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If longtime Cardinals nemesis Roy Oswalt is in fact headed to St. Louis on a modest one-year deal, it not only gives the Cards three of the best players from the 2004 Astros team it beat in the NLCS, but also provides the team with a low-risk, high-reward bet. If Oswalt gets hurt or flames out, it wouldn’t cost much. If he stays relatively healthy and pitches like he has the past few years, he’s a clear upgrade.

This is the type of move a team in the Cardinals’ financial situation should be making. It’s shrewd bargain shopping for John Mozeliak, who must realize any small improvement could make the difference in a division that figures to be a tight race between the Cardinals, Reds and Brewers.

But just for fun, let’s step out of the realistic world for a moment. What if the Cardinals weren’t limited to the Roy Oswalts of the world? What if they could grab any player on any MLB team without giving up anything in return? In this scenario, whom should they choose?

Before we get into it, a few important stipulations: 1) The player comes attached to his current contract; 2) To make things more interesting, let’s say Bill DeWitt has agreed to let you take on any contract, regardless of length or financial commitment; but 3) That’s a one-shot deal and doesn’t mean your entire budget is unlimited. In other words, the more you spend on this player, the less you have to address other needs.

As I see it, here are the main issues to consider, in no particular order:

• Fit: Perhaps you’re of the mind to simply grab the best player, but you also might consider what the organization’s biggest needs are. If you need a refresher on the Cardinals’ current depth chart and minor league system, check out this handy roster matrix.
• Age: If the idea is a long-term asset, a player already in his 30s obviously makes little sense.
• Ability: In the case of a very young player, how do you think he will develop? In the case of an older one, how gracefully will he age?
• Contract: Ideally, you don’t want one that eventually will become an albatross or prevent you from signing other players. But it also wouldn’t be wise to select someone who is close to free agency.

For your convenience, I came up with a list of players who could fit. It’s a mix of big stars and young, cheap players with big potential. Some of them are definitely big stretches for a variety of reasons, but I tried to be comprehensive. Check it out.

Now that you know what we’re working with here, it’s time for some tough choices. Considering all factors, my personal preference is for a young player who either has several years of team control left or is signed to a team-friendly long-term contract. In this scenario, I would prefer a position player (less risk) and one who plays a premium defensive position.

But what do you prefer? Let’s put it to a vote. Remember, the player comes with his contract!

In this poll, I’ve included several of my top choices, plus some other high-profile names I think will make for good debate. Please explain your reasoning in the comments, particularly if you choose, “Other.” I’ll be back next week to look at and discuss the results.

New Year’s resolutions typically fall into the same category as making your bed every morning – tremendous wastes of time.  By the time December 31st rolls around, how many people even can recall all the resolutions they made?  Instead of focusing on that marathon you never really intend to run, the 20 pounds you won’t make the effort to lose, or the extra effort you say you will put into charity work, try something a bit more reasonable for once.  Limit you goals.  Set the bar low.  Try to focus all of your psychic energies on a single area of interest.  I suggest baseball.  Go ahead and read the resolutions below and think about how they each compare to working up to that half marathon or feeling guilty about that new gym membership you won’t really use.  Go ahead.  I’ll wait.

1. I resolve to stop verbally battering the BBWAA members for failing to vote specific players into Cooperstown.  I totally understand why voters want to penalize players for admitted or alleged PED use.  After all, that’s why there is a “character clause” which can be wielded on a selective basis.  Perhaps they should even undertake a great crusade to purge the hall of wife beaters, amphetamine users, alcoholics, and just plain mean people who didn’t do nice things.  The only exception to this resolution is anything that concerns Tony Womack.  If you haven’t already listened to episode 10 of the PH8 podcast, please do so.  I fully explained during the podcast the repercussions of a voter casting a ballot with Womack’s name checked.  Let’s just say it involves stepping on someone’s soul and leave it at that.
2. I resolve to no longer complain about the length of baseball games.  One of the beautiful things about baseball is that there is no game clock that counts down for a last second penultimate shot.  There are no games decided by a place kicker wearing a flawlessly clean uniform.  Instead, there are guys stepping in/out of the batter’s box over and over again to repeat their OCD rituals that involve batting gloves, velcro, and chickens.  That’s good for the game, right?  At the very least, it’s probably good for concession sales, and that’s the really important thing.  Instead of complaining about the overall length of the games, it seems sensible to suggest a few ideas that might reduce the “groan factor” at games. Eliminate the fake-to-3B-throw-to-1B pickoff move.  It’s an obvious attempt to deceive at least 1 runner, so stop acting like it isn’t.  Permit 1 catcher visit to the mound per pitcher.  Finally, hold an annual preseason meeting hosted by Greg Maddux, and allow him to explain the importance of the sub-150 minute game.
3. I resolve to stop criticizing people who spell “Jon Jay” as “John Jay”, unless they are professional writers.  In that case, it is completely appropriate to haze them from afar on Twitter.
4. I resolve to limit “Beltran Caught Looking” references to no more than 1 per day.  However, it would still be great to see his locker nameplate between “Wainwright” and “Freese”.
5. I resolve to greatly reduce the amount of vitriol I direct at Ryan Braun until his case has been fully reviewed by MLB.  As a fan of baseball, I do not rejoice at the thought of any MVP caught using a banned substance.  On the other hand, it shows that baseball’s drug testing program is working to some degree, and that is definitely a good thing.  In this case, the issue is much bigger than Braun himself.  It impacts his teammates, and it certainly casts some doubts about team success enjoyed by the Brewers in 2011.  That is truly a shame, because that kind of thinking tends to take something away from the efforts of others.
6. I resolve to respect the Cubs at least marginally more than in previous years.  If the organization gets truly serious about clearing out payroll, then they could be a forced to be reckoned with in the coming years.  While competitive baseball is a wonderful thing, a stronger division isn’t necessarily good news for the Cardinals, especially when you consider that the Astros are headed to the American League.
7. I resolve to significantly limit my complaints about Rafael Furcal batting 1st or 2nd in the lineup.  Sure, his .316 OBP with the Cardinals in 2011 was 6 points below Tyler Greene‘s OBP, but surely Furcal will add extra value as a switch-hitter.  Right?  It’s not like it would be better to have Jon Jay in the leadoff spot.  He only had a .382 OBP in 2011 when hitting leadoff, so putting someone else in that spot makes total sense.  Right?
8. I resolve to abstain from rejoicing any time Albert Pujols performs poorly.
9. I resolve to abstain from rejoicing any time Albert Pujols performs well.
10. I resolve to have more faith in John Mozeliak than ever.  He took a team that was not built for success, and he managed to restructure it just in time for a playoff run.  He avoided any temptation to trade top prospects, and he made excellent choices when it came to the “rentals” like Edwin Jackson.  Until he proves otherwise, I have to believe that he is the best man for the job.

