and within 2 and a half years he'll be splitting catching duties with a little 1B and DH. What a horrible investment by the Tigers. Whatever happened to the likes of Whitaker, Gibson and Tanana? I can't believe the misfortunes of that team. I always thought Dombrowski was a good GM when he was back with the Spos, but this will be his downfall for sure!
Jay

Boopotts

I, like you (I think?) live in the Detroit area (in Ypsilanti), so as far as that goes the signing comes as a pleasant surprise. Also, I'm a huge Vina fan-- although I'm not sure why, I've just always liked the guy-- so I'm probably good for 10 trips or so to the CoPa this year. But, I hate it when the Yankees or anybody else feed of the corpse of a championship team, so to that end I have to be consistent and say that, on the balance, this is another one of those bummer signings that's just flat out bad for baseball. Pudge was great for the Fish. I'm not a Marlins fan, but I loved watching him this October, and was looking forward to seeing him spearhead another spirited run for a young and fiesty Marlins team this year. Having one of baseball's most engaging personalities-- IMO-- languish in a Tigers uni for the next four years just can't be good for the game. Here's wishing he'd stayed in South Fla.

highend

i have to say i'm very suprised. the '03 marlins had such great chemistry, they loved him down there too. to leave home for the '04 - '07 tigers? greed is an understatement , lets face it what is the difference between 10 or 11 million?