They're cribbing from our posts again:

Pujols inches closer to 30-100-.300

BY DERRICK GOOLD • dgoold@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8285 |

Posted: Sunday, September 4, 2011 12:35


Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_654ba15e-a00b-5985-be4d-8a1957dd3b16.html#ixzz1WytUQDRa

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_654ba15e-a00b-5985-be4d-8a1957dd3b16.html

All those Dps killed his RBIs.

HR/RBI/R/BA

35/92/94/.298

This is gonna be a GREAT September!

What contract terms would you offer him?

Max wrote:

Same thing I would have offered him last year: $150/5, with performance triggered options for another 5 years at $30 million per . . . but this year with a "pretty please with sugar on it."

I wouldnt go quite that high.  125/5-135/5 is the range I would sit at.  That is inbetween Arod and Howard.  If he walked I would feel like the Cardinals made an honest effort at that price.  With Howard getting 125/5 I think it sets the bar for a starting poiint.

Well, who was that in the booth who just answered without a blink, "No" Pujols will not be a Cardinal next season?  I think he was right, that the Cards ownership group is a very savvy bunch of business minded people, and they aren't going to pay Pujols more than they reckon will be a good business move.  So, my brain tells me that we have been set up over the past few years to see Pujols walk away and sign somewhere else.  The only thing I think that can save it will be something splashy, as I said last year, and I don't think $135/5 gets it done. 

So, what I would do is offer enough to keep him a Cardinal, but with the lowest guaranteed payday. I think the only thing splashy enough to keep Pujols is $150/5, but that's just my hunch.  In any case, I doubt DeWitt does that, and I tend to agree with the guy in the booth, Pujols won't be a Cardinal next year.

Last edited by Max (9/18/2011 9:21 pm)

Berkman is on record to have said that he is willing to return to the Cardinals on a one term deal.  The hold up tot hat is that he wants paid what he is worth.  This year he is being paid 8 million.  I would say based off his production in 2011 he is worth 12million. 

I am unsure of the 5 years on Pujols.  I think it is fair.  I think the Pujols contract will come down to if another teamis willing to pay over a reasonable amount.  I think th Cardinals are willing to pay market value.

I'll tell you the amount of "fabricated horseshit" that I'm starting to hear from the common fan about Pujols contract is becoming silly.

I heard one person this weekend try to tell me that Pujols wanted 250 million for 10 years. The "reason" the deal didn't go through is because the Cardinals offered him 250 million for 7/8 years instead.....

I'm pretty sure I need to stop going to the sports bar, the conversation is going to get me in a fight.

"If the story is true, the Cardinals' offer was about $22M per year.  Depending on how close Pujols' demand was to $230M, they may not have been that far off."

Looking at it optimistically, I don't think the Cardinals will let Pujols walk when they're apart by a million dollars a year, and I believe Pujols when he says he wants to stay in St. Louis.
The day after the season ends, if I'm DeWitt, I call Albert into my office and say "I'm willing to split the difference if you're willing to sign this piece of paper."

"Fantastic read fors, and I will say that if they are really that close, maybe we'll get the break. Is it wrong that I don't want the Cardinals in Post-season just so they can sit down with Albert and punch this thing out?"

I've thought that as well, but having made it this close, I still think Pujols tries the free agent market--if for no other reason than to see what his market value really is. 

I think this is going to play out very similar to the Cliff Lee deal, with Pujols turning down a contract worth more money and maybe even more years to return to St. Louis.  But both he and his agent are smart enough to know the presence of another offer forces the Cardinals to maximize their offer, and I think that's exactly what they hope to do.


"Can they sign him for 9 Years//207 million (23 Mil a season) or maybe have to up it to 216 (24 mil a season)?"

I suspect the Pujols camp would accept that, but I also suspect the Cardinal camp is looking to shave a year off of their offer as well.  If they were willing to offer 9 guaranteed, then I suspect they'll be offering 8.  Having said that, it certainly seems there's room to bridge the differences.  Between deferred money, front loading the contract, and maybe making the 9th year an option, you'd think the parties could find middle ground. 

Of course, there's always the possibility to some team steps forward and makes an offer way over market value.  There's rumors that Florida may try to make a splash for their new stadium.  Personally, I don't think it makes much sense because unless they think Pujols instantly makes them better than Philadelphia and/or Atlanta, I doubt that the Marlins fans are going to fill the stadium day-in and day-out to watch Pujols play out a long term deal.  Even if he approaches all of the milestones you think he will approach, the attendance boost will be isolated unless the team is winning.  Sure, people would come to see him hit #700, but if the team isn't very good, will anyone be there to see him hit #672?  That would be a lot of money to hand out to watch a player reach an occasional milestone (and there's no guarantee he doesn't reach those milestones on the road, assuming he reaches them at all).

Last edited by forsberg_us (9/19/2011 4:32 pm)

Three more RBI's and a run until AP hits 30/100/100/.300

What a great job by Pujols to end up with that line after that start....

From my vantage point, of a tree in the middle of the forest in Sulawesi: Go Cards, Go Pujols!!!