The division has been clinched, but the NL Central games today are still very much worth monitoring. The Brewers are a game up on the Diamondbacks in the race for first-round homefield, while the Cardinals need to win today's rubber match against the Cubs to stay on the Braves' heels in the Wild Card race. Here are the rest of today's items of interest out of the NL Central:
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that today's contest could be Albert Pujols' last home game as a Cardinal. Strauss goes on to preview the upcoming Pujols negotiations, noting that the Cards aren't currently inclined to top the nine years and annual figure of $22-$22.5MM they offered last winter.
- Strauss goes on to say that the Cardinals are "wary of bidding against themselves," meaning they likely wouldn't increase last year's offer until they have a better idea of their competition for Pujols.
- Extension talks will resume between the Pirates and Andrew McCutchen this winter, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Biertempfel hears from team and industry sources that the Pirates will likely offer a six-year deal with a club option.
- Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times ranks the best of the upcoming free agent class, with the NL Central duo of Pujols and Prince Fielder occupying two of the top three spots.
“Strauss goes on to say that the Cardinals are “wary
of bidding against themselves,” meaning they likely wouldn’t increase
last year’s offer until they have a better idea of their competition for
Pujols.”
I have to disagree with Strauss (I take great pleasure in doing so too). The Cardinals had a similar situation with Holliday before, and chose to overbid themselves. History does not suggest the Cardinals will do differently with Pujols, but they could, I suppose. I just think that since Pujols means so much more the franchise than Holliday, that they are even more prone to such a rash decision.
I don’t know if they will bid against themselves or not. But for Strauss to say they won’t increase last years offer just shows he hasn’t been paying much attention. Mozeliak has already said that they are going to start fresh with negotiations and not pick up where they left off last year. So they are going to re-evaluate his value to the Cardinals and make a new offer. I don’t know if it will be much different than their best offer last year or not.
As great as he is, no way I give more than 6 years to Pujols. You don’t know how old he is, for one, and Cards are not the Yankees or Red Sox, who can fix their mistakes by spending more $$.
“You Dont know how old he is” <~lol
It’s true, all that money the Yankees spent to fix their problems the last two years. Not to mention purchasing Nunez, Robertson, Nova and Montero, plus all the big signings of Chavez, Martin, Colon, Garcia….I know they really have the big recent contracts of Burnett and Soriano leading the team, but, hey, you’re right, they fixed all of their issues spending money.
And yes, in the biggest market for a big market team, I did ignore Tex and CC, the two high priced FA on the 25 man roster who ARE actually helping.
Its Imperative that the Pirates sign Andrew McCutchen to a six year deal. That is their one objective this offseason. They could sign Luis Castillo and Johnny Damon to $10 million deals, but their offseason will be successful as long as they lockup Cutch.
Its Imperative that the Pirates sign Andrew McCutchen to a six year deal. That is their one objective this offseason. They could sign Luis Castillo and Johnny Damon to $10 million deals, but their offseason will be successful as long as they lockup Cutch.
I think Pujols WILL REMAIN a redbird. I just don’t think the bigger market teams will be there to drive the price into the unreachable levels.
Cubs, Nats, and Toronto are big enough to do so.
9 years is too long at his age, even for Pujols. I’ve been expecting something like 6 or 7 years at about $28M a year.
STL coud pay Albert 1 million a year for the next 300 years. Problem solved.
Why aren’t the Cubs at least FAKING interest to drive up the price on Pujols & Fielder? I don’t see what reason they could have for NOT doing that this offseason. It’ll either drive up the cost for another team in our division OR just result in them leaving the division period.
Well, let’s see…Here are a few reasons “faking” an interest in Pujols to drive the price up simply won’t work:
Other teams don’t share the Cubs’ willingness to overpay for underachievement…
Pujols has, on many occasions, rejected the idea of leaving for a team which is not a contender. Chicago has more than a century of “ringless” frustration…
Chicago does not have a General Manager and barely has a manager. Mike Quade, a decent man, has shown no capability as a manager, nor an ability to change anything for a team whose only significant achievement was to put a GREAT manager, Sweet Lou, to sleep!
I seriously doubt that Pujols would ever wish to play home games in a weed-covered urinal. And the Cardinals know this…so do others.
But the MOST compelling reason that a Cubs ploy to drive up the price cannot work is because I don’t believe that minor league teams are allowed to bid!
yeah who ever heard of a free agent using big pocket teams to drive up his price, but you’re right, pujols isn’t looking to max out on this contract, as evidenced by….????
get over yourself dude, and stop being such a typical st louis homer. he doesn’t have to have interest in the cubs to use them to get more money from the cards. don’t be so blind.