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Buehrle Leaning Towards Playing After 2011 Season

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Mark Buehrle's contract with the White Sox is up after this season, and two years ago, the southpaw discussed the possibility of retiring once his obligations to the Sox were complete.  Now, however, Buehrle tells CSNChicago.com's Chuck Garfien that "the percentage is going down" that the left-hander will walk away from the game after 2011.

After a talk with his wife in the offseason, Buehrle said he intends to pursue another contract for 2012 and beyond.  He noted, however, that unless the situation is ideal for him, he actually will retire.

“If the White Sox don’t want to sign me back after this year and some team (wants me) that I’m not a fan of, or don’t want to play for, or it’s too far from home, I’m not going to go play just to make money," Buehrle said.  "It’s going to have to be the right spot, the right fit for my family.” 

Buehrle said he wants to play for a winning team and he already has in mind a few clubs that would play for and others that he "will not go to no matter how much money or what the situation is.”  The Cardinals are on the former list (Buehrle, a Missouri native, has spoken in the past about his dream to join the Cards) and he stops just short of saying that the Cubs are on his "no chance" list.

His first choice is to continue pitching for the White Sox, though Buehrle isn't sure if the feeling is mutual.  “I don’t know what the team has moneywise for the next couple years," Buehrle said.  "There’s a lot of factors. They might have someone else up and coming and they don’t even want me back. I’m open to whatever."

Since his initial mention of retirement two years ago, Buehrle has delivered a solid 4.06 ERA and 2.17 K/BB ratio in 66 starts, authored a perfect game against Tampa Bay in 2009 and won two Gold Gloves.  The left-hander is still young (he turns 32 next month) so if he does choose to keep pitching, there will no shortage of teams interested in his services.  Looking at the list of 2012 free agents, Buehrle would arguably be the top free agent pitcher on the market unless C.C. Sabathia opts out of his contract or St. Louis doesn't pick up Chris Carpenter's option.

NL Central Notes: La Russa, Pujols, Pence, Brewers

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Let's look at some notes from the NL Central as we remember the legendary Harry Caray, who passed away on this day in 1998.

  • The close relationship between Tony La Russa and Albert Pujols may be the Cardinals' "secret weapon" for keeping Pujols in St. Louis, writes SI.com's Jon Heyman.  Of course, La Russa's own contract is only guaranteed through this season, and he could very well decide his future with the club before Pujols has to this winter.  A St. Louis Post-Dispatch roundtable looks at how the futures of the Cardinals manager and slugger are intertwined.
  • The Cubs "should move heaven and earth" to acquire Pujols if he hits the free agent market, says ESPN's Michael Wilbon.  The potential pros of signing a franchise player outweigh, in Wilbon's opinion, the record-setting costs a Pujols contract could entail: "Please don't bother me with what might happen when Pujols reaches 40 or 41 years of age and whether he'll be overpaid by then….when the alternative is stealing away your hated rival's best-ever player and putting him into your lineup in the prime of his life."
  • Hunter Pence's arbitration case took place this morning, and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart talks to Astros GM Ed Wade about the process.  The arbitration panel is expected to have a decision ready by Saturday.  Pence is the last remaining arb-eligible player without a contract, as MLBTR's ArbTracker indicates. 
  • The Brewers have signed pre-arb players Zach Braddock, Chris Dickerson, Brandon Kintzler and Jonathan Lucroy to contracts, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  • Reds prospect Yonder Alonso is continuing his outfield training this spring, and talks to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon about how learning a different position is key to his future in Cincinnati.  Alonso's natural position, first base, is of course blocked by NL MVP Joey Votto.
  • "There is still a good chance" the Astros will trade Jeff Keppinger once the veteran infielder proves he's healthy after offseason foot surgery, says ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill.  Houston shopped Keppinger during the Winter Meetings, with the Yankees showing some interest, but negotiations didn't pan out.

Details On Albert Pujols’ Negotiations With St. Louis

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The Cardinals did not extend Albert Pujols by Wednesday's deadline, but it wasn't for a lack of creativity. The team was open to outside-the-box deals with the slugger, though talks have now been tabled until after the season. Here are the details on some of the deals the team proposed:

  • Pujols will likely sign a deal worth at least $25MM per season, as Tom Verducci of SI.com points out. A source close to Pujols tells Verducci that the first baseman isn't about the money. "He has enough and his charitable work is amazing. He has flown doctors and dentists to the Dominican to give kids there access to health care. But he is someone with intense pride. He has worked hard to turn himself into the best hitter in baseball and he's earned the right to be treated that way in negotiations. It's not about greed with Albert. I think it's pride."
  • The Cards offered a deal that was "slightly better" than Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180MM contract, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter).
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com reported yesterday that the Cardinals offered Pujols a nine-year extension worth more than $200MM and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported Wednesday that they offered Pujols a deal worth roughly $19-21MM per season.
  • Pujols was interested in owning part of the Cardinals and the team explored the possibility, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Players cannot "directly or indirectly, own stock or have any financial interest in the ownership or earnings of any Major League Club," unless the Commissioner approves the agreement, but Bud Selig could be open to allowing such an arrangement between Pujols and the Cardinals.
  • Goold lists some players, including former Cardinals great Rogers Hornsby and current Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, who have gone on to own teams.

