Cardinals Rumors

The Cardinals are not seriously exploring the possibility of trading first baseman Albert Pujols because the superstar slugger, who has full no-trade protection, would veto any swap, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com.

Pujols, slated to become a free agent after the 2011 season, is willing to work out a contract extension with St. Louis but has said that those talks will be tabled on Feb. 19, his first day at Spring Training, so as not to create a distraction.

That means, as Olney notes, the only remaining possibilities are that Pujols signs an extension with the Cardinals or becomes a free agent at season's end. The next 10 days are critical to the Cardinals' efforts to re-sign Pujols, tweets Olney.

Olney speculates that Pujols, who turned 31 this month, will probably command a contract similar to the one Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees following the 2007 season — somewhere along the lines of 10 years and $275MM.

For his career, Pujols has posted a ridiculous .331/.426/.624 over 10 seasons, never playing fewer than 143 games in any campaign.

MLB executives, owners and agents told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark that they see Albert Pujols agreeing to an extension with the Cardinals between now and Spring Training. And the deal will likely make Pujols one of the richest players in baseball history. The sides figure to agree to a deal worth $240MM over eight years, in the estimation of Stark’s sources.

Pujols, who is scheduled to hit free agency after the season, will stop negotiating with the Cardinals once Spring Training begins. And scuttlebutt from other clubs suggests Pujols and agent Dan Lozano will start by asking for a ten-year, $300MM deal.

But Cards GM John Mozeliak is unlikely to want to pay the first baseman $30MM per season while he’s in his early forties, so Pujols’ deal may not be worth more than Alex Rodriguez’s record ten-year, $275MM contract.

If Pujols hits free agency, interest will be widespread. Even clubs like the Yankees and Red Sox, who have elite first basemen, could have interest in Pujols, according to one executive. Teams like the Cubs, Dodgers and Mets could also have interest, though there’s a good chance the first baseman won’t hit the open market.

I previewed a potential extension for Pujols earlier in the month.

It doesn't sound like Albert Pujols’ representatives are going to be shy in their negotiations with the Cardinals. There are early indications that Pujols and agent Dan Lozano have used Alex Rodriguez’s ten-year $275MM contract as the lone point of reference in discussions for a potential extension, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.  

However, the Cardinals “are said to have initially suggested a contract that would guarantee Pujols at least a bit less than $200MM,” Heyman writes. Heyman’s sources believe the Cardinals would prefer not to guarantee Pujols more than seven years. One person said the Cards could offer a seven-year, $196MM deal. Other insiders suggest the team could agree to a $30MM annual salary or a ten-year deal, but not both.

Most people Heyman surveyed suggest Pujols won’t top $250MM if he signs an extension, since he is not negotiating on the open market and since the Yankees and Red Sox have established first basemen. 

Click here to vote on Pujols’ future, which will unfold within the next month or so. Lozano set a Spring Training deadline for a possible extension. If the sides don’t reach a deal, the three-time MVP will hit free agency after the coming season. As I explained here, A-Rod money is not an unreasonable target for Pujols.