A Man's Worth

No deal was reach with Albert Pujols, 

effectively making the Cardinal slugger 

a free agent after the 2011 season.

The deadline has passed.

Cardinal fans across the country collectively held their breath, hoping the nine-time All-Star and three-time National League MVP would reach a deal, keeping him in Cardinal red for the rest of his playing days.

Instead, it looks as if Pujols will be testing the market after the 2011 season. Low-ball offers from Cardinals management were swatted away like fastballs by Pujols in what has been a month-long struggle between the two sides.

Pujols asked for a 10-year, $300 million contract – which would have made him the highest paid player in baseball. Now all fans can do is shake their heads and wonder what will happen next.
Keeping inflation in mind, if Stan Musial or Bob Gibson would have asked for a contract that size, would the Cardinals hesitate to come up with an offer? Of course not.

So why now? Why Pujols?

Understandably, Pujols is on the downhill side of his career. He has been plagued by injuries in the past and will likely suffer even more as he ages. But you can't argue with the stats.

Pound for pound, Pujols is one of the purest hitters the game has ever seen. He's a shoe-in for Cooperstown once his playing days are over, and his numbers could rival Ted Williams and Pete Rose by the time it's all said and done.

It's time to pay the man his worth.

Pujols will make $16 million this season – a relatively low figure considering he has been the face of the franchise for the last 10 years. In comparison, Alex Rodriguez is making $27.5 million in his fourth year of a 10-year contract. Both players have similar numbers since 2001 according to this article on ESPN.com.

Our grandfathers got to watch Stan the Man play in one uniform throughout his career. Our fathers got to see Gibson hurl from the mound in St. Louis throughout his career. Why can't our generation enjoy watching Albert blast bombs into Big Mac Land for the rest of his career?

Come on, John Mozeliak and the DeWitt family. Give the man his just pay and keep him in St. Louis – or risk losing a large portion of your fan base. St. Louis fans are smart, and with a new ballpark it might be hard to fill those seats if the Cardinals lose one of the most beloved players in the team's history.