25
2011
Odds Are Albert Pujols And Cards Will Agree On Extension
An article by Craig Lerner
Updated Post 1/25 2:00 PM
Here is an update from Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLB Trade Rumors on the Albert Pujols situation. We last left off with Pujols essentially giving the Cardinals until the start of spring training to agree to an extension, otherwise he will end all negotiations and test free agency after the season. It seems that most MLB executives believe the Cards will get something done.
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.
If Pujols does hit free agency after the season, it will be a complete free for all for his services and will even include teams that may be seemingly set at the first base position.
In addition to getting the best player in the game, the signing team will also reap the rewards of packed stadiums as Pujols begins to knock down long held baseball records and continues his march toward the Hall of Fame. The marketing revenue alone should be able to pay for the totality of the contract as will sales of jerseys and other team attire and accessories.
Derrick Goold who covers the Cardinals for the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported via Twitter that the agent for Albert Pujols has notified the Cardinals they have until the start of Spring Training to agree to a new deal or he will become a free agent after the season.
Cardinals General manager John Mozeliak confirmed the report, but refused to say how negotiations were going and sounded less than optimistic.
“We don’t want to sit here and handicap or guess or kind of give any type of gut feels where this thing is headed right now,” Mozeliak said. “In respect to that that is all I can really add to this topic at this time. … I don’t think it will benefit anybody for me to weigh in at this time. We have been notified that spring training would be the deadline.”
Pujols had made clear that he did not want negotiations to spill into the regular season, and he also did not want the questions to leak into spring training. It gives the Cards about a month to get this resolved or risk losing the face of their franchise.
It’s hard to conceive Albert Pujols donning another teams uniform, but I’ve said the same thing about Ken Griffey Jr. in Seattle and more recently Doc Halladay in Toronto. It happens.
Unless the Cardinals come to terms on a new deal with Pujols in the next 28 days, he will become a free agent after the 2011 season.
If Sandy Alderson wanted to put his stamp on this team, what better way than to bring Albert Pujols and all of his star power and immense ability to Flushing, Queens?
With close to $60 million dollars coming off the books after this season, the timing, the temptation, and the money will be there to make it happen.
At age 30, Pujols is in his prime and by far the most complete ballplayer in the game. Yes, the Mets have Ike Davis in place, but when someone of this magnitude becomes available, you strike a deal and figure that other stuff out later. It would be no different than when the Mets traded for Mike Piazza even though they had a young catcher by the name of Todd Hundley who had just hit 71 home runs and collected 200 RBI’s in the last two seasons. Besides, Ike Davis was a right fielder in college and maybe he can finally fill the spot that has been a revolving door since Darryl Strawberry (read this post by Ed Leyro) became a free agent and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hey, I know this is purely speculation and that the odds that the Cardinals drop the ball on this are pretty slim. But the beauty of baseball is discussions just like this one. Wouldn’t Prince Albert look pretty amazin’ in royal blue pinstripes?
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 41 | 28 | .594 | - |
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| Phillies | 33 | 37 | .471 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 39 | .391 | 13.5 |
| Marlins | 21 | 47 | .309 | 19.5 |
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One could only imagine.
I know you recognized the odds are extremly slim and given the way Alderson works I would have to agree. The odds of retaining Reyes and signing the best player in baseball are only possible in MLB2k11.
Imagine a lineup of:
Reyes
Pagan
Wright
Pujols
Bay
Ike
Murphy
Thole
If that wouldn’t bring fans to the ballpark, I don’t know what would. Nice article Craig!
Thanks Clayton! I see that you envision Murphy at 2B. It will be interesting to see how that plays out, but I’m betting on Emaus as my early favorite.
Yea I Think Emaus will be a future regular everyday player, whether that will be with the Blue Jays or the Mets is yet to be seen.
From what I see right now, I think Castillo will be dropped like a bad habit and depending on how ST goes it’ll be Murphy most likely, or maybe Emaus.
