Albert Pujols told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he doesn’t want to think about his next contract, though he knows that “things will start to get crazy again” in a matter of weeks when he hits free agency for the first time in his career. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, who has’t discussed a contract with Pujols since Spring Training, says he still aims to lock the first baseman up to ensure that he spends the rest of his career in St. Louis.
"When we get to October," Mozeliak told Nightengale, "we'll start over and go from there. I can't characterize where we'll begin, but we've waited this long, we might want to see where the market brings."
The Cardinals offered Pujols a nine-year deal worth about $195MM last offseason, Nightengale reports. Earlier today, Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that the Cardinals' nine-year offer would have been worth $210MM and noted that the Cards aren't overly confident about retaining their biggest star. In any case, the offers weren’t enough to entice the 31-year-old Pujols. He and agent Dan Lozano were seeking a ten-year deal in the $230MM range.
There’s a long list of teams that could enter the sweepstakes for Pujols, who leads the National League with 34 homers and has a .293/.366/.549 line this year in his worst MLB season. There are rumblings that the Marlins may look to pursue Pujols or fellow free agent Prince Fielder this offseason before heading into their new stadium, according to Nightengale.
pujols isn’t going anywhere and fielder prob isn’t either- with the Cubs likely OUTS along with NYM, NYY, Bos, LAD, what does that leave, mayyybe the Angels or Blue Jays?
sidenote: i like how the heyman link just links to MLBTR’s recap of Heyman’s column rather than to his actual column. good job. is that just to drive up website clicks or because you believe book reports are a better read than the actual book itself?
I can’t picture Pujols leaving Stl just because I can’t see another team being more appealing than taking slightly less money and staying there. Why would he leave for the Nats? So he might get more money, but c’mon, he’s already been offered $191 mil from STL. He will never spend the other $39 mil his agent is demanding.
Some players are obviously out for the largest contract, period, but Pujols doesn’t seem to be that type of guy. I think he gets something done with STL.
After saying all that, an 8-10 year contract for anyone is insane, nevermind someone Pujols’ age.
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Fielder is a different story altogether since the Brewers aren’t rumored to be able to make him a competitive offer. Not sure where he winds up, but Texas might be the spot.
“leads the National League with 34 homers and has a .293/.366/.549 line this year in his worst MLB season”
let that sink in
It hurts your head to think that in his worst season, he’s still better than pretty much everyone.
in the case of jon heyman, the summaries of his articles are almost always preferable to the experience of reading the real thing
While the Marlins as a serious contender for Pujols could make for an interesting offseason, it just sounds like a remarkably silly idea to me. The Marlins consistently have some of the worst attendance in the league, even the year after they won the series they had the 5th worst home attendance. It’s not just Loria that’s brought that team to it’s knees when you consider Tampa Bay has one of the most exciting teams and it too has trouble bringing in the crowds. People just don’t seem to want to go to a ball game in Florida unless it’s Spring Training and frankly that’s a lot of us taking pilgrimages.
Do they really think Pujols on his own can bring in people on his own? $200M worth?
Oh Pujols will bring fans, as will the new stadium…attendance will be amazing in 2012….the REAL question is does it go back to the nonsense it is after the hype is over?
I predict a 300% increase in fans next year for the Miami Marlins new stadium. Can this new park hold all 800 who will be there next year?
ZING!
I don’t think 800 people in Miami know they even have a team….
All of these attendance things are getting old =P Opening day attendance this year was over 33k, so people will go to games. The problem with Miami, always, is fair weather. When a team is good they go see them, when they suck (like now) they dont go. The first month will be sell outs but then what? if they tank it may go back to the usual.
If that 9/210 is accurate, I don’t know why Pujols wouldn’t accept that.
Remember that was at the beginning of the season when people were talking about potentially $30M a year and him breaking ARod’s record deal. With reality setting in 9 yr/$210M sounds potentially more reasonable but who knows.
True, but realistically who has the ability to do that? Unless the Yanks and the Sox get involved to raise the ante, I don’t think he can touch that figure.
The Nats or maybe Texas might be crazy enough to make an offer in that ballpark.
Cubs and Mets haven’t done anything ridiculous in a while. Way overdue.
Mets are broke thanks to the Wilpons being invested with Bernie Madoff.