REMINDER:  Nobody really cares about your fantasy league team.

TIDBIT:  I was fortunate last year to receive the United Cardinal Bloggers award for “Top Twitterer”.  I’d be remiss for not thanking my fellow bloggers and the UCB for being so good to me.  I’m both honored and humbled by the feedback and recognition.

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter to see if I actually keep any of my Redbird Resolutions!

Carlos Beltran's Cardinal Jersey

Rumor has it that Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal have already made a determination about which player will wear the #15 jersey in 2012.  Technically, Beltran has the rightful claim as a function of his MLB tenure, but it is customary for the incoming player to come to some sort of sordid agreement with the player already in possession of the number he wishes to wear.  From what I have heard, Furcal agreed to turn over #15 in exchange for a $50 gift card to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a copy of the 2011 World Series DVD Set from A&E Home Entertainment, and a signed Adam Wainwright rookie card.  I’ve also been able to obtain an exclusive preview from an anonymous “mystery team employee” of the jersey Beltran will wear for home games next season (pictured above).

Carlos Beltran Answering Questions About Stl

Shortly after signing a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, Carlos Beltran found himself surrouned by members of the media outside his favorite manscaping service provider.  When asked about his knowledge of St. Louis, the Cardinal organization, and his ability to actually locate the city on a map, Carlos was speechless and could only manage to reply with the “Beltran Face”. 

Fantasy League Champion

 During this offseason, Beltran was honored by the Basement Baseball Warriors Association of America (BBWAA) for his achievements off the field in the area of Fantasy Baseball.  When asked to provide advice to other basement warriors about how to win their fantasy league teams, Beltran declined to dole out any specific tips.  When pressed for more information, Beltran did suggest that fantasy team owners should consider moving Beltran himself up their draft sheets.  When asked to justify that recommendation, Beltran did mention that Adam Wainwright is a fantasy guru and that Wainwright has owned him for years.

Beltran Showing Off His "Oh" Face

 As a preview of what fans in St. Louis can expect to see during the next 2 years.  The above picture captures Beltran making his famous “Oh” face.  This is his signature move whenever he hits a ground-rule double…..or someone steals his stapler.

TIDBIT:  Don’t misunderstand me here.  I’m fine with Beltran in St. Louis.  As a matter of fact, I’d like to see the Cardinals commemorate the signing by selling Cardinal Clocks that freeze for a split second when the big hand reaches the “12″ and the little hand reaches the “6″.  Also, his nameplate would look great on a locker between “Wainwright” and “Freese”. 

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter for more non-words!

TheRiot and his lightsaber

Ryan Theriot has been non-tendered.  In non-baseball language, that means he wasn’t invited to play in the same sandbox next year.  I plan on wearing a pair of jorts at the home opener in his honor.  It’s not that he wasn’t good, either.  It’s just that his ability to catch and throw the round thing on the field offset his ability to slap that same round thing with a wooden implement.  I just can’t get sad about the fact he has been let go.  Besides, there is more important news today.

Sources are indicating that the Cardinals have come to terms with Skip Schumaker, although the details of the 2 year contract have not yet been announced.  I fully realize that not all Cardinal fans like Skip while some are huge Schumaker fans.  I’m not exactly running out to join his fan club, but I have no issues with the team signing him for another 2 years.  He’s worth it.  Consider the following: 

• Skip will only be signed through his age 33 season.  Just consider some of the available free agents who can play 2B: Andres Blanco (28), Orlando Cabrera (37), Alex Cora (36), Craig Counsell (41), Bill Hall (32), Jeff Keppinger (32), Felipe Lopez (doesn’t matter), Jose Lopez (28), Aaron Miles (35), Nick Punto (34), and Wil Rhymes (29).  Considering the position flexibility he provides as a 2B/OF combo player, I think I’d take him over most of the other free agents.
• The Cardinals avoid Skip’s last arbitration eligible year.
• If the deal is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 years for $5.6M, then the team won’t be paying much more than the $2.75M they paid him for 2011.
• He’s a really solid guy in RF, and his presence helps the Cardinals avoid some worries at that position.  Until Allen Craig is 100% and can be an everyday outfielder, Skip is a nice option to have.  After Craig is 100% healthy, Schumaker is a really good 4th outfielder.
• Skip also adds on to the depth chart at 2B.  If Freese needs a day off, Descalso can play 3B, and Skip can play 2B. 
• Although his numbers have been slightly down the last 2 seasons, he’s still a .290 career hitter with a .346 OBP.  The Cardinals could do worse, especially when you think of Skip as mostly a super-sub.
• He’s “scrappy”.
• This gives Skip 2 more years to work on perfecting the head first slide at 1st base. 
• There is always a chance that Skip will take the mound and lower his career 18.00 ERA, although it’s likely that his 18.0 strikeouts-to-walk ratio will come down a tad.

TIDBIT:  I feel confident stating that some team will sign Ryan Theriot.  There is always a demand for guys who can completely offset their offense with their defense (0.0 WAR in 2011). 

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter for tips on copying the head first slide into a base!