I think Emaus will make the club and if he continues to perform in the big leagues like he has in the minors, he could have a 2007-08 David Wright-esq bat. In his minors stats he was on pace for a .300 30 and 100 type season. I really hope we can retain Emaus instead of returning him to Toronto. Its easier to heat up in the summer in Flushing than in Toronto
If the Mets were to get Pujols and I do hope it happens, forget Ike Davis. Ike would be perfect for a team like the Royals and we can use him to get some solid starting pitching prospects from one of the best minor leagues in MLB. Captain Kirk should be ready to take over in CF with Duda taking over in RF. Duda projects to be a 30-40 homerun hitter while Davis is expected to be a 25 homer guy. Plus we have too many LH hitters.
Can’t see Ike playing outfield in the Bigs, especially one as vast as Citi. Ike is slower than you-know-what.
Ike would be perfect for a lot of teams, like the Cards, Padres, Brewers.
I just wouldn’t delude myself or anyone into thinking that Sandy’s going to spend Pujols money in aggregate, let alone on one player.
Sad but true. The days of shopping at Macys and Bloomingdale are over, start thinking K-Mart and Ace Hardware thats where all the values are.
You may be right about that. When it came time to give Canseco and McGwire the big money Alderson got rid of them.
not the first time, when he signed canseco to what at the time was the biggest contract in MLB.
and don’t make it all about $. not paying 1 guy a huge contract doesn’t mean you won’t do it for someone else.
Duda can’t really handle LF let alone RF. I agree that Alderson will look at trading Ike since he’s really our only young proven Major league capable player with 5 more years of team control but I’ll bet Duda gets a long look at 1B in AAA before he would really explore that. If the Garza or Greinke type deal is available next year and Duda looks passable at 1B I think that’s the way he’ll look.
I wouldn’t be too quick to pencil Kirk into CF either, offensively he has a few severe issues and defensively, at best only an average defender for a big yard. Pagan till hopefully Puello w/Kirk as a 4th OFer is more probable.
I didnt know that about Kirk, but I thought Duda handled himself well in his short stint in LF last season. Has he played 1B before?
he was a 1B in the minors, and got moved to play mostly OF in the minors this past season. Largely due to having Ike I believe, although his glove work at 1B might have had something to do with it.
Thanks, I didnt know that about Duda, good to know.
I think Duda can handle LF. RF, remains to be seen, but he does have the arm for it.
really hard to see him trading Ike to give duda his job though. But, who knows.
at this point, I am wondering if Alderson will ever do anything interesting. creative trades, bold moves, etc. Overly conservative so far.
“Ike would be perfect for a team like the Royals”
One problem: The Royals are pretty much full at 1st/DH with Butler and Eric Hosmer. However, I’d be interested to see if a team like the Texas Rangers would be interested in Ike’s services.
“Captain Kirk should be ready to take over in CF with Duda taking over in RF. Duda projects to be a 30-40 homerun hitter while Davis is expected to be a 25 homer guy.”
Let’s not get too excited about Nieuwenhuis yet. He really needs to learn plate discipline. His K/BB ratio is ridiculous.
Great article for speculating on.
Cardinals should of known that when they gave that contract to Holliday last year that Pujols time to cash in was coming and that money now needs to be cleared.
With Holliday, Carpenter, Wainwright, other lefty, Molina and now Pujols they are going to have to either find a gold mine or eliminate one of the high price players on their team, maybe Mets could get one of these pitchers, just speculating and dreaming.
Cards put themselves in this position by waiting and then seeing what the market in a bad economy, so they say, would evolve into.
gotta figure that Carpenter won’t be back. Not sure who else they have on the expensive end that could be excised from the roster.
Thanks Sarge. You kind of knew the writing was on the wall when they gave Holliday all that money. Im shocked they waited this long to get something done with their big guy.
As unlikely as it would be that the Mets would go after Pujols (although I would love it), it is even less likely that Pujols will ever play any position besides first base again…even mentioning Pujols playing right field is insane for so many reasons…besides the fact that he is a 2-time gold glove winner at first base (.994 career fielding PCT), he was an awful outfielder, especially in right field, for the limited time he played there.
