Don’t Buy That Deadline, Pujols And Cards Will Keep Talking Behind The Scenes

It looks like the impossible is going to happen in St. Louis. Superstar first baseman Albert Pujols is a few hours from free agency. He and the Cardinals agreed to a deadline of High Noon today and that deadline is quickly approaching . If they don’t have a deal done then, they have agreed to shut down the negotiations and Pujols will be a free agent after the season. I don’t buy it.

I think now they will be able to talk, but do it quietly without the intense pressure from the media and the fans.

So far the numbers which have been reported are between $25 and $30 million dollars a year. SI.com has reported that St. Louis has offered Pujols an 8 year deal worth less than $30 million and more than $25 million per year. A source close to the Pujols camp told Yahoo Sports that the SI.com report is “inaccurate, reckless and outrageous.” Sounds like somebody is playing games.

The only newspaper in St. Louis, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the Cardinals have yet to make Pujols an offer longer than 7 years, but the paper is reporting that the St. Louis front office may be ready to make a big offer for Pujols in the range of the deal which Phillies slugging first baseman Ryan Howard signed a year ago.

Howard is being paid $25 million dollars a year after signing a 5-year, $125 million dollar deal last season.

Another first baseman in the Pujols neighborhood is Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira who is making more than $22 million dollars a year. He signed a 8-year, $180 million deal in 2008.

The future Hall of Famer believes he’s the best player in baseball and deserves the richest contract. Of course the guy who currently has the largest deal in Major League Baseball is Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. He’s making $27.5 million dollars-a-year and unfortunately for the Yankees his performance is starting to head downhill. New York is likely headed for a nightmare of a contract when they’re paying Rodriguez nearly $30 million dollars-a-year to be a mediocre third baseman.

There have been reports that Pujols is after a $300 million dollar a year deal for 10 years. He’ll turn 31 at the beginning of the baseball regular season, so he’s asking a baseball team to trust that Albert will still be blasting the ball at a record-breaking level as he approaches 40 years of age.

The Cardinals can’t afford to let him go and they can’t afford to pay him. I think Albert will wind up signing a deal with the Cardinals later in the season because the pressure will force the Cardinals to come up with an offer and from what I’ve heard, Pujols wants to stay in St. Louis.