Olde Man’s Tavern: Albert’s Place

After the holidays, the Tavern will resume its normal routine of going ballpark to ballpark to check in on some of baseball’s notable figures. While the last two weeks allowed us to relive some of the moments of 2010, it’s nice to be back into the swing of things. This week the Tavern travels to the home of the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Cardinals and MLB’s best player, Albert Pujols.

If you only mention the St. Louis Cardinals, the name of Albert Pujols will pop up. If not the first thing, one of the top three. Stan Musial and Bob Gibson may be the other two players that precede the mention of Albert.

It makes sense that this generation’s face of the franchise is usually mentioned first. After a decade of producing Hall of Fame numbers, Pujols is one of the faces for all of baseball. And he’s earned that distinction.

But if you have ever seen the musical

The Music Man

, you heard a song with the line “Oh, we’ve got trouble right here in River City, with a capital “T”… We all know the issue: Pujols is entering the final year of an 8 year, $111 million deal. For the 2011 season, Albert will make $16 million. Outside of the obvious fact he’s on the final year, he’s not the highest paid Cardinal even though he’s arguably the league’s best player. That “honor” rests with

. Holliday, a Scott Boras client, worked a deal prior to last season that will see him earn $17 million for the upcoming season.

In essence, without a new deal, Pujols would become a free agent at the end of the 2011 season. I know a ton has already been written and said on that situation. I’ll return to that shortly.

There has only been one thing that has somewhat haunted Pujols during his decade of dominance. Because of his success and excellence, “that question” is asked. You know which one I mean, too. I’m not going to ask it because to me, it shouldn’t be. It’s not like in this day and age that anyone slides by. Oh, I’m sure there could be a handful that may have found a temporary means, but I refuse to put Albert in that group. I also refuse to to think that a guy that knows he’s one the league’s top draws would be willing to risk so much solely for himself. End that discussion because I could go on all day about it.

One last thing though. Yes, I believe Albert is a natural as they come.

So, how’s that new deal going? Let’s see what has transpired since the end of the 2010 season.

Pujols and his representatives had set a deadline of spring training. After the start, no negotiations. That deadline seemed fair. Roughly four months to work this out. Surely the suits for the Cards and Pujols can have a deal completed before spring training.

We then heard the sentence you always hear, “We don’t want it to be a distraction throughout the season.” I beg to differ there. We’re not talking about just any soon-to-be free agent here, are we? This situation would be more of a distraction with no deal in place as the season wore on. Imagine this possible set of circumstances.

The Cardinals are struggling come the end of June, beginning of July. They’re 10+ games back of the division leader. The phone rings in the office of Cards GM John Mozeliak. It’s another team asking if Pujols is available for a deal. Would Mozeliak entertain an offer? Yes, it’s almost an asinine question to pose. I’m also enough of a realist to believe that the Cards would have to at least listen to what could be in play.

Don’t think for one moment that the hordes of media folk wouldn’t create a circus type atmosphere. And I do include myself and most likely many of my cohorts here in that group. You’d get the “teams that could trade for Albert” list. You’d have the “teams that could go after Pujols after the season ends” list. Then, “the teams that can afford Pujols” list. And, don’t forget the “what would the Cards want for Pujols” list.

The questions would be continually posed to Mozeliak, too. “Would you consider trading Pujols?” “Have any teams contacted you about Albert?” “Who’s contacted you about Albert?” “Is it time to just part ways with Pujols?” I could derive a list of at least thirty other questions surrounding that. A list of never ending questions about 2012 even though 2011 was only half over.

No distractions? We all know how that drill works. Here’s where I plug in the proverbial “whatever” and shake my head. If you look at it logically, it would be a distraction either way. Work on a deal throughout the season, and you will be answering questions about how the negotiations are progressing. No deal in place and you have the instances I have already brought to light. And add this one: the infamous “he said, he said” stuff. Don’t we always see those amid any contract negotiations these days?

Yes, the only player in MLB history to attain 30+ HR, 100+ RBI and hit at least .300 in his first ten seasons could jettison the only organization for which he has ever doffed an All-Star cap.

Just before the holidays hit, word came out that Pujols was looking to receive a deal comparable to the deal Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees worked out before the 2008 season. You see the numbers of that deal and you wonder how the Cards could pull off a deal like the ten year, $275 million one A-Rod got. And we just heard on Wednesday that both sides are back after the holidays to attempt to make a go of this.

What’s the likelihood that a deal can wait until after 2011? I suppose it’s fathomable. Cards skipper Tony LaRussa seems to think that’s when it could all be resolved. LaRussa stated such at last month’s winter meetings.

"“I know Albert well enough that once he gets into spring training, he doesn’t like distractions,” the Cardinals manager said Wednesday at the winter meetings. “I just know once spring training starts, Albert doesn’t get distracted by anything.”"

Hold it. So why would it be a distraction if once spring training gets underway, Albert doesn’t get distracted by anything? Were we just hornswaggled by LaRussa? And that distraction thing again.

Look, the only way Pujols is not with the Cardinals after the 2011 season is if someone fumbles. Badly. The marriage between Pujols and the Cardinals cannot end in a simple contract snafu-type divorce.