Tag: Albert Pujols (Page 6 of 14)

      Talks between Cards and Pujols not moving at all?

      February 7, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols enters the dugout to high fives after hitting his 31st home run of the season, a solo home run, in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on August 17, 2010. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, contract extension talks between the Cardinals and Albert Pujols are not moving at all.

      From Rotoworld.com:

      Olney suspects that Pujols is seeking a “Mt. Everest” contract — something similar to the 10-year, $275 million pact that Alex Rodriguez is currently operating under with the Yankees. As baseball’s best hitter, Albert has no real reason to budge from that asking price because he could probably have it met as a free agent next winter. But the Cards are obviously having trouble justifying such a lofty commitment. The club’s payroll rarely tops $100 million in a given year. Pujols wants talks to cease once spring training opens.

      There’s really nothing more to say about this situation that hasn’t already been said. Pujols has put the kabosh on the Cardinals trading him, so he’s left the team with only two options: either pony up and pay him or let him walk after the 2011 season. I get that they don’t want to raise their payroll, but what else are they going to do at this point?

      I have the sinking suspicion that the Cardinals never intended to pay him what he wanted or, at the very least, hoped he would take a massive home town discount. I wonder if the plan all along was to lowball him to make the fans think they tried to re-sign him and he just wanted too much money, then trade him at the deadline. For St. Louis’ fans’ sake, I hope I’m wrong and they pony up before spring training. But the prospect of him staying in St. Louis beyond this season don’t look good right now.

      External Sports, MLB

      Pujols disappointed with slow pace of negotiations with Cardinals

      February 4, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols sits in the dugout watching the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, 2010. Cincinnati won the game 6-1. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      Albert Pujols began negotiations with the Cardinals for a long-term contract over a month ago, yet the two sides appear no closer to agreeing to a deal today as they were back then. And according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, this has left Pujols feeling disappointed with the process.

      DeWitt has maintained that he believes the window for negotiations could remain open through spring training. However, implementation of the deadline in the first place probably reflected growing frustration by Lozano and his client about the virtual absence of negotiations last spring training and earlier this winter.

      At his client’s urging, Lozano has offered little public comment during the last 11 months about the process. However, that hasn’t prevented sources close to Team Pujols from noting the first baseman’s disappointment over a process that has never reached high gear.

      As an outsider, it feels like the Cardinals are dragging their feet. Maybe they’re hoping that the longer they wait, Pujols will eventually accept a “discount” to stay in St. Louis. But as it stands right now, Pujols’ camp has stayed steadfast in saying they want a deal similar to A-Rod’s 10-year, $275 million contract or the best player in baseball will test the free agency market in 2012.

      This situation is complicated but the decision is rather clear-cut. Either the Cardinals pony up and pay Pujols one of the richest contracts in baseball history or they allow him to walk and face intense public scrutiny. There aren’t any other options as the situation current stands, because Pujols has already put the kibosh on any potential trade.

      External Sports, MLB

      Albert Pujols to reject all trade proposals

      January 29, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols has fun with Yadier Molina (L) and Pedro Feliz (R) in the dugout in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 27, 2010. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      If the Cardinals couldn’t re-sign Albert Pujols and hoped, at the very least, they could trade him in a blockbuster deal then they’re out of luck. That’s because Pujols would exercise his no-trade clause on any potential deal.

      From ESPN’s Buster Olney:

      The Cardinals have never really pursued any of that trade discussion.

      But no matter what happens in the last days of negotiations before Pujols arrives at the Cardinals’ camp in spring training, the slugger will not be traded.

      The understanding within the St. Louis front office is that Pujols will not accept any trade going forward, according to sources. He has the right to veto any trade proposal, and would do so.

      This means there are only two possible results in the negotiations in the Pujols talks: Either he signs a contract extension with the Cardinals, or he will become a free agent this coming fall.

      As Olney points out, the Cardinals’ choices in this situation are expensive in different ways. If they sign him, his new contract will be in the neighborhood of 10 years and $275 million. If they can’t come to terms with Albert, then the backlash from fans will be enormous.

      This is why most fans complain about there not being a salary cap in baseball. It’s not easy for mid-market teams like St. Louis to just say, “You want $300 million, Albert? Done.” The Cardinals have an entire roster to think about and they don’t have the payroll flexibility like the Yankees or Red Sox do. They’re stuck. Either they pay Pujols and potentially are cash-strapped for the next 10 years, or they let him walk and hope fans won’t burn down Busch Stadium.

