The Albert Pujols Saga

[Dog]

It would be nice if he went to an low tier AL team

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by jczar78

Even if he takes a hometown discount I do not see him accepting anything below $22mil per year. Differing money would be the way to go but do you want to be paying him millions well into the year 2056 or whenever.

$22M per season? Ryan Howard's 5/125 extension kicks in starting in 2012, and he and Pujols are (in theory) the same age. From everything I've read, Pujols regards his current contract as a hometown discount and has no plans to offer another. I think 8/220 ($27.5M per season) is the absolute rock-bottom minimum when it comes to Pujols' next contract.

[Spider Tre]

Quote: Originally Posted by JNes12

It would be nice if he went to an low tier AL team

Read my mind lol

[DieHardYankee26]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

do you have the upcoming winning lottery numbers?

It doesn't take a psychic to know that a player who is 31, won't be the best player in the league when he is 36-37, unless he goes on the Barry Bonds diet.

[kodiak]

Let's say a deal is not done before the deadline and he stays true to the word of not inking during the season. What do the Cards do if the elbow problem that Albert has gets to the point he can't put off the surgery any longer? He's been playing for 3 or 4 years now since it was diagnosed and eventually it will snap. I think
It's on the same level as Tommy John surgery but this was talked about in the local media a couple years ago

[bcruise]

The window may have just gotten a little smaller:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=6102486

Nutshell: AP is reporting to Spring Training on the 16th (not 19th) and, like before, that's when negotiations end.

[countryboy]

Quote: Originally Posted by DieHardYankee26

It doesn't take a psychic to know that a player who is 31, won't be the best player in the league when he is 36-37, unless he goes on the Barry Bonds diet.

it doesn't? There's always an exception to the rule.

Mariano is 40 and one of the best closers in the game. Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. Who's to say that at 36-37 Pujols can't be one of the best 1B/Hitters in the game?

[IlliniM1ke]

Quote: Originally Posted by countryboy

it doesn't? There's always an exception to the rule. Mariano is 40 and one of the best closers in the game. Jeter is 36 and one of the best SS in the game. Who's to say that at 36-37 Pujols can't be one of the best 1B/Hitters in the game?

No one can say he won't be but that is a huge gamble to take when you're talking potentially throwing 10 years 300 mil at him.

The Cardinals can't do that, I don't think we should sign him for 10 years just because the steroid era is over (or atleast much less prevalent) and players likely won't be belting out 40+ HR's into their late 30's-40's like Bonds did. Plus with the amount of small injuries Albert has been fighting off year to year, elbow being the most worrisome, I think its just a matter of time before a big one hits him.

I'd sign him for 7, maybe 8 years tops, if he wants 10 he'll need to find it elsewhere. I hope he finishes his career in St. Louis but at the same time I won't fault management one bit if they balk on giving him a 10 year deal, too much risk, I'd say 7 with an option for 8 would be the longest I'd go, money wise I don't even know basically whatever it takes.