Albert Pujols set a deadline of noon Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011, for he and the Cardinals to finalize a contract extension. The deadline passed without a deal. Pujols' current contract ends after the 2011 season.
JUPITER — The St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols, arguably the best player in the game, could not come up with a deal for a new contract Wednesday, meaning the face of the Cardinals' franchise could be wearing a different uniform next season.
The Cardinals said they were satisfied they made their best attempt to extend Pujols' contract, while the player's side said a deal couldn't be reached because a "difference of opinion in determining Albert's value simply could not be resolved."
"We are greatly disappointed at the outcome of the negotiations," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt said. "Albert is a great Cardinal, he's an iconic player and we've made every effort to extend this contract."
Pujols, 31, in the last year of his contract, set a noon Wednesday deadline to finalize a deal. He vowed to cut off contract talks once spring training started to avoid being a distraction to the team. Pujols, who was unavailable for comment, is expected to arrive at the Cardinals' spring training complex at Roger Dean Stadium Thursday, two days before the first full squad workout.
The three-time MVP is reportedly seeking a 10-year deal for around $30 million per year, which would surpass Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $275 million ($27.5 million per year) as the largest contract in baseball history. Although some reports had the Cardinals offering eight years for $200 million ($25 million per year), the Cardinals' and Pujols' camps have agreed not to discuss specifics of the negotiations.
Now the two sides will wait for close to nine months to see what the market is for the most dominating hitter in the game for the last decade.
"Once he's in the free agent market you can then weigh the market versus where we are," Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said. "I think that's probably one thing he wants to see. It will give him the idea of what other teams are valuing him at."
Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, released a statement Wednesday that read in part:
"At the beginning of this process, Albert decided a timetable needed to be established in which we would negotiate. We exchanged proposals with the Cardinals during that time. While both parties were hopeful that an agreement could be reached, a difference of opinion in determining Albert's value simply could not be resolved."
The Cardinals made one offer in early January before the two sides started countering. DeWitt said those counter-offers "contained other things" that could be part of the contract.
"There were exploratory discussions about modifying that (offer)," DeWitt said. "They were lengthy and they were in depth."
While the Cardinals said they will adhere to Pujols' wishes to avoid negotiations during the season, they said they are "open for business" if Pujols changes his mind and chooses to negotiate.
"I don't think any bridges were burned," Mozeliak said.
The Cardinals will have an exclusive window from the time their season ends until five days following the end of the World Series to negotiate with Pujols. If a deal is not reached then, Pujols becomes a free agent. Pujols has said in the past he wants to remain a Cardinal for the rest of his career.
Lozano said that the expiration deadline "does not eliminate the possibility of Albert returning to the Cardinals in 2012."
Pujols is in the final season of a seven-year, $100 million deal, a contract that, as it turned out, was a bargain for a player who is a .331 career hitter, has averaged 41 homers and 123 RBI and is the only player in major league history to hit 30 or more home runs in his first 10 seasons.
DeWitt was asked if he thought it were risky allowing Pujols to possibly enter free agency.
"It's hard to speculate what the open market is because there's 30 teams in major league baseball and it only takes one to do something that maybe is beyond what all the other clubs might be willing to do," he said.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, insist Pujols' status will not become a distraction.
"Albert's the best player in baseball," second baseman Skip Schumaker said. "I don't think there's a better guy for us to have on the team. He's the face of the franchise. You respect both sides of it. You respect what the Cardinals are doing, you respect the management and what Albert's agent is doing."
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