Cards, Pujols Digging In

Today, Albert Pujols walked into training camp without a contract extension. Do I have a problem with this? Absolutely not.

The Cardinals are smart not to give in to the little voice of the fan in their heads, telling them to pay Pujols what he wants. Pujols is smart not to settle for what the Cardinals may be offering as a result of them not giving in. Obviously, whatever offer has been made is not what Pujols is looking for, but both sides are playing this as they should.

There is no question that Albert Pujols has been the greatest player in baseball for the past decade. The numbers and the production are irrefutable. This is exactly why Pujols needs to test the market. If the Cardinals are not willing to pony up the cash to sign Pujols to a huge deal, then somebody else will be. There are teams that are that desperate, teams that would jump at grabbing the best player in the game no matter what the cost. Pujols has done his job, and in fact, has gone above and beyond in doing it, so it's safe to say the man has earned his paycheck, as well as a significant raise.

But how much of a raise? Enough to make him the highest paid player in baseball? I believe not. Dollar values on contracts should not be indicative of a player's performance. A contract that size would be based solely on what Pujols has done to this point, without taking into consideration what he will do. It's careless and impulsive. This is exactly why the Cardinals need to be patient. No player is worth $30 million. In fact, if you ask me, no player is even worth $20 million. I think the contracts for players like Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Joe Mauer, Cliff Lee, and others are outrageous. Pujols should not be looped into this category, but he undoubtedly will be. No matter what is decided between the two sides, Pujols will be overpaid when he gets his new contract, just like the aforementioned players were overpaid. It's just a matter of how much. And that's why I don't have a problem with him not having an extension right now. If teams are smart and wait him out, the price will come down. It's simple. The Cardinals realize this, and have acted accordingly.

I don't take sides here because I think both sides are handling this as they need to, given the arguments and the circumstances. But you know who really benefits from all this? The St. Louis Cardinals, on the field. Why? Because in 2011, Albert Pujols may have his best season yet. That's a scary thought, considering what he's already shown us he can do. If you're skeptical, just think about Pujols' motivations: a championship-caliber team; a chip on his shoulder from getting shunned by the Cards before this latest deadline; a burden to prove yet again what he thinks he's worth, both during the regular season and in the playoffs; a potential huge contract in free agency. Are you kidding me? If you're any other team in the NL Central right now, you can't be liking the fact that Pujols isn't signing on the dotted line yet. He will continue to dazzle in 2011, and will bring the Cards another division championship. But the price tag.....