Pujols to the Angels for 10 years, $250 million

So when he's getting $30M a year, the Angels as a result will be getting $150M a year from Fox.

Not so insane, IMO.

 

And, while a back loaded contract can ham string a team down the road, based on the time value of money, it's still a better deal for the club.

And, as TV points out, the Angels revenue will be much higher then, so it should work out ok for them.

 

The idea that the contract will make life more difficult for the Angels in years 6-10 pre-supposes that Arte Moreno will give his management a finite amount of total payroll that cannot be exceeded or absorbed any other way but through year-to-year revenue. Although the Cardinals do that (and then sell it to their fans as a matter of survival when it's really just a matter of how much gold will line Bill DeWitt's pockets), there's no evidence that Moreno and the Angels look at it that way. In fact I see this as Moreno having a Steinbrenner-like outlook on payroll -- do what you have to now, who gives a crap about five years from now.

So it's very nice of everybody to be looking out for the college fund of Moreno's grandkids, but I think they're going to be OK.