Of course, if somehow the Mets did get him (or Prince Fielder for that matter), I’m sure Ike Davis would have some value on the trade market…maybe for a #2 starter if Ike has a good sophomore season…because if the Mets get a guy like Pujols and re-sign Reyes, they won’t have any money left to sign a pitcher. So, by getting Pujols/Fielder…they may also be able to better the rotation by trading Ike. Far-fetched, but something to consider, I suppose.
if pujols could play RF, Ike certainly good (and has in the past)
Ike is the slowest professional athlete I have ever seen…RF at Citifield is brutal, Ike would die out there.
Also, in the minors, Ike played a total of 2 games in RF, had 4 chances and made 1 error. Moving Ike to RF makes almost as little sense as suggesting Pujols not play first base.
he played there at other times. In the world cup (whatever that thing he participated in for the US team) I know he did. Not sure about college.
He may have…but he is slow and has no range. Not exactly the kind of guy you want in RF at Citifield.
can adam dunn and ramon castro really outrun ike davis
It would be close.
Okay, I’ll bite.
I really like Pujols, but there’s one question that really bothers/worries me: How long will he hold up?
Yes, he has been amazingly consistent his entire career and I have a ton of respect for the man, but how long will it be till the injury bug hits or worse, he starts breaking down after he signs his next (very lucrative) contract? I’d be interested to see if the Mets would really break the bank for Pujols with all the money coming off the books.
As far as Ike goes, I don’t think he’ll mind moving for Albert. Didn’t he pitch in college? He’d probably convert to a pitcher to make room for Pujols. After all, pitching in his blood.
he’s so on HGH. he won’t “break down” until they test for it.
that’s right, i said it.
Darryl Strawberry was not traded to the Dodgers as you state. He signed with them after the 1990 season. Just a small point..
Credibility: Daryl Strawberry was NOT traded to the Dodgers … he left the Mets and signed with the Dodgers as a free agent.
Nit-picking perhaps … but, need to call you out on it.
Damn it, I knew that! I made the change. Thanks.
this pujols speculation is ridiculous. this is not lebron james, people. he is not going anywhere this time around, and in the unlikely case that he leaves stl, he is not coming to queens. they won’t even extend reyes, and pujols will cost twice that.
can we go back to talking about realistic free agent possibilities for 2012 like gil meche and coco crisp.
I wouldn’t touch Pujols with a 10 foot pole especially when we have a young talent like Ike who could emerge into a 25-40 HR, .280 , 100 RBI guy. Not only one of our own but gun to my head I’d say Pujols is a steroid user and u guys want to commit a King’s ransom for him when he’s 32? and let go a rookie like Ike?
No way. We can make up offensive numbers elsewhere.
to be fair, he would play 2012 as a 31 YO. But your point is valid about paying huge money for his declining years.
the steroid rumors have been around since he bulked up quickly in the minors. But, never any proof, so can’t hold it against him.
I would love to see Pujols on the mets for the next few years. But the contract could end up being nasty, especially if it meant the couldn’t add other players where needed.
you’re right,
Just for my tastes, the gamble isn’t worth it considering what we already have. And correct..of course no proof of steroids but I’d bet money he is a user. We may never know.
Yeah, the most expensive years as well as the declining one’s and handing over yet another 1st round draft choice. Very intelligent. Isn’t that what has gotten us into the mess we are trying to dig out of?
the only other signing close to this one would be Beltran (well, santana too though technically not a FA). those aren’t the deals really that will kill a team. It is spending too much money on average or less (perez, bay) and the crap like Alou that cost a pick.
it would be hard to argue against adding what is probably the best position player in MLB to the team.
at some point, it isn’t about contract/payroll but getting the best possible talent and winning games.
Yeah but tying up 25, 30 35? million in one player is clearly not the move for any team that isn’t one player away and there aren’t too many of them. Who that could pay that even needs a first basemen? Philly, NYY, Boston are locked up there. LAA, LAD or perhaps Washington? No one else could both afford him and could justify the move base on need. Prince might seem like a bargain at a 1/2 of Alberts cost.
I find it very funny that the guy who comes on this site preaching that the GM hasn’t made 1 big move, and hasn’t done anything to spark ticket sales… wouldn’t touch the best player in the game with a 10 foot pole.