To put it mildly, nothing about this past week has gone as planned. The Winter Meetings turned red hot in a hurry and left every St. Louis fan with a No. 5-sized hole. Now the challenge of moving on without an icon is real, and the only positive comes in watching a new league trying to figure AP out.

Many questions face the Cardinals going forward, but one fewer decision remains after bringing back shortstop Rafael Furcal. While that situation warrants another story on a different day, it does eliminate virtually any chance that John Mozeliak trades for middle infield help.

And honestly, it was always far-fetched to think that dealing Shelby Miller was a wise path to take for the World Champions.

After receiving exactly zero responses, it just goes to show how far the minor league system has come and how good the Cards’ front office has been. While Miller is the unquestioned star, both Memphis and Springfield will be loaded during the 2012 campaign.

To complete this exercise, it really became a ‘what-if’ scenario that had many flaws. Now does not seem like the right time to make a rush decision, but the opportunities will present themselves. And as it turns out, very few players are complete enough to warrant a deal that changes the organization.

Matt Holliday proves the point only because the prospect dealt was blocked at the highest level. No matter how many good or great pitchers you have, very few instances will dictate sending your potential future ace to another club.  If you were the Cubs, for instance, trying to get a title may be one example.

St. Louis will recover right away by sharing the wealth and building a stronger 25-man roster. They also need to replace Jeff Luhnow and prepare for what is sure to be an eventful Draft next June.

But to most fans, the only thing that will matter is how the defending champs rebound next season. There are options out there, many of which are sure to garner attention over the coming weeks. Most are not flashy names, but then again the Birds on the Bat already have a strong nucleus in place.

Originally my goal before XMas was to show just what Miller and Matt Adams might grab on the open market. It was brought about after Nick and I enjoyed some friendly banter here but has also caused a change of heart you could say.

The Holliday deal was needed as was shipping out Rasmus. Normally it is the view of this scribe that most trades favor the team receiving the prospects. While that could just be a product of watching many TLR teams, it may very well come down to the players.

Both 2011 Minor League Players of the Year present a special case and an even bigger part of the puzzle after this tough week. Granted neither one has played an inning above Double A, it still doesn’t take much to envision a September call-up to introduce the future.

The fans have spoken and for once in my life I have no argument. Miller and Adams deserve to get their opportunity to take the franchise to the next level, and they will definitely have plenty of support in doing just that.

For now much of Cardinal Nation may be seeing red, but come spring a new wave will bring this era right back on top where St. Louis belongs.

It’s official.  Albert Pujols has just signed a mega-contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim California, USA.  Reportedly, the contract is for something like 10 years and $250-260M.  Huzzah!

Since there will be a veritable rat race to bring the factual news to the masses, I’m opting for a more subtle approach.  I’m going to give you nothing but speculation and nonsense, because that’s exactly what this occasion needs.

20 Reasons Albert Chose The Angels:

1. The cost of rebranding his restaurant, Pujols Five, to “Not Pujols Five” was far less than originally projected.
2. He has officially broken off his longtime bromance with Yadier Molina, although the two have apparently agreed to Skype one another once a week. 
3. The Marlins refused to rename their new stadium “Jurassic Park” which Pujols suggested after actually learning of the park’s dimensions.  The Angels have agreed to rename their stadium “The Can“.  Once Pujols starts playing with the Angels, his home games will simply be referred to as “Prince Albert in a Can“.
4. Dan Lozano could no longer keep a straight face when referring to a “mystery team” involved in the negotiations.  Lozano kept suggesting names like the Expos, Lakers, Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Generals, Manchester United, Dolphins, Buffalo Bison, and the Bad News Bears.
5. Albert felt an urgency to sign quickly after nearly getting injured trying to pass through Lozano’s entourage of courtesans. (Yes, I went THERE!)
6. Albert confided to a close friend that the offer from St. Louis seemed much more lucrative when converted to the Sao Tome Dobra currency.  (3,660,286,210,134.00 Dobras = $200,000,000 US)  Unfortunately, it turns out that Disney Dollars are far more valuable than the Dobra.
7. Team Pujols re-evaluated the cost of moving his family, their home, all of his trophies, and approximately 3,000,000 Cardinal fans to South Beach and decided the move was cost prohibitive. 
8. Marlins would not include a contract stipulation that would require Marlins fans at home games to applaud all fly balls that leave the infield.
9. Without a no trade clause, there was no guarantee that Pujols would still be in Miami to co-star in the next “Bad Boys” movie.
10. Lozano recently learned that the “Florida Keys” are not actually home to singer Alicia Keys, so all bets were off immediately.
11. As a man quickly nearing his 50′s, he decided that a timeshare in Cali sounded pretty darn good.
12. His family simply couldn’t find a 15,000 square foot mansion on the water in St. Louis County that came equipped with both an indoor batting cage and a privacy fence tall enough to prevent neighbors from seeing Albert walk around the back yard in his Superman outfit.
13. The distance between Missouri and the Dominican Republic was just too much to take, and boy were his arms tired from flying between the two.  To appease Pujols, the Angels have agreed to move the Dominican Republic to just west of Baja.
14. The Angels offered a much better hovercraft for commutes to games.
15. The Angels have also agreed to move training camp to Albert’s house for the next 5 years.
16. Pujols has decided to become a 2 sport star, and his contract includes $5M/year from the Lakers. 
17. Researchers discovered Albert’s original birth certificate, and they determined that he was actually born in Hawaii and is conveniently the same age as President Barack Obama.  He simply wanted to be closer to “his roots”.
18. Albert’s family collectively decided that the name “Miami Marlins” reminds them of “M&Ms”, and they much prefer Snickers. 
19. Albert has decided to play the next 10 seasons as a left-handed hitter in an attempt to break even more records than he already has.  The Angels are fine with this, and they have instituted a lineup position named “full-time DH, mang”.
20. The city of Anaheim has agreed to rename “October” to “Mangtober” in Albert’s honor.

