Albert Pujols Talks About St. Louis
"“There’s nothing bitter about it,” he said. “It’s tough that it didn’t work out. It happens. I wasn’t the first one it happens to do. It happened to Miguel Cabrera. It happened to Alex Rodriguez. It happened to Ken Griffey Jr. It happens to many players who play this game: At some time, they move along. “I think the only thing I’m bitter about is the way the front office handled it a little bit. I think they should have handled it a little better. I’m bitter about that. They tried to make me look like I was a bad guy. But that’s OK. I’m a big boy. Besides that, I also understand there’s nothing I can do. Even if I could take it back, I’m happy where I am right now. My goal is to focus and concentrate on what I need to do to help this ballclub win.” So what, exactly, did the Cardinals’ front office do? “It’s something I don’t want to talk about,” he said. “They know what they did. I don’t need to talk about that.”"
Who are you going to hurt Albert? In case you haven’t notice in Los Angeles, the Cardinals are tied for the best record in baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates (that’s very weird to say). Regardless of what happened in the past, the Cardinals are set up for the present and the future. Are the Cardinals perfect? No. Do I think they lowballed Pujols and made him look like a bad guy? No. The Cardinals front office’s job is to do what’s best for the St. Louis Cardinals. Not to please or succomb to Albert Pujols’s demands. What about your agent’s demand that the Cardinals pay Pujols $30 million dollars a year for 10 years? You knew going into negotiations that the Cardinals were willing to award you generously for your services. You felt insulted at the Cardinals initial offered a 5 year, $130 million dollar contract ($26 million/year)? You’re making less per year with the Angels. Come on man.
Albert Pujols talked about coming back to the Cardinals, sort of:
"The appreciation in Pujols’ voice was deep as he spoke about the memories, which begged an obvious question: Thirty years from now, does he want to be the resident Hall of Famer in the Cardinals’ clubhouse? “I’ll be here in Anaheim,” he said matter-of-factly, as if to remind me that his deal with the Angels includes a 10-year personal services contract after he retires. Then he backpedaled a little. That is the archway he cannot bear to close. “I don’t know,” he continued. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen. If we’re alive by then, we can talk about it. It’ll be a different conversation. I don’t want to talk about that right now.”"
Part of the $254 million dollar contract was to essentially be an ambassador for the Los Angeles Angels. Unless his career with the Angels absolutely tanks, I doubt he is going to pass on getting an additional salary for 10 more years. This begs the question; if Albert Pujols is elected into the Hall of Fame, what cap should he wear? The Cardinals aren’t likely to be inviting him back anytime soon and I doubt Cardinals fans would be okay with a statue of Pujols outside of Busch Stadium when he didn’t finish his career with the team.