Maybe, but you'd have to have an insider at BHSC to know some of the information. The harassment complaint wouldn't be public information, and discovering the actual amount of the settlement would be even more difficult.

I know nothing about that agency, and who they may have retained as clients, but a lot of big names and big money walked out the door with Lozano.

Boras can prove his worth simply by getting a comparable or greater deal for Fielder.

If the effort was to sway Pujols, it didn't work

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/pujols-sticking-with-lozano-as-his-agent/article_c68779c8-165d-11e1-823c-001a4bcf6878.html

Not everyone agrees Max.  Check out the comments that have been posted to that story.

Here's a couple samples.

"When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas."

"Albert tries to portray himself as a man of high moral standards.... but by sticking with this scumbag, I can't help but speculate that Albert has participated in some activities that would damage his Mr. Clean reputation, which Lozano could use for leverage to keep Albert in his stable. Who knows, Albert might be the next Tiger Woods. Where there is smoke, there's fire."

"Moral of the story is Pujols can deal with the dirty laundry as long as he gets a big contract."

"Another Christian of convenience. Please read the Sermon on the Mount, St. Albert. You may learn a thing or two about what it truly means to be a follower of Christ, not just a hypocrite blowing their own horn on the street corner."


To be clear, I don't judge Pujols based on the conduct of his agents.  There's too much sleaze in that industry.  But there are clearly people making a bigger deal out of this story than I would have expected.

Notice, by the way, that the bleacherreport story makes the explicit link that Pujols will suffer if he doesn't break ties with Lozano, and puts it in the headline: "Albert Pujols: Why Reports of Sleazy Agent Dan Lozano Will Hurt His Credibility", while summarizing the article like this, "I think Pujols will have new representation sooner than later after this story makes the rounds and if he chooses to stick with Lozano, he deserves what is coming to him."

That's almost a threat.

And here's another:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Albert-Pujols-8217-agent-hit-by-a-bombshell-re;_ylt=AhufIXxIu5VOhXu_9kRBKO8RvLYF?urn=mlb-wp27457

This is a hit.  Pujols sees it.  So should we.  They story should be about the sleazy world of sports agents, where anonymous character assassination is merely one sleazy tactic, and that some sports bloggers are apparently willing to get their hands dirty with this stuff.

Last edited by Max (11/25/2011 3:51 pm)

"This is a hit.  Pujols sees it.  So should we. "

If anything, public opinion will make Albert swim in the other direction.

Max wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

"This is a hit.  Pujols sees it.  So should we. "

If anything, public opinion will make Albert swim in the other direction.

I don't understand well enough to know if I agree.

Albert seems to me the guy who, once pushed, will push back, if only for the sake of pushing back.
I'll wager he may ask him about the "Dominican monkey" comment in private, though.

Lorenzo lied and apparently likes the ladies. He's charming and has a great ability to be what the players need/want him to be. So what?!?!?! I would be too! If I could AFFORD top notch escorts on a regular basis, and trade their services for millions in my 10% commission on monster contracts, you'd be a fool not to enlist the help! It's not a normal world, this agent gig, it's about as sleazy as Don King. I would be nervous if an agent wasn't going to every length possible to get every dime, influence every possible client, get every big name... THAT'S THE JOB!!!! I'm certain there's more straight laced agents, but without that scavenger type of mentality, you don't land class A free agents.

Now, side note, and this is more on Pujols then it is Lorenzo. Buying the services of professional escorts is a problem. If Pujols is truly a "God-First" kind of man, then he'd probably do himself a favor by distancing himself from this. That said, where is he going to go? Who do you trust with a 200+ million deal this late in the game??? He has to stay with Lorenzo for his sanity alone. I could see them parting ways afterward, but I can't see Pujols making any type of agent move before he signs his next contract. Unfortunately prostitution and religion don't mix too well.

Last edited by alz (11/28/2011 10:21 am)

windwalker wrote:

If they lose Albert because they just can't afford him, I think people could reconcile themselves to that in time, as long as there isnt the perception that they didnt even try.