      It’s not like Pujols isn’t worth the money. If any current player is worth $300 million, it’s him. He’s the best pure hitter in the game and no disrespect to players like Matt Holliday, but Pujols is also the Cardinals’ lineup. But again, they continue to be faced with a huge dilemma when it comes to their payroll options.

      External Sports, MLB

      Albert Pujols to command $300 million?

      January 26, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols sits in the dugout watching the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, 2010. Cincinnati won the game 6-1. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      The St. Louis Cardinals were hoping to retain Albert Pujols with a hometown discount. The only problem is that Pujols and his agent feel they’ve already given the club a discount and now want to cash in.

      According to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, Pujols and agent Dan Lozano opened the negotiation process with the Cardinals by asking for $300 million over 10 years. The first baseman is coming off a seven-year, $100 million contract that was club-friendly given his production, so now Pujols is hoping the club will return the favor.

      As Stark points out, there has never been a $300-million man in baseball history, which includes Alex Rodriguez (who signed a 10-year, $275 million contract in 2008). But given what Pujols has accomplished throughout his career and what he means to the Cardinals’ organization, what’s to say he shouldn’t become the first player to receive a $300 million deal? If there were only one player to make that much, shouldn’t it be Albert Pujols (the best pure hitter in the game)?

      The Cardinals have built their team around Pujols, so losing him really isn’t an option. And if they’re not willing to pony up the $300 million, that doesn’t mean another team won’t.

      Now obviously, we have no idea whether the Cubs’ new ownership is ready to start signing off on $300 million contracts. But the Cardinals can’t be sure of that. And even if the Cubs don’t drive the auction, does anybody honestly think Pujols won’t have a market, just because the other big spenders — the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers and Phillies — appear all set at first base for years to come?

      Let’s just tick off a few teams: Rangers … Nationals … Orioles … Blue Jays. Maybe the Dodgers, or Angels, or even the Mets if they can get their finances straight.

      “I wouldn’t even rule out the Red Sox and Yankees,” said one executive. “We’re talking about Albert Pujols. I could see them looking at first base, looking at DH and moving people around. I don’t think they could let that kind of talent go by.”

      The clock is ticking. Pujols said he wanted a new deal done by the time players had to report to spring training, which is now less than 30 days away. They have to make a decision and it looks like Pujols’ side isn’t willing to comprise just to stay loyal to the organization. It’s time for the Cardinals to either put a giant-sized hole in their bank account or fill a giant-sized hole in their lineup.

      External Sports, MLB

      Cardinals want Pujols’ deal to be less than eight years?

      January 17, 2011 /
      Colorado Rockies catcher Miguel Olivo is struck in the head with a bat by St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols in the first inning in St. Louis on October 1, 2010. Olivo left the game and went to a local hospital to be checked. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports that the Cardinals want Albert Pujols’ contract extension to be eight years or less.

      The baseball people who are closely following the talks see this situation as difficult to predict and say the early signs are that the sides aren’t all that close to a deal at present. Despite a quick deadline and a lack of proof that there’s serious progress to date, a majority of baseball people still figure the sides will work it out, partly because of the belief that Pujols is worth more to St. Louis than anyone else, and the lack of an obvious outside suitor for an Alex Rodriguez-type deal (see below).

      While neither side is talking publicly, early word is that Pujols has used A-Rod’s contract, the richest in baseball and one that guarantees him least $275 million over 10 years (and could be worth as much as $305 million if he hits all his landmark home-run numbers), as the only comp. That comes as no surprise as Pujols is widely considered the best player in the game.

      The Cardinals, meanwhile, are said to have initially suggested a contract that would guarantee Pujols at least a bit less than $200 million. The exact particulars of their offer or offers aren’t known, but there is a belief around the game that the Cardinals are hoping to keep the deal to seven years or less. In an interview with SI.com at the winter meetings, Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt strongly suggested he had no intention of making a 10-year offer and opined that the Yankees had to “regret” such a deal.

      Rotoworld.com writes that Pujols’ camp wants a new deal done by spring training or else they will begin planning for the 2012 free agency period. The Cardinals don’t want that, but they still have to be somewhat fiscally responsible.

      Obviously they want their superstar to be a Cardinal for life, but St. Louis isn’t a big market club. The Cards don’t want to shell out $300 million over the course of 10 years to retain Pujols, only to watch the Cubs or Reds win the NL Central every season because they can’t field a team around him.

      External Sports, MLB

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