I also find it funny that I’ve said I believe Piazza used steroids (and don’t care) and you bit my head off but you say Pujols is using? It’s not impossible, but which player is playing during an era of testing?
I don’t know if I’d want him or not. He’s the best hitter in the game so to say you wouldn’t go near him is a little ridiculous to me. You’d have to look into it and *IF* he became available, I’d expect Alderson to check and see how he can make it work rather than taking your advice of staying away.
BTW it should be pointed out that Ike Davis has done nothing in his professional career to suggest he could be a 30+ HR guy. Not saying it’s impossible, but to say he COULD as a guess and to use that as a reason to not sign Pujols who WILL is a poor move if you expect to win games immediately
I never bit your head off about Mike Piazza using steroids. That’s a lie right there because I never did that, and by the way, it wouldn’t surprise me if he did. He broke down kind of fast and had huge muscles so it’s very possible he did it. But to say I bit your head of is false. I never said that to you.
And you are right- that is exactly what I would do
* Not sign Pujols
* I am of the opinion that Ike WILL be a 30+ HR guy – my judgement.
* Ike is exactly one of the reasons – not THE ONLY reason – ONE of the reasons. The other is It is my opinion that Pujols is a steroid user and I’m not gonna invest tons of money in that situation. My call.
* I believe there are other ways to win than trading Ike for Pujols. What they are? I don’t know yet, I just know that I won’t do that.
You want to acquire Pujols, I don’t.
Obviously anyone would want Pujols on their team but for the Mets to do it under those conditions? I would not.
I agree that Ike can easily be a 30 HR player once he gets settled in (as in, 2012+). Not sure of course how much citifield will impact the chances, but he has proven that he can hit a ball a long, long way.
Not only that..another thing I forgot to add in my last post is if Ike becomes a 25-40 HR a year guy, which IN MY OPINION he has a good chance of becoming and I will take that chance…..the difference in HRs to a declining but still effective Pujols could be 10-20 HRs a year.
You could make up that production from another player either our own or via trade after this season. So a lot can happen between now and then, we even haven’t started this season yet.
In 1999, Mike Piazza began his 1st full season as a NY Met. He was 30 years old, and he played the toughest position on a players body.
How’d that work out for us Mets fans? How energized did he make the fan base and the franchise?
And Piazza isn’t close to as great a hitter as Pujols is, and Pujols plays 1B rather than behind the dish.
So to say you wouldn’t go near him due to age or injury prone is flat ignorant. And oh, Pujols’ least amount of games played EVER was 143 in 2006… so when’s this supposed “break down” period starting for him
If this is directed toward me, my response is who knows? Year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 of his 175 Million dollar contract. He’s at his plateau right now and has been for a while. How close to the other edge? Can’t be too far away, could have even already started.
A much more effective use of the 175 would be on scouts, development staff and signing bonuses for as many draftees as we can possibly finagle and as many high ceiling IFA’s as possible. That would have to provide a full team of All Star capable future Major Leaguers and with enough left over to pick up 5 front line aces.
A team top heavy in payroll has to skimp elsewhere as Albert is about to find out.
agee you really should run a minor league club because that is all you care about and harp about is minor leaguers.
Harry, you gotta have 6-8 bare minimum good players from your farm at any one time to avoid making all these trades and FA signings for all these old players.
14 of the 25 2006 Mets were 32-47 years old. Where you going with that?
How are you going to get a front line ace or 3 without the farm to trade for one? Fewer and fewer of them will be getting to free agency and the one’s that do will have a lot of competition.
The steroid era is over. Younger position players cost less, go year to year contract wise, get hurt less, have their best years, play better D, run the bases better and (according to my Wife, look better and therefore sell more tickets) So there, even the female fan agrees.
Aren’t you tired of getting the worst years of every player we get?
I usually try not to direct a coment at another poster but uh. Apples and oranges bud Piazza did not sign a ten year deal with the Mets and he was a better hitter than Pujols to that point.
1st I want to thank Craig Lerner for this post.
It was a nice change of pace discussing hypotheticals involving if in a year from now the Mets should or would go after Pujols rather than what has been discussed of late which I won’t even name.
