A Non-Mariner news debate for your Memorial weekend pleasure

[PolarVortex]

Below are two players in our division that we see on a regular basis. One is a shoo-in first ballot Hall Of Famer. The other, an ex-Mariner, is a borderline Hall Of Famer. Which guy do you think has the best shot to reach 3000 career hits?

1. Albert Pujols. Albert is sitting at 2554 career hits. He needs 446 more. He is (allegedly) 35-years-old. There have been times this year where his bat speed has looked so slow that 446 hits may not be attainable. This guy has gone from mild career decline to rapid career decline. And despite still being owed $175 million, as we have seen from Arty Moreno in the Josh Hamilton fiasco, being owed a shitton of money does not necessarily guarantee one a place in the lineup.

2. Adrian Beltre. Adrian is sitting at 2647 hits. He needs 353 more hits. At 36 yearrs old, he had shown no sign whatsoever of career decline prior to this season. This year he started out very slow but has picked up the pace the last month or so. But, this year may be the first year that we see a dropp off from Beltre.

I think Adrian reaches 3000 hits in the first half of the 2017 season, provided he can continue to find a starting gig somewhere.

I think Pujols reaching 3000 hits is far less certain. I think he only has two years left as as starter (this year and next year) before he is (begrudgingly) reduced to being a platoon/role player. He doesn't hit left handed pitching much anymore as the last three years shows.

Bonus material (not part of this debate):
Arod. First on the active career hits list at 2973. Having a surprising season given what he had accomplished in the five previous seasons. He needs 27 hits. He'll get there sometime in June. Whether he is currently clean or not is anyone's guess, but that is a debate for a different thread.

Ichiro. Second on the active career its list. He is 41 years old and needs 125 more hits and is so anal that he'll play as long as it takes him to get there.

Miguel Cabrera. 8th on the active list with 2239. He is 761 hits shy. Still just 32 years old and showing no signs of slowing down. He should make it to 3000.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Pujols is off to a shitty start this year, but did hit a respectable .272 last year. That is shitty by his standards, but good enough to be a starter.

I think the Hamilton case is a lot different. Arte Moreno was really pissed off about Hamilton, for more reasons than just his shitty performance. If anything, I think that the reason Hamilton was tossed aside was more about Moreno being pissed off about Hamilton. I doubt he would punish Pujols as seriously when Pujols is owed $24m this year, $25m next year, $26m in 2017, $27m in 2018, $28m in 2019, $29m in 2020 and $30m in 2021. That contract is a disaster, and they're going to send him out there for every year of it unless he's hitting sub .200.

Pujols only needs 446 more. Since coming to LA, he has averaged 137 games a season and 149 hits a year, not including this year. At 150 hits a season, he'd only need about 3 more seasons.

Beltre I think will get it.

Ichiro will as well. The better question would be, where will Ichiro get it? He likely won't reach it this year as he 125 more and he won't get enough playing time to reach it this year.

I wouldn't ignore the fact that Ichiro will be a free agent, at a position of need for the Mariners.