Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make.
Cub fans dreamed of the possibility of stealing away Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols this off season.
The best hitter in baseball was a free agent looking for a long term, $25 million per season deal.
New Cub management played along with the fantasy, but had no real desire to tie up $250 million in one player. Instead, they made the trade for their first baseman of the future: Anthony Rizzo.
Some general managers have learned from the mistakes of others, especially giving veterans expensive long term contracts as the player's swansong contract. Soriano is still owed $53 million. He is unmoveable: as a trade candidate, at the plate, on the bases or in the outfield. The Cubs are stuck with an overpaid, underperforming player. It's called dead money.
The Angels made the move to sign Pujols to a huge, career concluding contract. Cue, Soriano theme song. For as the season moves into its second month, Pujols has been a huge disappointment.
Pujols is batting only .208. His on base percentage is a woeful .252. He has zero home runs, and only 5 RBIs. A rookie would have been optioned back to the minors.
In contrast, the Cubs one year stop gap at first, Bryan LaHair is batting around .380, a .429 OBP, with 7 HRs and 16 RBIs. He is literally the entire Cubs power so far this season. The Cubs have lucked out with their 29 year old career minor leaguer being paid the minimum salary.
On a cost benefit analysis on performance to date, the Cubs are clearly better off with LaHair than Pujols.