Jim Edmonds Retires

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Jim Edmonds has retired, the Cardinals have announced (on Twitter). The 40-year-old, who agreed to a minor league deal with St. Louis earlier in the month, is still bothered by his right Achilles, so his playing days are over.

Edmonds retires with a .284/.376/.527 line and 393 career homers. The eight-time Gold Glover and four-time All-Star played for the Cardinals, Angels, Padres, Reds, Cubs and Brewers over the course of a career that began in 1993. An elite hitter in his prime, Edmonds was also a standout defender who became known for highlight reel catches in center field.

The 17-year veteran spent eight seasons with the Cardinals from 2000-07. He hit .285/.393/.555 for the Cards and was a member of the 2006 World Champions. After missing the 2009 season, Edmonds returned last year and posted a .276/.342/.504 line for the Reds and Brewers, adding 11 homers and 23 doubles.

Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported Edmonds' decision.

Quick Hits: Vlad, Pujols, Cabrera

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Here are a few items of note for Feb. 17, the day on which Wally Pipp was born 118 years ago.

  • The Orioles will hold a press conference for Vladimir Guerrero on Friday, tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com, so it's safe to assume that he passed his physical earlier this week and that his one-year deal is now official.
  • The Cardinals at some point offered Albert Pujols a nine-year contract extension worth more than $200MM, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.com. To this point, the value of St. Louis' offer has been consistently around the $200MM range, but the length has been less clear.
  • Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, arrested in Florida late Wednesday night and charged with DUI and resisting arrest, will not likely face jail time, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, who spoke to a "leading criminal defense attorney." Whether Cabrera will enter a treatment program at this time remains unclear, Morosi notes.

A Challenge For The Cardinals

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If the Cardinals sign Albert Pujols to an eight or ten-year deal when he hits free agency after the season, they'll be counting on him to maintain his Hall of Fame-type production into his late 30s. But the Cardinals front office would be gambling on more than Pujols.

Unless the team boosts payroll significantly, GM John Mozeliak and the St. Louis front office would be gambling on themselves to fill out a roster with less spending power than they're accustomed to. Owner Bill DeWitt Jr. committed between $75-100MM in payroll every year from 2001-10. Fitting a $25-30MM player into that type of budget would limit the Cardinals' ability to spend on other needs and would likely leave them with a weakened bullpen and infield as soon as 2012.

Pujols

The Cardinals' rotation alone will cost about $47MM next year, assuming the team exercises its options for Chris Carpenter ($15MM) and Adam Wainwright ($9MM). Those two pitchers, plus Jaime Garcia (first time arbitration eligible), Kyle Lohse ($11.9MM salary), Jake Westbrook ($8.5MM) and Pujols would cost over $70MM in 2012 unless Pujols deferred an unexpectedly large amount of money. 

Throw in Yadier Molina ($7MM option), Matt Holliday ($17MM) and Colby Rasmus (first time arbitration eligible) and the payroll is already approaching $100MM, or more than the organization has spent in any year since Pujols arrived in St. Louis. Most teams that commit $100MM to a rotation and four position players end up cutting corners in other areas and the Cardinals would be no exception. They wouldn't have much room for luxuries when filling out their lineup and assembling their bullpen and bench.

The 'pen, which will see Ryan Franklin, Brian Tallet and Trever Miller hit free agency after the season, and the infield, which includes no sure things other than Pujols, would probably have to be constructed on the cheap if the Cardinals re-sign Pujols.

If the Cardinals continue to balk at Pujols' asking price, this won't be an issue. They'll lose him to free agency and find another first baseman. Though replacing Pujols is impossible, the Cardinals front office will have to make major adjustments in 2012 barring a substantial payroll increase or an unexpected trade. Mozeliak & Co. will face an immense challenge if Pujols leaves, but the challenge doesn't disappear if he stays.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Quick Hits: Ortiz, Cabrera, Pujols, Astros

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On this date in 2008, the Rockies signed Scott Podsednik. The Blue Jays did just that yesterday, agreeing to a minor league deal with the speedy outfielder. Here are some links for Thursday…

Albert Pujols Rumors: Wednesday

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The countdown that began weeks ago continues in earnest this morning as the Cardinals and Albert Pujols enter the final few hours before the Pujols-imposed deadline to reach an extension. If the sides don't agree to terms by 11am CDT, Pujols says he'll stop negotiating until after the season, when he'd become a highly-coveted free agent. There's "zero" momentum for a deal, though the talks still have a pulse. Here's the latest on the Cardinals and their first baseman:

  • Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Pujols has informed the Cardinals that he's willing to revisit talks after the season (Twitter links). He doesn't want any distractions during the season.
  • Rival executives expect the Cubs to pursue Pujols, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. One exec says “They'll give him the A-Rod deal'' and another guesses "They'll give him $33MM or $34MM for seven years.''
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from a source that St. Louis' offer would have given Pujols about the tenth-highest annual salary in the game, which translates to about $19-21MM (Twitter links). The exact length of the offer is unknown.
  • GM John Mozeliak said the team will not consider trading Pujols, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter). Pujols has already indicated that he would invoke his ten-and-five rights to veto any deal.
  • The Cardinals announced that they weren't able to reach a deal with Pujols and will meet with the media at 11:30 CDT. 
  • There's zero chance of a deal by the deadline, according to Nightengale (on Twitter).
  • The sides are not engaging in last-minute talks and there's no chance of a deal in the next hour, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
  • The talks are over and the deadline will pass without a deal, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The sides have not exchanged proposals in the last four days or so and there's still a significant gap on annual salary.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports agrees: there will be no deal today (Twitter link).
  • The sides aren't expected to reach a deal by the deadline, writes Scott Miller of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
  • The Phillies anticipated this situation before locking Ryan Howard up, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The Phils discussed a possible Howard-Pujols trade internally.
  • Pujols doesn't have illusions of reaching a miraculous deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).

Reactions To Albert Pujols & The Cardinals

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The Cardinals and franchise player Albert Pujols failed to come to an agreement on a long-term extension before today's deadline, meaning the first baseman will hit the free agent market after the season. As you'd expect, plenty of reactions have poured in, some from team executives. Let's recap…

  • Team owner Bill DeWitt says the club "will honor [Pujols'] wishes and not discuss this matter until the completion of the season," reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). "[We] remain hopeful that Albert will finish his career in St. Louis," added DeWitt, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (on Twitter).
  • "Albert is an iconic player," said DeWitt at an afternoon press conference. "We made every effort to extend his contract." Jon Heyman of SI.com passed along that quote (on Twitter).
  • Pujols' agent Dan Lozano released a statement, saying the "expiration of today's deadline does not eliminate the possibility of Albert returning to the Cardinals in 2012, but simply delays negotiations until the conclusion of the Cardinals' season." Bob Nightengale of USA Today passed that along.
  • GM John Mozeliak told Heyman that he believes Pujols wants to test the free agent market (Twitter link).
  • Joel Sherman of The New York Post compares a Pujols extension to Derek Jeter's new contract with the Yankees, saying that "teams have to stop paying for what players did and concentrate on what players are likely to do over the course of a contract."
  • Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports says that rejecting the team's offer(s) was the right move for Pujols.
  • Jeff Gordon of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals should now go "all in" to win in 2011.
  • A source told ESPN's Andrew Marchand that the Yankees have no plans to look into Pujols' availability. Earlier today we heard that the Cardinals have no intention of trading their superstar despite not reaching a deal.
  • Cubs manager Mike Quade wouldn't comment on the Pujols situation when asked by Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago's north siders are believed to be a potential match for Pujols if he does hit the market. 
  • Rosenthal says the Cardinals are taking a big risk by letting Pujols hit the open market.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Tuesday

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We heard yesterday that the Cardinals and Albert Pujols have given themselves until Wednesday at 11am CDT to reach a deal. If Pujols doesn't sign an extension, he'll hit free agency after the season and the Cardinals will have to outbid rival teams to keep their best player. The sides don't appear to be nearing an agreement with a day to go. Here's the latest on Pujols:

  • "There is zero momentum toward a deal," sources tell Scott Miller of CBS Sports, and it appears as though the deadline will pass without a new contract for Pujols.
  • The talks between the two sides still have "a pulse," a source tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  In another tweet, Strauss says the Cards are deciding between offering a guaranteed eighth year or offering a shorter deal that carries a greater average annual value.
  • A source close to the Pujols team says the news of the Cardinals' alleged offer to Pujols today is "inaccurate, reckless and outrageous," according to Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown.  (Twitter link)
  • The Cardinals have offered Pujols an eight-year contract worth "south of" $30MM per season, reports SI.com's Jon Heyman (Twitter links).  Despite the offer, Heyman says there is "very little hope" that the two sides will reach an agreement before Wednesday's deadline. 
  • Heyman also tweets that Pujols' representation asked for an ownership share in the Cardinals, who turned down the request due to the complicated nature of the process.
  • La Russa's comments were misguided, according to MLBPA director Michael Weiner, who told Yahoo's Jeff Passan that "we have had no conversations with Albert or [agent] Dan Lozano." (all Twitter links). "No pressure," Weiner said. "Not even any conversations. Our concern is that players make an informed decision. Knowing Albert [and] knowing Danny, a very sophisticated player and representative, they're going to make well-considered decisions."
  • Cardinals manager Tony La Russa says Pujols is feeling pressure from the Players Association to sign a massive deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). La Russa says it's more than arm-twisting. He argues that the union is "dropping an anvil on [Pujols'] back through [the] roof of his house."
  • GM John Mozeliak says he's in "regular" contact with agent Dan Lozano, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • Pujols went to high school and college in Kansas City and the Royals have freed up payroll, but one club official told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that the Royals aren't likely to sign Pujols if he hits free agency. "For us to get a guy like that, he’d really have to want to come here," the official said. "We couldn’t win a bidding war.” Royals owner David Glass told Dutton that he would not sign a player to a $300MM deal. "You might as well give them the franchise,” Glass said. 
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