5 Reasons Why Albert Should Hire A New Agent:

1. Dan Lozano’s suggestion that Albert’s new walkup music include the lyrics “Bow chicka wow wow” seems completely inappropriate and misaligned with Albert’s wholesome image.
2. Scott Boras would have made a complete 3 DVD set of Albert’s highlights and forced at least 20 general managers to watch it over and over.  He may have included the iPhone/iPod version as well.
3. Rumor has it that Jerry Maguire is available to represent baseball players now.
4. When Lozano orders a “full loaded sandwich”, he’s not referring to a turkey and swiss.
5. There are literally hundreds of literate Cubs fans who would gladly represent him. (Okay, maybe dozens.)

TIDBIT:  Yes, he went for the money, and I’m glad.  I wouldn’t want to see the Cardinals paying $25M/yr for Pujols.  Adios, Mang.  There are a lot of positives to this signing, and you just have to look for the iron lining (sorry, but AP took all the silver).

Follow me, gr33nazn, on Twitter for more utter nonsense and play-by-play of the Pujolsian media trainwreck!

Image via Wikipedia

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

I gotta be real with y’all – REAL real – I hope Pujols signs somewhere soon. This link-sifting is getting old.

Local

Wondering if Albert Pujols has signed yet? Just refresh the Cardinal Beat blog at STLToday.com every half-hour or so, ok?

Randy Reinhardt says the Cards need to sign Pujols – no matter the cost.

Matthew Leach: Cardinals offer confirmed.

Bernie Miklasz with deep breaths and level-headedness.

More Miklasz, on the back-and-forth, head-and-heart reactions to Pujols contract offers and whether the Cards should or shouldn’t make every effort to keep him.

Fox 2 notes that Stan Musial would like Pujols to stay in St. Louis, as a Cardinal.

National

The Cubs apparently still really like Rodrigo Lopez. Or is it Pujols? Nah, Lopez. But Pujols…

Joe Frisaro mapped out almost the exact strategy that we saw play out today. Out on Pujols, Marlins switch to free-agent pitchers.

THE MARLINS WERE LATE FOR A MEETING!

The “Big 3?” No wonder Pujols distanced himself from that garbage. You all saw what happened to the Heat’s Big 3.

“Fab 4?” *facepalm*

Tom Haudricourt wonders whether Cubs would prefer Pujols or Prince Fielder – answer? Neither is going to sign with Milwaukee.

It would seem as if Pujols and Fielder are too pricey for the Cleveland Indians. Glad we got that out of the way.

Dave Hyde calls the Marlins’ spending spree and pursuit of Pujols “appropriate madness.”

Tyler Kepner discusses what I still think is one of the larger looming factors in Pujols’ decision: “But in Miami, he would be a mercenary, without the bulletproof force field we put around players who spend their whole careers with one team. Only the Cardinals can offer that, no matter how much money the Marlins are willing to pay him.”

Er, the Angels? Say what now?

Yep, the Angels.  The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Let him leave! — Tom Verducci.

Bill Dwyre thinks everyone in the bidding war is NUTS.

Blogs

According to Cubs Den, Theo Epstein may be just nosing around in pretty much everyone’s business, waiting to see a good, efficient place to strike.

Dave Cameron of FanGraphs takes an interesting analytic approach to questions about Pujols’ age. How did he compare to others in the minors?

Ozzie Guillen said he would not have been paying Pujols’ salary, had he signed with the Marlins. Thanks for the insight, Ozzie.

Marc Normandin reviews ten-year contracts and how Pujols fits into the “club.”

Here at this very site, Dennis took a broader scope view of the negotiations and those badgering Pujols over making a decision about what’s best for HIM.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

I vascillate frequently between important decisions.  Paper or plastic?  Boxers or briefs?  “Heads” Carolina, “Tails” California?  10 years in Miami with hideous uniforms and a top heavy roster for a couple hundred million….or 8-10 years in the same place I’ve already won 2 WS championships (also for a couple hundred million).

Oh, sorry.  I got all confused by the media-slide of information regarding Albert Pujols and “The Decision”.  Honestly, this situation doesn’t have quite the same stylings or panache that LeBron’s move did.  This is more like “The Derision”.

If you’ve been throwing bullpen sessions the past couple weeks, then feel free to cast the first stone.  I’m not doing it.  The free agency process isn’t about “character”, and it certainly isn’t about “what is right”.  It’s about evaluating the marketplace for your specific profession and determining what job you want, and that decision is a very personal one.  Unfortunately, it’s also a decision that will immediately be made public for all to scrutinize, and you most certainly can’t make everybody happy with it.  Nor should you.

Like it or not, Albert Pujols is the new car on the showroom floor, the puppy in the window, and the latest Louboutins at Neiman Marcus.  He’s on display for the entire world to see, and it seems that everybody and their uncle’s nephew has an opinion about where he is going, why he is going there, and why he is a jerk for making whatever choice he makes.  Really?

Are any of you so different?  If you didn’t have an agreement in place with your current employer to continue working past a certain date, what would you do?  Most of us would probably just agree to a new deal involving a minimal pay increase for a lot more work.  How would that change, if other companies were standing by and counting the days until 1 or more of them could bid for your services?  Put me in that position, and I’m headed to all the free lunches and schmoozing I can handle.  It’s not that I don’t like my employer; it’s just that I want what is the best for my family.

So what if that means hanging around with circumspect people (agents) and glorified con-artists (other agents)?  I’m going to at least politely listen to other offers until I feel the time is right to make a decision, especially if that decision determines where I will work and live for the next decade.  More importantly, I want to know that the combination of factors worth considering are aligned with my financial goals.

Let’s assume for a moment that all of the potential offers are more than generous and easily enough to keep me set for life.  That doesn’t really make the decision any easier for me.  It just means that I can’t simply eliminate 1 or 2 offers that aren’t enough to pad my nest properly.  Does that say anything at all about my character as a person?

Maybe.  Maybe it just indicates that I’m concerned about making the best decision, and I’m not the least bit concerned about what total strangers think.  Is that the worst thing in the world?

