(Image Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
BY CASEY RIGGEN
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The St. Louis Cardinals' star, Albert Pujols, may not be joining the team after this season. Pujols reportedly wants a contract in the neighborhood of 10 years $300 million. However, the Cardinals couldn't meet Pujols' desired contract, and will have one more meeting with the slugger on Wednesday. According to a reporter from USA Today who talked to St. Louis' KSDK, the Cardinals need to negotiate with Pujols, or they may lose him.
“...the Cardinals have to negotiate, but they cannot insult Pujols and that is a fine line. Because, if $300 million is his insult level, and you're not going to give it to him, then you've already insulted him.”
Other media outlets are comparing what Pujols desired deal to that of Alex Rodriguez's 10 year $275 million contract with the New York Yankees in 2007. But according to a writer for the Wall Street Journal, the statistics show that Pujols deserves more.
“Mr. Pujols has averaged 8.1 Wins Above Replacement per year, a metric that encompasses a player's total value at the plate and in the field. This puts him essentially even with the pace Alex Rodriguez had set at the same point in his career...Given his performance to date, Mr. Pujols deserves to be the highest-paid player in baseball history.”
If the Cardinals and Pujols were to agree on the reported 10-year deal, Pujols would be 41 years old at the end of the contract. A reporter for Fox Sports says, Pujols good years may have already been played.
“The reality is this, the best years of Albert Pujols are probably the 10 that he already had. The next 10 don't figure to be as good, even though, right now, he is as productive as there is in baseball.”
In order to limit distractions for the Cardinals, Pujols has said that if a deal is not made by Wednesday, there won't be any negotiation talk until after the season. However, former MLB player and ESPN baseball analyst, Nomar Garciaparra, says that even though there may not be any negotiating during the season, the distractions will still linger in the clubhouse.
“Well, it will be very difficult, because it's definitely going to hover over them, from spring training all the way through the season if he's not signed. Arguably the best player in all of baseball, and he's not signed to a long-term contract, and you're going to let him go and test the free agency market.”
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