I definitely don’t think the Cardinals should be forced to pay him, but don’t come out whining that “we’re not the Yankees”. The Cardinals can in fact afford to pay Pujols Arod-type money. The question is do they want to diminsh their profit margin in order to do so.

You can talk about production, stat comparisons and state of the economy until your blue in the face, if someone is willing to pay him $25-30 million a year for an extended period of time, it will happen whether we like it or not (and I don’t know about you, but I don’t care either way). My feeling is both sides will come to the middle before he reaches free agency, but if they don’t he’s gonna make a metric ton of money somewhere.

I agree with most here that Pujols is under no obligation to the Cardinals; on the other hand, it is inaccurate to argue that “legacy” matters nothing at all, or that in the popular imagination a player usually earns more acclaim by sticking with the same team his entire career. How much is that worth? It’s up to the individual.

I agree that Pujols should receive fair market value. But what is the market these days? How much is the best hitter in the game worth, given that he’s a 1B and 30+ y.o.? Many around these parts cringed at A-Rod’s contract extension, but isn’t Pujols asking for essentially the same deal?

I’s not really sure why this is a story. In the end, Pujols will either stay and make a pile of money, or he will leave and (perhaps) make a slightly larger pile of money playing for one of about five teams that are willing to afford him. I certainly don’t see anyone being victimized.

St. Louis may be counted as a small market team, but they fill the stadium with rabid fans every night who come from all over to see their team. I went to a cubbies game that opened my eyes to how much fun it could be to go to a game again. Sitting in the outfield bleachers with my wife-who wore a cubbies shirt and cap, and her bear, Theodore-the number 1 cubbies fan in the country with his cubbies shirt and sash, we cheered the visitors. King Albert made a spectacular play at first. We cheered. Aramis made a great play at third. They cheered. The cubbies won. A guy wearing cardinal red who sat next to us shook our hands and asked if we were coming to game to the following evening. We couldn’t afford the tickets. He said to come to the stadium at 9:00 am where they sell 200 game day tickets before every game at list prices. We had paid $250 apiece for the outfield.

Albert. I’d stay.

Where is the outrage at the Cardinals for low balling Pujols? I find the Cardinals negotiating strategy simply outrageous. It should have ponied up the money that its owner has been hoarding for years without a second thought, instead they are low balling Pujols. He would be a fool to accept anything less than “highest player ever” money. If the Cardinals don’t pay him, another team will fork over that money.

Did it jeopardize everything Orel Hersheiser ever did to pitch for the Indians? Or for Don Mattingly to coach the Dodgers? Pro baseball is an industry with a finite number of employers and a finite number of jobs. If you want to stay and work someplace for less money like you are some kind of hipster barista living in Portland, Oregon good for you. If you don’t, it’s a free country all the same. Last time I checked Albert Pujols was raised in Santo Domingo, not St. Louis.

I’m sure Olbermann would make the same argument about Jeter but then Jeter was getting offered $10M more per year to stay in the Bronx, not $10M less like Pujols.

Also, let’s be honest. If not for the reserve clause, Stan the Man would have also demanded a market rate. In fact, he did it on more than one occassion. In 1947, he held out for a few weeks because of his demand that he be paid the highest salary in the game. He eventually settled for double his previous salary. If not for the leverage of the reserve clause, I am sure Musial would have gotten his wish.

Stan Musial was just honored… a mere 47 years after he played his last game. Stan The Man, 22 years a Redbird. The man is a God in St. Louis, and Pujols is in line for his mantle.

How about this.
8/$200m with a PLAYER option for a 9th year at $20m or a $10m buyout, and $10m for a 10th year.

That way his AAV is $25m. It’s a minimum of $210m and a max of $230m. He can play 8 years, or 9, or 10, if he’s chasing records.

Can he get more then $230m as a FA? Probably… but not that much more. Maybe 10%.

If you made over $330m in your career, would you sacrifice $20m for a bronz statue. So people will stop your great grandchildren in the street to just say ‘Hi’ to a Pujols?

Yeah, the $21m AAV doesn’t sound right. But $210m to $230m ain’t bad. $25m AAV ain’t bad.

The guy should stay in St. Louis.

P.S. Maybe defer another $25 at $1.25m for 20 years? Would that help?

slow, bad stance, bland swing……not very dynamic. boring.

i prey he never ends up a yankee.

but he’s ending up on the Marlins.

[1] “It seems they should have won when they got him.”