Could Miami actually HELP Pujols & Reyes Values?

So everyone has been asking if Pujols rookie value would be hurt by leaving the team where he became an icon.

Common sense would say yes, and ESPECIALLY if he went to a place with a smaller fan base like Miami.

But what if, these rumors come true and Miami pulls a Miami Heat style coup by signing Pujols, and Reyes, and a starting pitcher to add to Hanley, Stanton, Lomo, and Josh Johnson, etc?

Could this be some sort of Latin American-fueled hype train where the Marlins could be the hottest thing in 2012 with their new stadium, their new superstars, etc?

Its fun to think about. (for me at least).

I can only imagine the number of homers Stanton will hit with Pujols, Reyes, & Hanley in the lineup with him.

It's possible in the short term IMO, IF they have a historic season. Hype alone isn't enough to boost Pujols' card values past where they're at (which is pretty high). Long term, the Marlins will need to win consistently and continue to build the fan base. Also, Albert's individual performance would need to stand out. He would need to put up even better numbers than his career average and win a few more MVP's to make his cards go up significantly. Any dip in performance in 2012, and I can see values slowly dropping.

Marlins fans have been tricked one to many times......

I don't buy any of it.

The media and in particular the rumor mill has been infatuated with the Marlins interest in several high priced free agents and although the interests appears to be real; in my mind it will turn out to be nothing more than a great PR move. The attention that the Marlins are getting in my opinion is the PERFECT marketing tool going into their new stadium. Right now fans are buying season tickets to a new ballpark, not only because the new ballpark is reportedly gorgeous, but also because the Marlins have made offers to several high priced free agents. The south beach baseball fans would love to see Pujols/Reyes. The Marlins have reportedly offered contracts to seven of the top free agents, and the numbers of the contract offer that were proposed to both Pujols and Reyes are both significantly below what many thinks they will eventually sign for. Right now the "new" Marlins are using the early free agent period to draw a TON of buzz to their franchise during a crucial period for season ticket purchasing.

Sure its possible that the Marlins land 1-2 free agents this off-season, after all they should have increased revenue coming into the new ballpark, but I think this whole thing has been a big time PR stunt to gain interest in their franchise. Not saying that the move is a bad thing, they have been in the news quite a bit and still have a legitimate shot at a high priced free agent. Also their should be plenty of excitement about their franchise WITHOUT a free agent or even a ballpark; Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton are two big time offensive players and are still very early in their career, and despite the worst year of his career Hanley Ramirez is still a top offensive talent.

Its refreshing to see a team like the Marlins, who has traded away players that were nearing free agency in the past (Beckett, Cabrera, Willis, etc) in the market for high priced free agents, but I just don't see them being a serious destination for Albert Pujols. I'd really like to see the Marlins prove me wrong, and the really could if they step up their initial contract offers, but right now the early contract offers just look like a great marketing tool to sell a few season tickets without even signing a player.

Mudcatsfan said:

So everyone has been asking if Pujols rookie value would be hurt by leaving the team where he became an icon.

Common sense would say yes, and ESPECIALLY if he went to a place with a smaller fan base like Miami.

But what if, these rumors come true and Miami pulls a Miami Heat style coup by signing Pujols, and Reyes, and a starting pitcher to add to Hanley, Stanton, Lomo, and Josh Johnson, etc?

Could this be some sort of Latin American-fueled hype train where the Marlins could be the hottest thing in 2012 with their new stadium, their new superstars, etc?

Its fun to think about. (for me at least).

I can only imagine the number of homers Stanton will hit with Pujols, Reyes, & Hanley in the lineup with him.

Click to expand...

Not that I dislike the Marlins but a new stadium is not going to "fix" them anytime soon. Within 3 years they will be back to the same ole Marlins most likely. Pujols isnt going to the Marlins..no way no how. I just don't see it. He does not want to be in a rebuilding mode at this time in his career. The lineup you are mentioning would be insane..so is the 100mil plus payroll to maintain it. You cant pay Pujos 25 mil a year along with 25 mil a year to Reyes and I don't even know what Han Ram makes. I can only imagine the number of homers Albert would hit in STL with Stanton, Reyes and Han Ram!! Good luck to the Marlins either way..new stadium should be cool and hope to get to go down and see it.

As a fan and collector of Reyes, this is a question I've been asking myself quite a bit this offseason. I believe the answer is a little more complicated than a simple yes or no. I believe that when he does in fact sign, and as of this point it looks like the Marlins will be the best fit, prices will see a small bump. When I say this, I'm mainly referring to his '01 Bowman Chrome and '01 Topps Chrome. We won't see a drastic spike in prices like they were in the '06 season or anything like that, but there will be a little money to be made. However, after a couple of weeks, the prices will drop a little below what they are now and settle there. I don't believe that his rookies will be able to sustain as high of a price as they did in New York over the long haul, but they won't bomb in price either. The Marlins will create a buzz this year, especially with Guillen being the manager and with all of the antics and excitement he brings to the game. While I see a small decrease in prices of his rookies overall, I wouldn't be surprised to see his higher end rookies, such as the '01 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor or '01 Topps Stars Onyx, actually increase in price. If the Marlins are able to pick up a decent arm this offseason and create a little stir in the NL East and with the media, the story about change will catch on. It will be a good lineup for him to play in with Stanton, Morrison, and Ramirez, which is much more than he's had in New York in recent years. While the Marlins won't be a contender this year, especially in the NL East, they will absolutely improve.

Pujols is a completely different story. First of all, I don't see him leaving the Cardinals. Just can't picture him in another uniform. If he were to leave the Cardinals and sign with the Marlins, I do believe we would see a decrease in his '01 Bowman Chrome Auto. There is no doubt that Pujols is one of the best hitters this game has ever seen and is well on his way to the Hall of Fame. However, when you picture Pujols, it's always him in a Cardinals uniform. I think it would leave a bit of a sour taste in the mouths of fans if he were to sign with a team other than the Cardinals, which would be the reason for the small decrease in price.

A hype-train fueled by frijoles?

What are the fence measurements at that new stadium? They should bring 'em in real close, sign Pujols and let him hit 80 HRs next year. That's the Miami way!

... and then Ozzie Guillen ruins everything.

Mudcatsfan said:

So everyone has been asking if Pujols rookie value would be hurt by leaving the team where he became an icon.

Common sense would say yes, and ESPECIALLY if he went to a place with a smaller fan base like Miami.

But what if, these rumors come true and Miami pulls a Miami Heat style coup by signing Pujols, and Reyes, and a starting pitcher to add to Hanley, Stanton, Lomo, and Josh Johnson, etc?

Could this be some sort of Latin American-fueled hype train where the Marlins could be the hottest thing in 2012 with their new stadium, their new superstars, etc?

Its fun to think about. (for me at least).

I can only imagine the number of homers Stanton will hit with Pujols, Reyes, & Hanley in the lineup with him.

Click to expand...

It's an interesting thought. I guess the first question would be what happened to James, Wade and Bosh cards when they joined Miami (I don't know the answer, though I imagine it was not consistent across the board and have a feeling over time things changed.)

Then the question becomes whether it is comparable. I have a hard time viewing them the same way because in basketball the individual star is a major player and in baseball people do not stand out the same way, but I do believe that one rule is pretty much always true, if a team wins the fans show and they get noticed, and if that happens prices go up. A team like that would have a good chance of winning.