I agree with this philosophy, but there's the nagging issue that AP offered a 5/125 deal before Howard signed his. The Cardinals declined it. That is why I said getting him for less than 25M is a win for Moz. That deal now is highly affordable, and would be jumped on in a heartbeat, but it's no longer on the table, as Pujols/Lorenzo began to play a bit of hardball themselves.

In the end it's going to come down to what AP's market value really is, and as I said before, I have no clue what the accurate line is there.

I think my stance that I will be a fan of the team that Pujols plays for rubbed people the wrong way. I don't consider my affection to the Cardinals to be an unconditional devotion. In my opinion there are things management can do that will run me right out the door. I consider Pujols to be Stan Musial II, as much as he'd wince to hear that, and I don't think there's any way you let him go somewhere else.

We'll see what happens, I'll be the first to tell you I would hate to be a Cubs fan, but if Pujols ends up wearing those goddamned ugly blue pajama's, I'll be buying a jersey... However, it is my sincere hope that the man stays, so I don't have to go through that indignity.

Last edited by alz (11/28/2011 11:17 am)

I can't blame Moz too much for the pace and timbre of the negotiations since WJ was sacked and Moz brought in specifically to be more in line with DeWitt's institutional philosophy. 

I think Pujols has a lot to be disgruntled about, mostly that the Cards did not extend 1-2 years ago with "Cardinal for life" offer.  Pujols has so much pride that it must have affected him, and frankly I wouldn't be surprised if--for lack groundbreaking offers elsewhere--he accepts arbitration, just to prove his AAV.

Whoa!  Why would we assume that a 9-year $198 M dollar offer LAST year is still on the table?  As I have written several times, any business man is going to see that a fair re-offer would be an 8-year offer, with >$25 M knocked off the total price.  C'mon, Pujols has played one of those 9 years that were on the table last year, and the actual value in a $22 M / year contract will be one where Pujols is underpaid in the current years and vastly overpaid in the final years.  Repeating a 9-year $198 M dollar offer would be terrible business sense for the Cards; and the PR would be just as bad, because it would be a public admission that they greatly lowballed him last year, and have been playing a game of chicken with him.

Anyway you slice it, it will be very hard for the Cards, a.k.a DeWitt and company(men), to come out of this smelling good.

Last edited by Max (11/28/2011 12:52 pm)

Max wrote:

Whoa!  Why would we assume that a 9-year $198 M dollar offer LAST year is still on the table?

From the numerous sources that have reported as much:

Strauss

"DeWitt and Mozeliak met for more than an hour late Tuesday night with Pujols' longtime agent, Dan Lozano, but will apparently wait before modifying the club's 10-month-old offer that was rejected before spring training."

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/pujols-talks-are-on-again/article_26240702-7787-5810-8fd0-772f726734e8.html#ixzz1f2DqyLZm

"At this point,the Cardinals have not modified last January's nine-year, offer of $198 million-$205 million."

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinals-pujols-agent-talking-at-gm-meetings/article_ece5a294-1085-11e1-81cc-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1f2E8cUvg

Jim Bowden

Indeed, the three best position players available have had very little play thus far despite being clear impact players. Albert Pujols (No. 1 on my free-agent value rankings) has had two offers -- his standing offer from the St. Louis Cardinals since last winter and the Miami Marlins’ offer, which didn’t even match the Cardinals’.

(I can't link this because it's on ESPN's Insider page

Jon Heyman

"hearing #cardinals aren't moving up from 200-210M for 9 they offered albert before season. still the team to beat tho"

https://twitter.com/#!/SI_JonHeyman/status/141246097329881088

Last edited by forsberg_us (11/28/2011 4:09 pm)

alz wrote:

Interesting fors, and a bit startling. I would have assumed, having played one of the 9 years in question, that the Cardinals were now offering 8.

If true, I like our resigning chances a lot more.

I may be wrong about this, but I don't think he played one of the 9 years in question.  Without going back and looking, I think the 9 year offer was an extension.  I think they always planned on him playing under the terms of the option in 2011 and the 9 year deal would begin in 2012.  Like I said, I think that's the case, but not 100% certain.

Last edited by forsberg_us (11/28/2011 5:08 pm)