By all means, go ahead and prepare yourselves to be as mean and nasty as possible.  Just keep in mind that you probably aren’t all that different from Pujols, except for the amount of money involved, the questionable people with whom he associates, and the profession in question.  I still maintain that human inertia is at work here.  A person at rest tends to stay at rest.  It usually takes a tremendous offer to lure a worker bee from one employer to another.  It’s not that we don’t like the thought of making more money, it’s just that most of us aren’t really big int0 relocating, making new fake friends, and wearing ugly professional attire. 

If Albert decides to take the money and run, then I can’t blame him one bit.  He basically said all the right things and did all the right things while in St. Louis.  He can go do and say the same things elsewhere.  The only difference is that nobody will believe him. 

TIDBIT:  Regarding $$$:  If you aren’t enough without it, then you will never be enough with it. 

MORE BITS OF TID:  I feel it necessary to address a few of the rumors floating about regarding AP5.

1. We don’t actually have a picture of him walking on water during his trip to Hawaii.
2. Dan Lozano is not the Devil.  He’s not nearly good looking enough for that.  Al Pacino was much more convincing.
3. Until Albert actually signs on the dotted line, the situation is always going to be “fluid”, “dynamic”, or “50/50″.  Sounds a lot like the way an engineer might describe regenerative braking, actually.
4. Albert has not officially announced that he is buying MLB and making everybody work for him.  Pure speculation.
5. Heard this: A potential contract with the Marlins is NOT contingent on the Marlins signing Billy Chapel, Tim Tebow, or Chris Bosh. 
6. Albert isn’t a bad guy, he’s just drawn that way.
7. Pujols will likely not declare that he is “taking his talents to South Beach, mang.”
8. Albert Pujols most definitely did not appear on “The Sing Off” last night dressed as Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men, and he most definitely did not sing “This Christmas” with NOTA.
9. NASA has confirmed that the first transmission from the moon did not include the words “One small step for mang.  One giant leap for mangkind.”
10. Albert Pujols is truly 31 years old.  We know this, because Octavio Dotel and Miguel Tejada told us so.  (No, not really.)
11. Sources tell us that Albert will probably not play multiple positions at the same time in 2012, although working 50-60 innings in a setup role is possible.
12. There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Pujols will be starring in the next series of “Mayhem” commercials.  #Recalculating
13. Team Pujols is NOT looking to secure a 15 year contract that would pay him up until he can start collecting Social Security benefits.  (Just kidding.  He’s at least 18 years away.)
14. Nobody cares about your fantasy league team except for Albert.
15. Albert Pujols will not be appearing in the next Indiana Jones film as “Pujols Jones”, the previously unknown half-brother to Indiana Jones.

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter for more references to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”

Image via Wikipedia

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

Local

Matthew Leach busts a reality check on us – the Cards have other things to tend to in free agency besides Albert Pujols. C’mon, I’m not buying it. You?

The Commish recalls Winter Meetings of yesteryear and looks ahead to what we might expect out of Dallas, from the Cardinals and their division-mates.

Bernie Miklasz is asking for a compromise – less years from Pujols, more money (AAV) from the Cardinals.

Derrick Goold reports that Team Pujols (and Lozano) is on the ground in Dallas.

Joe Strauss has more on the market developing (or not developing) for Pujols, and uncertainty on whether the Cards’ previously offered deal is still on the table.

Goold adds more from John Mozeliak – the GM has spoken with Pujols directly, on the phone.

B.J. Rains was one of many reporters who spoke with Bill DeWitt this morning. DeWitt said: “”You don’t replace an Albert Pujols.”

National

Dave Wischnowsky says the Cubs signing Pujols or Prince Fielder is only worth it if the team wins a World Series with said player on the team. I guess that makes sense? I still feel like the playoffs are too much of a crapshoot to count on winning once you’re there. Wouldn’t it be just as “worth it” for Cubs fans if they just made the playoffs every year? Every other year?

MYSTERY TEAM ALERT!!!!!

Anthony Castrovince writes the most important thing perhaps anyone has written about the Pujols negotiations to date: “Ultimately, Pujols’ loyalty can’t be measured until somebody else steps up with a serious offer…”

Craig Slater of The Regina Leader-Post breaks some news about Pujols: “Albert Pujols won’t be the next head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders…” Well, so much for that mystery team.

As rumors swirl – and one deal is reportedly already done – about the Marlins spending big bucks at this year’s Winter Meetings, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reminisces about the last embers going out on a Marlins fire sale in the same hotel.

Jon Morosi still says Pujols re-ups with the Redbirds, and before Fielder signs anywhere. OOOOOOOOOOH.

Scott Miller and Ken Rosenthal both say it’s time for the Marlins to focus on pitching, not Pujols.

And then there was the cat-and-mouse from Theo Epstein regarding the Cubs’ interest in Pujols: Epstein has full authority which could result in a shorter-term, bigger money deal, yet there are plenty of holes in the Cubs roster to be filled, and Epstein has continued to profess building “the right way” for “the long-term” - which means they’re talking to Dan Lozano about Rodrigo Lopez.

Blogs

Some guy named Kent Sterling (who obviously thinks very highly of himself) also thinks Pujols will stay in St. Louis.

At Fish Stripes, Michael Jong terms a Marlins offer to Pujols “ludicrous in a sort of “I can’t believe the team is going this far” sense.”

The Rangers are “not really in” on Pujols or Fielder.

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Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

Local

Bernie Miklasz sees through the Cubs’ and Dan Lozano’s ploy to drive up the price of Albert Pujols‘ new contract.  As Bernie mentions, it’s in the best interests of both the Cubbies and Danny to get in bed together, regardless of whether it’s genuine or not.

BJ Rains follows up on what the Pujols negotiations mean for middle infield upgrades for the Cardinals.

Ken Rosenthal made an appearance on The ITD Morning After – read the transcript here.

How do the Rangers fit into this?  A team certainly with a need at first base, plenty of money to spend?  Derrick Goold explores.

Miklasz wants John Mozeliak to play the game with Lozano and the Cubs – set them on their ears by talking up Prince Fielder to the Cards.