If the nats get pujols then I would like to get morse as a cubs fan.
the cubs may be this crazy to make a big splash with their new GM.
1) This is the last contract of his career so he wants as much as possible.
2) He has no reason not to see if someone else won’t raise the price for the Cards or offer him more outright.
3) Maybe he wants to play in a different city? Who knows.
4) His agent is going to take a big chunk of that, and he (agent and Pujols) has every incentive to try to get more.
5) Baseball players are fairly greedy people, but fans would rather see that money go to players rather than owners.
Because it’s not even in the top 10 for contracts and Pujols may have ideas that he deserves a Top 10 (or top 2-3) contract.
It all really depends on if he’s fine with the per-year being bigger than most but not having 9 years and thus a smaller total contract.
We’ll see if his slightly diminished (but still obviously top of the league) performance will have any factor on either side of the negotiations. I have a feeling the Cardinals will point to his reduced stats as proof that he’s vulnerable to age and say that making 25m when he’s 40 would be financial suicide for the team, give him a much smaller than 9 (or now, 8) year deal and Pujols will walk.
Then some other team who is desperate to prove that they can sign a winner will pick up him and in about 6 years probably start to regret it.
if the 9/210 is accurate, I don’t know why the Cards wouldn’t go 10/230 if that’s what Pujols asked for. By 2021 the average for decent players may be $16 mil,,,
I think it would be a disaster for the Marlins to spend huge bucks on a long term deal without knowing the fans are going to start turning out in respectable numbers. Throwing $20 mil + at one player isn’t the answer there.
It probably won’t matter…. that’s just tying up their revenue sharing money.
At this point, it’s kind of a Catch-22. On one hand, it would be fiscally irresponsible for them to spend that kind of money without knowing for sure if they’ll attract the fans. At the same time, the way they’re playing right now, they do need to do something huge to attract the fans, and acquiring Pujols or Fielder would certainly fit that bill.
Bob Nightengale is also the guy who said Jim Hendry was staying about 5 mins before his firing was announced.
I can definitly see the cubs offering 10yrs 230 mil for pujols, and that is a bargain. Pujols can pay for his contract within 5-6 yrs with those huge years that he has and what would it be worth if he helps bring a world series championship to chicago cubs. thats priceless. It is fairly obvious that the cards dont have the commitment to bring a championship to st louis and maybe that is 1 of the main things that he wants.They said that his production numbers from 2010 netted the cards a value of 45 mil in just 1 season if he did that 5-6 more years as it seems that he will the final 4-5 years are a free bonus. How is that contract demand outta line? He is asking for what he deserves as a minimum.
Does anybody else despise the idea of Pujols going to the Cubs?
It does kinda seem wrong being that he is going to their rivals.
I cant see anyone any good going to the twinkies also either.
The Twins aren’t even going to have enough money to keep their own free agents, much less pursue anybody of value.
Let him walk Cards. You’re not competing next year or probably even the following year. Pujols will likely start his decline and you want to be handicapped for decade financially? One could even argue that Pujols is declining just based on his current batting average.
Let the idiotic Cubs sign him.
Let him walk…. Dewitt looks like the Genius. Got AP’s best 10 years for 100 Million. GENIUOS!!!! Good Bye Forever Albert you greedy hipocrit….
JohnS you are talking foolish. Pujols has settled for less money to play for the ungratefull cards fans, the same fans that now call him a greedy hypocrate for asking for what he deserves. he has given the cards 40-50 mil per year worth of value for what 15-18 mil at most. I cant wait to see him hit 5 homers next year against the cards in wrigley.
Your post is just as foolish as the one you were responding to. Have you ever been to Busch? Half the fans are there only to watch Albert Pujols. After he bats in the 7th or 8th of a close game, many head to the gates. To call Cards fans ungratefull is beyond idiotic. Some may not completely understand how great he is. When you are watching him everyday, it’s easy to not see the big picture. A few fans may want to let him walk, which many (Card fans and other teams fans) have argued valid points both ways as to why that could be better or worse for the Cardinals.
He also did sign what ended up being a very team friendly deal. He wasn’t a free agent at the time he signed. You cannot compare what he has been making to what other people are making. He took a LOT of security in exhange for the chance for a huge payday via free agency at a young age. Now is his chance to really cash in.
