Sides silent as deadline nears for Pujols, Cards
Negotiations between Albert Pujols(notes) and the St. Louis Cardinals were quiet again Tuesday, more than 10 days since the club’s most recent – and possibly final – offer before the player reaches free agency.
The sides probably have too much ground to cover in order to reach an agreement by Wednesday’s noon ET deadline and have no official plans to speak before then.
Meantime, speaking on the subject of a report the Cardinals had indeed made an offer Tuesday, a source close to the Pujols camp said such a claim was, “Inaccurate, reckless and outrageous.”
Pujols is believed to be seeking about $275 million over 10 years, or something close to the contract Alex Rodriguez(notes), the highest-paid player in history, signed with the New York Yankees three years ago.
While Pujols will not reach free agency until after the 2011 season, he set the deadline in order to eliminate the distraction of contract negotiations during the season.
If the Cardinals and Pujols are unable to reach an agreement by the deadline, it is possible the club would attempt to approach Pujols again during the season.