National

Phil Rogers makes a few interesting points about a potential Pujols deal getting done sooner than later – by waiting, then eventually re-signing with the Cardinals, Pujols may well weaken the Cardinals’ chances at further improving the team with other free agents.

MLB.com Cubs reporter Carrie Muskat had a quote from Cubs GM Jed Hoyer, regarding free agents: “As I’ve stated in the past, we’re a major market team and we’re going to be involved across the spectrum,” Hoyer said. “I’m not going to address whether we’re on or off individual players other than the fact that we’re in contact with a lot of teams and a lot of agents and we’re doing everything we can to improve the team for next year and the future.”

Anna McDonald explored some financial what-ifs, including one that I hadn’t really previously considered – the dynamic pricing model for tickets actually would stand to improve their financial windfall from potential Pujols record chases later in any contract.  But how much?

Read between the lines.  Theo Epstein still is saying the Cubs need to build from within.

Rick Morrissey makes the argument FOR the Cubs and Theo Epstein signing Pujols, but can’t stop typing before arrogantly bringing up performance enhancers.  Stay classy.

Jeff Passan thinks Pujols’ own “Decision” a la LeBron James would be good for the game of baseball.  Dunno.

Blogs

Marlin Maniac recounts the bidders for Pujols’ services and is another in the camp believing that AP will remain with the Cardinals.

Rob Neyer asks if re-signing Pujols is a good idea for the Cardinals, invoking the name of Matt Adams, as so many have recently. Small nitpick: Neyer didn’t do his homework on Adams, indicating that it was a failure of some sort that Adams didn’t reach triple-A Memphis.  Adams was injured, likely preventing such a call-up.

Deadspin put up a second post on the hi-jinks of Pujols agent Dan Lozano. I wouldn’t read it at work.

Alex Fritz wrote an epic “what-if” post at SB Nation St. Louis.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

Image by d-deee via Flickr

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

It’s been a while since the last time we visited, so I’ve pared back the sheer number of links in the interest of keeping your respective employers happy. Rest assured, we’ll be back with full force ongoing.

Local

Derrick Goold explores how the Cardinals can compete with the various free agency suitors and their presentations to Albert Pujols – I particularly like the first and last suggestions in the list near the bottom.  I also like that Derrick used “FTW” in a post.

John Mozeliak sat down with KSDK for a few minutes to discuss (or decline to specifically discuss) the Pujols negotiations.

The Cardinals offered AP arbitration.

AP is expected to decline arbitration.

Goold follows up on the Lozano/Deadspin mess with quotes from Pujols on vacation in Hawaii.

Jeff Wilson at The Southern Illinoisan plays “What If?”  Dare I say, he didn’t do it as well as Dennis did.

Goold explains the Allen Craig over Albert Pujols listing at first base for Baseball America’s 2015 projected Cardinals lineup.

The Post-Dispatch’s Round Two water cooler discussion tackles “best” offer for Pujols – will the Cardinals offer it?

Matthew Leach addresses Pujols questions in a mailbag at MLB.com.

Leach also writes that as the Winter Meetings start, so does the earnest pursuit of Pujols.

National

A BAR GRAPH!

The Centre Daily Times focuses on Matt Adams’ season and rising stock in the Cardinals’ organization and how his ascension may fit with the organization depending on Pujols’ future.

Tony Andracki at CSNChicago.com doesn’t think Pujols (or Prince Fielder) is a good fit for the Cubs. (NO WORRY, LOZANO THINKS THEY FIT JUST FINE)

Jeff Passan uses quotes like “the interest in Pujols has been surprisingly quiet” and “100 percent certain he’s going back there [to St. Louis]” – is that good or bad?

Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal indicate that the new CBA restrictions on amateur spending and a light free-agent market may be pushing the Cubs toward AP and Fielder.

Phil Rogers says no dice on the Cubs rumors. Who’s telling the truth?

Well, for one, Tom Ricketts says the decision is up to Theo.

Bernie Miklasz nails it on Theo Epstein and the Cubs – smart doesn’t always mean frugal spending. Doesn’t always mean smart either.

ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine says that the Cubs are playing it right by feigning interest in both so they can get a deal on the one they really want. Uh, ok?

Blogs

Did you hear the one about Pujols’ agent, Dan Lozano? Ya know, at Deadspin? This one? (Likely NSFW)

Friend of the site Josh Bacott added his satirical touch to the Lozano story at KFNS.com.

Pip over at Fungoes polled the Bob Broeg Chapter of SABR on when they believe Pujols will sign.

An (as always) entertaining post from VEB re: Pujols’ pending departure (or not) (or yes) (maybe not?).

Getting Blanked has Albert Pujols Paper Doll Cut-Outs. Yep, it’s awesome.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

Image via Wikipedia -- The Daily Pujols meets The Daily Shaq

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

Local

@JoeStrauss (via Twitter, see?) believes he has some good news for Cardinal fans. Well, maybe good news. You’ll have to read the Post-Dispatch to find out.

National

Phil Rogers has a bit in his column that outlines the Cards’ Spring Training offer to Pujols at nine years, $203 million. Am I the only one who is seeing that 203 number for the first time?

Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle thinks Miami is not, and will not be with Pujols, a baseball town. No word on whether or not that center-field home run motorized thing-y will make a difference in opinion.

As of today (TODAY!), people who can’t read The Atlantic is still re-reporting the 9/225 Marlins thing as an actual, factual offer. Le sigh.

At CBS New York, Zach Finkelstein

rates Pujols the second-best free agent on the market, behind Fielder. In the end, Finkelstein predicts what many others have… a return to the Gateway City.

Blogs

At his site Baseball Musings, David Pinto swiftly and concisely makes a great case for Pujols’ age being accurate. CASE CLOSED.

So far, a poll at Lookout Landing (Mariners) has that site’s readers voting to not sign Pujols or Prince Fielder.