Ok. No.
I’ve been to ballparks everywhere. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY has fans like the cardinals. Are there Albert fans? Sure, who wouldn’t be. But compared to other cities, in St. Louis it has always been team first, star second.
That all being said, nobody in this town wants to see him leave, except insofar as they don’t want to see him overpaid. I find it interesting that the numbers that came out today were hardly the 10 and $300 that everyone speculated he wanted. Honestly, it isn’t about the dollars. He’s worth it and then some. It’s about the years. Nobody in their right mind believes he is going to be worth $25M in 2021, even in 2021 dollars. He is, however, worth it to the team to stay a Cardinal for life.
So, my suggestion to the Cardinals. 50 years, $250M. Heavily front loaded, but under contract until he’s in his 80’s. He retires as a Cardinal. He continues working for the Cardinals. He becomes the next Stan Musial (which he is well on his way to being).
Alternatively: 10 years, $230M, with the last five years being mutual options. If Albert thinks he can make more in year 6, they part ways. If the team no longer thinks he’s worth it, same story.
In the end, I think the only reason a contract didn’t get signed before spring was about who would be the next coach of the Cards. TLR won’t be here the length of any contract that gets signed, and Albert surely wants a say into who the next guy is.
“I’ve been to ballparks everywhere. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY has fans like the cardinals.”
sweet sample
Alternatively: 10 years, $230M, with the last five years being mutual options.
last 5 years being mutual options? why wouldnt they offer that it is another completely team friendly deal. That is a crazy suggestion as bad as most cub fans suggestions and they are rediculed for saying stuff like that.
Been a fan for 50 years ….. been to more games than you could imagine. This city has given him everything. Owner, coaches, team mates have all walked on egg shells just to keep him from whining. Great player & a big baby. He will never, and I mean NEVER, be Stan the Man!!!!
You are truly clueless.
You know a lot.
Ok I see that dummy as the exception rather than the majority on the greedy hipocrate comment. The guy has been the brightest star in baseball for nearly 10 years now and I cant understand why he is berated for asking for what he more than deserves. He didnt have to sign that EXTREMELY team friendly deal but did and is now being attacked for asking for a albert friendly deal. Some cards fans that suggest pujols should be shown the door are more than idiotic alsoand any fan that doesnt appreciate what he has done for baseball are extremely ungratefull also. His security at a young age is more of a gift to st louis at a discount rather than any real security also guy.
“One could even argue that Pujols is declining just based on his current batting average.”
It would be a bad argument based on this premise. 1) Most people agree that BA is really not a very significant stat. 2) He may very well end up with a batting average between .300 and .310, which would put him not far off two of his other seasons of .312 and .314. 3) He has an OPS+ of 152, which is similar to 2007, the year before he won back to back MYPs, so not clear that he is really declining instead of just having a “down” year.
The real concern is that his OBP is down noticeably.
The OBP is concerning. His walks are down. Way down. But, one way to view that is to look at his intentional walks. Also way down. Now, one could argue “He’s having an off year, he’s not the feared hitter he was.” I doubt any team, coach, or opposing pitcher is thinking that.
Peek at 2004. Clearly NOT an off year for either Pujols or the Cards.
BA: .331
OBP .415
BB 84
IBB 12
When you have the 4th and 5th top vote getters in the MVP ballot hitting behind you, you’re going to get fewer walks. His walk total was not indicative of his performance–the man had 46 home runs and lead in total bases. This year, he has Holiday and Berkmann hitting behind him, and he’ll end up around 70 BB and 15 IBB. No great change, its just that his BA is down, which decreases his OBP. Put replacement players behind him, and his walks would double.
For me, the biggest concern is the BB/SO ratio and the number of double plays. That says “I’m pressing.” Which, for a guy worried about not getting to .300/100/30 for the umpteenth year in a row, during your walk year…makes sense.
Pujols has led/is leading the league in DPs more often than he’s led in RBI. DPs are no concern at all.
And if this wasn’t a “stats are going up that shouldn’t go up” discussion, you’d be right. He has hit 26 this year. His record is 27. He’ll break that this year. Combined with the BB/SO decrease…that’s a problem.
He’d still be my first pick to build a team around.