My personal opinion is not knowing where the Mets will be a year from now especially regarding the development of some of the Baby Mets then add to that the huge cashload it will probably take to sign 1 player (yes even though he is probably the best position player in MLB) I just don’t envision Alderson going down this road.
It just doesn’t seem like with all the question marks at 2B,CF,RF to name a few plus SS and how they deal with Reyes this season. Add to that not knowing what Thole will be in 2011 or even Ike. there’s just to many variables for me to even consider hypothetically if Pujols is worth seeking.
I want to see what Ike can do in 2011 plus what Duda and some other kids can do as they develop.
I will say though that “IF” ever you wanna spend a ridiculous amount of cash then spending it on arguably the best position player in mlb is not a bad way to do it.
Personally, I have no inside stuff, I think Cards thought that with all the community work that Albert does in the St. Louis area and his having been with team his whole career they figured he would give them a “RIGHT” home town discount but had to know they were going to tie up a lot of the payroll on him and Holliday plus whatever pitchers they keep.
Poor planning by someone, me thinks.
either that or they figured he was going to leave, and grabbed the best option they saw to try and win while he was here, and replace him once he is gone. Heck, who knows, maybe they had already made the decision not to tie up that much payroll on a guy his age, and are playing a shell game with the fans? of course, they signed Holliday for the same ages pretty much…
I dont want to go get Pujols no questions ask. What I said Bayonne was to say you wouldn’t go near him, as in not even test the waters is just plain dumb.
Ike Davis is a nice player but he doesn’t carry Pujols’ jock. And he has value that you could go out and get something worth having if you did sign Pujols.
You have always said you want clutch, veteran presence, winners, and guys who put butts in the seats. So the hypothetical idea of getting the best player in the sport comes around and you say “not interested”? That just proves to me you have no idea what you want, except you need to complain.
If Albert Pujols was a Met from age 31-36, they’d sell out their season tickets, he’d make a guy like Wright a better player, and there would be a legit buzz at Citi Field like the one at Shea in 99 and 00.
Now, if acquiring Pujols means Alderson cannot go about retooling the farm and focusing on the future while winning in the present, then I agree, let Pujols go else where.
You are right on this one jessup.. The Mets get a Pujols and they are no longer the irrelevant team in NYC. As for your last sentence however, if Alderson can’t do two things then he shouldn’t have been hired. It is absolutely ridiculous that a guy with his vast expereience, vast intelligence and vast staff of GMs can”t do two things. You prove why he shouldn’t have been hired in the first place.
You can’t do two things at once when doing something for A directly negates all the work you are doing in B.
If Ike Davis is hitting .209 with 10 HRs in June and is sent down then I can see the Pujols talk gaining momentum. But if Ike is hitting .285 w/20 HRs by the time June rolls around and has had big hits in big spots and becoming a homegrown star then I don’t see it happening. Especially since you’ll be having great production and an outstanding glove already at 1B you can use that King’s Ransom or less to get that difference in offense from another position.
Also if the latter scenario unfolds I’m betting it would NOT be a popular move among the fanbase to trade an emerging homegrown star for anyone when you can get that difference in offense from another position so I don’t think ticket sales would be an issue and you’ll still have those millions you would have spent on Pujols still in tow for other moves. That’s my early call on it if I was the GM.
Bayonne, would you consider the possibility of trying to sign Pujols on the open market in the offseason? And keeping young players in the process?
i’d consider it, sure
I’d prefer that. I’m hesitant to ever trade the farm for a rental, then pay out the nose for him, too. The exception was Johan, because the Mets didn’t trade the farm, they trimmed the fat.
Wow, what a player and FO said to the media was not indicative of what was actually happenin in closed door meetings revolving around $100 million deals.
Shocking.
f’ing shocker actually. The entire foundation of my faith has been shaken.
Really need to write the obvious, you think?
Cards knew when they gave that big, ridiculous contract to Holliday that Pujols was coming for his and the fact that you have Vernon Wells, who was the GM then; Riccard?, making $21 million and he is nowhere the player that Pujols is just means that Cards need to bring in the Brinks Truck(S) cause this will be a massive contract, for a 31 year old.