Tomahawk Take looks back at 2004 Albert Pujols. Er, kind of. Video game Pujols. It’s still fun to watch.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

Local

Joe Strauss reported that the Cards had re-established contact with Pujols’ representatives (namely Dan Lozano), but cautioned that as expected, both sides were tight-lipped and we could be in for a drawn-out negotiation as Pujols seeks the best deal and the Cardinals wait out the market a bit.

Matthew Leach re-opened the ole mailbag at MLB.com and the first question was about the Pujols contract. In fact, the name on that question looks familiar…

Some really smart guy from Washington University in St. Louis says that Pujols will be overpaid because his salary will be based upon Alex Rodriguez‘ and A-Rod is grossly overpaid. Or something like that.

National

The Sporting News has set up a feed page of sorts for all of their Pujols coverage including a “the latest” section and links to prior articles. Might be worth a bookmark? Or, maybe just bookmark the Daily Pujols feed?

Clark Spencer asks his Miami Herald readers if the Marlins should overpay for Albert Pujols? As is the case with most newspaper comment sections, hilarity ensues.

Dan Le Betard of the Miami Herald wrote a really great article about the future of baseball in Miami and what factor Albert Pujols may play in the success or failure of the “new” baseball and business model of the Marlins.

Rehashing the possible suitors at International Business Times, the author writes (bold is mine), “We assume from his play, the way he interacts with teammates and what he has done for the St. Louis community means that he will re-sign, no matter what the value of St. Louis offer is.” We’ll assume he meant as long as it’s around $200 million.

Blogs

A really smart blogger played the “What If” game with Pujols’ contract.

SB Nation New York covered the report of Lozano meeting with Brian Cashman. More of the same expectation, that talk was about other players than Pujols.

SB Nation Tampa Bay’s Steve Slowinski lines up all the reports indicating the Marlins’ offer was lower than initially guessed at, and thinks that the Marlins may not be so serious about a Pujols deal after all.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

Baseball’s offseason is a great time to play “Armchair GM”, and there may be no better way to engage other players than by posing a question that starts with “What if”.  Just present a reasonable scenario to a group of avid baseball fans, and then sit back to enjoy the show.  In no particular order, here are a few examples that might keep you and your fellow baseball fans entertained for at least an hour or so of intense discussion.

What if St. Louis media personality JC Corcoran is correct in saying that Albert Pujols will announce on Friday that he is re-signing with the St. Louis Cardinals?

First, I’d have to admit that I’m more than a little surprised that Albert’s free agency due diligence could be completed so quickly.  Second, a Friday announcement would indicate to me that the market is a lot softer than even most experts expected.  Finally, I would be inclined to repost something I wrote over a year ago about how free agency would likely play out for AP. Basically, I suggested that stalling contract talks in order to reach free agency was intended to make his agent (and close friend), Dan Lozano, look good at doing his job.  I also suggested that doing so could increase the available negotiating leverage without Lozano even needing to ask for a significant increase in any counteroffer. 

What if the Cardinals offer Pujols something in the neighborhood of 8 yrs/$200M, and AP accepts the offer?

As a fan, my immediate concern would be the likelihood that Pujols will perform well enough to actually meet the expectations that would certainly accompany such a contract.  One method of estimating a player’s worth over a period of time is to estimate the player’s production in terms of WAR and use a multiplier to convert WAR totals to dollar values.  If 1 WAR is currently worth approximately $4.5M, then a 4 WAR year is worth about $18M.  Consider some random-ish numbers below that I used for calculations for an 8 year contract:

1. 2012 (32):  6.0 WAR * $4.5M/WAR = $27.0M
2. 2013 (33):  5.5 WAR * $4.6M/WAR = $25.3M
3. 2014 (34):  5.0 WAR * $4.7M/WAR = $23.5M
4. 2015 (35):  4.5 WAR * $4.8M/WAR = $21.6M
5. 2016 (36):  4.0 WAR * $4.9M/WAR = $19.6M
6. 2017 (37):  3.5 WAR * $5.0M/WAR = $17.5M
7. 2018 (38):  3.0 WAR * $5.1M/WAR = $15.3M
8. 2019 (39):  2.0 WAR * $5.2M/WAR = $10.4M

This works out to about $160.2M over 8 years and 33.5 WAR.  Based solely on his performance as a player, the 8 yr/$200M contract would represent roughly a $40M overpay.  Given an over/under of 33.5 WAR over the next 8 years, where do you think Pujols will finish?  Barring a catastrophic injury or alien abduction, I’m seriously considering the “over”.  Consider that Jim Thome only had 320 plate appearances in his age 39 season (2010), and he was worth 3.2 WAR solely as a DH.  Paul Konerko managed a 3.6 WAR in his age 35 season, but he produced 5.1 WAR the previous year.  I’m not implying that Pujols will meet/exceed the numbers put up by Konerko or Thome.  Their performances do show what is possible for really good players in the latter stage of their careers.  Pujols has always been an elite player, so it isn’t a huge stretch to imagine him putting up 3.0 WAR at age 39. 

Of course, there is no way to fully account for the uncertainty that injury brings to the discussion.  However, any career ending injury takes the discussion to a completely different place that involves considerations such as insurance, timing of injury, and protective clauses built into a contract.  Despite that, I do think it is fair to pick a season and pick a number of games missed just to play with the numbers a bit.  The more you do so, the more you will see that long term contracts involving hundreds of millions of dollars involve a huge amount of risk for the team taking on the risk. 

So, what is he worth to St. Louis?  Even if his productivity is ONLY worth $140-150M over the course of the next 8 years, I can’t imagine that St. Louis wouldn’t take the risk.  I don’t know what not having Pujols in the lineup would do to the various revenue streams, but I bet someone within the organization knows the projected numbers by heart.  I’d also be willing to be that it’s not a notion anybody really wants to entertain. 

Making the call on something like this must weigh heavily on the mind.  There are a significant number of factors to consider not the least of which is whether or not the 2011 version of Pujols (or worse) is what the team can expect for the next 8 years.  Is it?

