Image: Source
How much money does Albert Pujols’ string pulling agent want – 30 mil a year? 35? For 10 years? He is probably the best hitter in the majors. Maybe he is underpaid, if you can call anyone earning over 14 million dollars a year underpaid, when compared to Alex Rodriguez. But that’s just insane. Pujols just turned 31… How many good years does he has left in him? Five? Six? His decline will probably start sooner than that. He won’t be hitting 35-40 homers and +100 RBI’s when he’s 38-39, I’m pretty sure. Yeah, so he’s been producing the same output as A-Rod since 2001 (408 HR, 1230 RBI) while making about third of the money.
Image: Source
Stop looking at Rodriguez. When you play with the Yankees, the most successful pro franchise in all of the four major leagues and one of the most famous sport brands in the world, you’ll be making more money than when playing in St. Louis. The Cardinals can’t hand out contracts like the Yankees can.
Tony La Russa said he feels that Pujols might be pressured by the Players Union to ‘set the bar’ with his contract negotiations, but later kinda retracted from his claim and finished by saying his main focus in getting the Cardinals ready for another NL Central season. Whatever he said, the Cardinals and Pujols haven’t exchanged offers and terms in four days, and the deadline is right about now. Pujols said he wouldn’t negotiate during the season. You do the math.
Image: Source
Whether Pujols is bluffing or maybe he is waiting for a mega offer that will make him one of the top 5 highest paid players in Baseball, maybe THE highest paid it doesn’t really matter. If the Cardinals front office caves, we’ll be heading for another lockout in a few years. As exceptional and rare of a talent Pujols is, there’s no reason to pay him 27.5 million dollars. The Cardinals have been doing so well for such a long time because they’re being managed correctly and not in some arms race kind of fashion. I like seeing Pujols playing for St. Louis and I think he should stay there for the rest of his career. Icons should stay with one club and not start looking for the next paycheck elsewhere. But not for the cash he wants. That’s just wrong.