The imposed deadline came and went. He gave them an extra day to make their pitch out of respect to former Cardinal great Stan Musial, who was being awarded a medal in D.C. as to avoid distracting from Musial's big day. Still the St. Loius Cardinals and first baseman Albert Pujols couldn't agree to terms on a contract extension. Pujols, on the fast track to Cooperstown, and the Cardinals everyday first baseman since 2001, is in the final year of his current contract under which he stands to make at least $16 million, incentives aside. St. Louis reportedly made a good faith offer, but on the advice of his agent, Pujols is holding out for more. Typically I would argue against this mindset. I think the majority of professional athletes are grossly overpaid and once a "mega-contract" has been signed the player involved tends to percipitously slack off in his production. One fine example is our own Carlos Zambrano. "Big Z" signed a $91 million deal in the middle of the 2007 season en route to an 18-13 record and a playoff appearance. The deal made him the highest paid pitcher in the league at the time. Since the deal, 2008-2010?? 34-19.... a solid win loss profile for any pitcher but not the stats you expect for $18m plus per year!
Teams are often 'handcuffed' in these instances; the player involved has put up superstar numbers as they become eligible for free agency forcing the hand of their club. The conventional wisdom is if we don't pay him someone else will.....Too often the clubs pay up for a flash in the pan and get stuck with a player putting up substandard numbers while making far too much money to be traded. (you're lucky if you get stuck with one that doesn't blow up on his teammates while demolishing Gatorade buckets!!)
This is not the case with Albert Pujols. Quiet, unassuming, and well liked by teammates and fans alike ,the guy's career numbers are off the charts; a lifetime (10 full seasons) .331 hitter with 1900 basehits, 1230 rbis, and 408 home runs. He has never hit under .312, never driven in less than 100 rbi, never hit less than 30 home runs, never racked up less than 180 hits in any given year. The last 3 seasons he has also drawn over 100 walks ramping up his lifetime OBP (on base percentage) to .426....The guy is a "hall of famer in a box." Simply unwrap and watch him grow!! The Cardinals are being exceedingly short sighted if they are unwilling to fork over the $30 million a year/ 10 year deal Pujols is reportedly demanding. Ridiculously inflated baseball salaries aside, he is worth this amount if not a nudge more. Consider the Cubs just tied up $10 million in a one year deal for lifetime (10 seasons here as well) .241 slugger Carlos Pena as a band aid and you get an idea what clubs are willing to pay out for stability at the firstbase position!! I hope Pena can replicate his run from 2007-2009 in which he belted 116 home runs and knocked in 100 RBIs each year, but I wont be surprised if he pulls a 'Nomar Garciaparra' type flop on us!! It seems the Cubs all too often are like an old lady (Jim Hendry) in a second hand shop picking through the collection of formerly shiny things hoping to find a gem. Over the same stretch 2007-2009, Pujols not only matches Pena's production numbers as he does every year, but when Pena had an off year in 2010 batting .196 and only driving in 84 runs, Pujols was steady as ever pounding out 42 home runs and 118 RBI. Pujols has been the quiet steady superstar, never faltering, never having to explain away how he and an unnamed cousin innocently took some pills they came across ....( hello A-Rod...) He has been a credit to the game, a positive in a sea of negativity in baseball, quietly going about his work, all the while killing the Cubs hopes year in and year out. So now, when there are rumors swirling about that the Cubs could be possible suitors for 'Prince' Albert's services starting in 2011, I argue wholeheartedly in favor of Tom "Mr. Magoo" Ricketts handing over the $300 million for the next ten years. At 31 years of age Pujols has at least 10 years left...and at $30m/year?? Well worth every penny!! He's worth paying at least 10 of that per year just not to play against the Cubs. Imagine what he'd be capable of in bandbox Wrigley Field wearing Cubbie blue!!!
When Carlos Marmol, the Cubs ace closer who was just locked up with a 3 year $20 million dollar contract, was asked to comment on the possibility of Pujols as a Cub, he stated, without hesitation, "The Cubs should bring him over here....Then I don't have to face him....Who wouldn't want that guy??" Apparently, Marmol has not yet bonded with Carlos Pena......All this is most likely a pipe dream and when the smoke clears Pujols will most likely end in up a Yankee or a Dodger or back with the Cardinals but I can dream can't I ??? Dave Kuhlman bullsbearscubssoxhoxx dave@onyerleft.com
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