I’ve heard and read just about every explanation for Albert’s 2011 season.  He was pressing, because it was a contract year.  The pressure got to him.  He is simply in decline, and his physical tools will continue to deteriorate.  His alien body is degrading due to prolonged exposure to shadows at Busch Stadium.  Pitchers are approaching him differently and found weaknesses that they could attack.  He simply isn’t the same player that he once was.

Fine.  I can accept some of the explanations to a degree, but I’d like some numbers to look at as well. 

• In 2010, Pujols drove in 118 runs, and that number dipped to 99 in 2011.  Well, he did have almost 50 fewer plate appearances in 2011.  More importantly, he came to bat with runners in scoring position 201 times in 2010 but only 162 times in 2011.  It’s kind of hard to drive in runs without men on base who can score.
• In 2010, AP went to the plate with men on base 337 times and was walked 65 times (hitting .323/.454/.589/1.043 with 26 strikeouts).  He faced that same situation only 297 times in 2011 and was walked just 37 times (hitting .316/.401/.552/.953 with 25 strikeouts).  There is definitely a marked difference, but it’s hard to criticize a guy who hits .300+ with men on base and has an OBP above .400.   
• Consider Albert’s performance in certain counts which may be indicative of his level of aggressiveness (or not).  He faced a 3-0 count 58 times in 2010 and took 53 free passes.  He only faced that count 35 times in 2011, and he walked 27 times.  Feel free to check out his 2010/2011 splits to see what he did on other counts, but the overall trend appears to be that he didn’t take as many pitches in 2011.  Maybe he was being more aggressive, or maybe pitchers were simply throwing more strikes.  To really know which is accurate, we have to look at PitchFX data, and I’m not that motivated today.  HINT:  If you have a baseball blog and want to delve into the PitchFX data, please send me the link when you finish posting it, thanks.

While it is certainly true that Albert had a down year, I’m not sure that he deserves all the blame.  The batters ahead of him did him no favors by putting more pressure on pitchers, and he wasn’t quite as efficient at driving in runs when he had the opportunities.  That said, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of 100 rbi seasons from Pujols.

What if Pujols spurns the Cardinals and signs elsewhere?

I’ll miss seeing him play while wearing the Birds on the Bat, but I don’t see this scenario as the end of all things baseball-related in the Lou.  The Cardinals could move Berkman to 1B and Allen Craig to a fulltime spot in right field, or they could leave Berkman in the outfield and put Craig at first.  By the time Berkman hangs up his cleats, it is possible that Matt Adams could be ready for the big time.  There is also the potential windfall to consider.  It’s not likely that the Cardinals would go out and pursue a premier free agent to use up the entire $20-25M potentially earmarked for Pujols.  However, they could use a significant portion of it to absorb a big contract that another team would like to get off the books. 

With or without Albert, the Cardinals need somebody to play shortstop in 2012.  Based on the roster they have now, it seems likely that Tyler Greene would be the guy.  If AP doesn’t return, then I could see the Cardinals looking for an upgrade.    Fortunately, there are potential upgrades out there for buyers with piles of cash at the ready.  Jimmy Rollins?  It’s likely that the Phillies will get Rollins to sign on the dotted line, but it wouldn’t hurt to help drive up the price.  Jose Reyes?  The asking price is pretty darn high, but the Cardinals could sign him and still fill out the rest of the roster all while staying under 2011′s opening day payroll number.  Ronny Cedeno?  Probably not, but he is a viable option for a relatively low cost just in case Greene can’t get it done.

TIDBIT:  Based on nothing but conjecture and what our dogs have told me, I’m hoping that the cut lines for the Cardinals and AP are around 8 yrs / $210M  or 9 yrs / $230M.  Anything beyond those numbers would make me really, really nervous about the word “albatross” becoming a frequently used part of the Cardinal Nation lexicon. 

MORE BITS OF TID:  Based on what the team currently has now, I’m projecting the opening day lineup as Jon Jay (CF), Allen Craig (RF), Lance Berkman (1B), Matt Holliday (LF), David Freese (3B), Yadier Molina (C), Daniel Descalso (2B), Tyler Greene (SS), and Pitcher (but really should be batting 8th, and we all know it).

FINAL TID:  If the Cardinals re-sign Pujols, I’m estimating the opening day payroll at $115-117M.  Not bad for a team that just won the World Series.

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter for more “What ifs”!

Image via Wikipedia

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

Local

Local radio show host J.C. Corcoran has announced that Albert Pujols will re-up with the Cardinals on Friday. Many are skeptical, but here are the tweets from Corcoran:

Naturally, the Cardinals have denied this rumor.

Matthew Leach at MLB.com follows up on the denial and also has a quote from a team spokesman, in addition to Mozeliak.

David Wilhelm of the Belleville News-Democrat says that the Cardinals can move on without Pujols and succeed.

National

MLB.com has opinions from Jim Duquette and Omar Minaya on where Pujols might land.

ESPN says Brian Cashman met with Dan Lozano (yes, this Dan Lozano), but presumably not about Pujols. Gotta get started on those Nick Swisher extension talks, since he won’t negotiate in-season!

Blogs

Off the Record thinks that Albert’s market is not materializing and the Marlins are playing their fans for fools.

People who can’t read

In order to clarify for those unfamiliar, rumor was rampant today that the Marlins had offered Pujols 9 years, $225 million to sign with them. This was based upon a blurb by Tim Brown from Yahoo! which ACTUALLY said that the offer was believed for 9 years, and then said IF it were for $25 million annually, it would mean a $225 million total. But the reported number was the years. The money was guessed.

From there, many ran with it as fact…

Fox News Latino said the 9 year, $225mm offer was actually reported.

St. Louis’ own Doug Vaughn bought in.

The Big Lead? More like The Big Can’t Read.

MLB Daily Dish’s updates throughout the day set the record straight – it was confirmed that the total offered was actually BELOW $200 million.  OOOOOOPS!

Brown’s own follow-up also clearly states he never had numbers, but was making a guess assuming that the Marlins had to come in high for their offer to be worth much of anything. Stupid Marlins.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!