Oh yeah, and if you're a RHP, just drill Rasmus and take your chances.

He's presently sporting an OPS of over 1.200. He's 0-11 with 7 Ks against LHP. So he's putting up an OPS of a shade over 1.600 againt RHP.

If you throw like a normal person, do NOT pitch him inside. I'd also recommend not pitching him down either. Try hard stuff up and away and if you must change his eye-angle, make sure any breaking ball you throw us buried in the dirt. If you're going to come inside, it needs to be at least 6 inches off the plate and again, should probably be in the dirt.

If Albert wants to get paid better than A-Rod, he's going to have to go to Boston to get it.

Look - you cannot compare what Yankees players make to what the rest of baseball makes. There is a Yankee premium that any other team in baseball simply cannot afford to match.

Albert at 7 and $160 is fair for all parties. Howard's annual value is higher, but if anyone thinks he'll be getting $35 million in years 6 and 7 of whatever deal he signs after that one, they're crazy. Those 2 extra years at $23 million/per make a major difference.

Yeah, he could probably get more if he goes to Boston, but there's never been a question that the Cardinals couldn't afford to keep him if he went for the last nickle.

We shall see.

I still can't really see a 10 year contract at very large annual salaries being out these days by a team. Not even sure if the Sox we be in for something like 10 for $300M.

Still is is pretty likely that he will top the annual value of A-Rod's deal.

Yes, I don't see a $300 million contract but something like $26 million a year for 7-8 years and $180 million total.

Something under 180M for 7 or 8 years would be very nice. That is basically the Teixeria contract which hurts a little as a benchmark but it was given during an offseason where the Yankees were in full FA spend mode. Fortunately, Tex should keep the Yankees far away from Pujols unless Tex has a significant injury or they are somehow able to offload his contract without eating much.

Agreed 100%

Best player in baseball

I'm probably talking out of my azz here, again...But the $$$ to sign #5 will be
almost impossable to our ownership group. What if the ownership group
worked some package that gave Albert a certain percentage of the ownership of the team ? Albert must have all the $$$ he could ever want or
dream of already (almost). I currently don't know what the value of the Cardinals are, Millions/Billions/Buehller/ anyone ?

Would this type of contract be unprecidented in todays sports world ? Probably, but a talent like #5 doesn't come around that often.

It could set the sports world on its head.

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Am I smoking crack here ?

It would show to ALbert that he is one of the chosen people of STL. He would/could be at all the home openers and he would then take the place of Stan the Man once Stan passes on...Albert would then be the rock of STL. much like Stan the man has been for the last few DECADES.

It wouldn't be unprecedented; the Penguins did it with Lemieux about a decade ago and it's probably the reason KC doesn't have a Stanley Cup contender at the Sprint Center right now.

It would, however, be against the CBA if my memory serves. I don't believe teams are allowed to offer ownership in the club as compensation under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Ultimately it will probably come down to the Cardinals going to Albert with their budget. "Albert, we can give you 7 years @ $28 million per. However, that puts our payroll at about $120 million and we can really only carry $110 million. So we'll gladly give you that figure, but remember that Yadi comes due for an extension soon, Wainwright comes due, Skip comes due and we already had to let Ludwick skate to afford even this much. The ball's in your court"

It may be blind faith in AP here, but I believe that if you approach him with a concession that you'll pay whatever you need to keep him here (addressing the ego and 'respect' arguments), but that it will come at the expense of his ultimate pursuit - championships - that he'll ultimately take a fair amount less to sign.

We shall see.

Don't hold me to this but.....I read about this at one point when Pujols contract talks came up. I think there is some rule about deferred payment or promise of payment after retirement. I think there is a limit on how much can be deferred. Say a million or two at the most.

I also think their is a rule about players playing on teams that they own? Some rule from the connie mack era or something.

Jason Stark was on Petro this afternoon saying its going to take $30 million a year to sign Pujols in St. Louis and more than that if he goes elsewhere.

If there is a rule on deferred compensation, it's Bobby Bonilla's fault.

The Mets are paying that guy something like $2 million/season for another decade or so because of that awful contract they gave him in the mid 90's.

Stark also has very little insight on baseball away from the east coast.

Look through his archives, it's amazing how little he actually knows about flyover country baseball. He's not Jon Heyman or anything (who is nothing but a Boras mouthpiece), but he's consistently wrong about almost everything away from the handful of big market clubs he seems to have sources with.

I don't trust anything Stark says if it's not Philly, NY, Bos or occasionally LA related. He just doesn't seem to have any connections outside of those organizations.

Realistically we are not the Yankees and can't keep all that talent. We have more talent on ourr team now than we can afford because we signed them to long term deals eariler in their career. see Pujols, Yadi, Waino etc.

I don't think you go to Albert and say we can't win unless you take less money. But its an obvious fact we can't pay Yankee money and keep him either.

Surely someone knows the rule for sure? anyone? Bueller...Bueller...