Albert Pujols' Extension Talks With Cardinals Moving Slowly

We're eight days away from Albert Pujols's deadline for a contract extension with the Cardinals and there isn't much sign of a deal coming soon.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Cardinals have yet to make a concrete offer to retain the first baseman beyond the 2011 season. Pujols is believed to be seeking a contract in the neighborhood of the 10-year, $275 million-plus deal that Alex Rodriguez signed with the Yankees in 2007, although he's been pretty tight-lipped about everything having to do with the negotiations to this point.

The Cardinals have been a bit gabbier, including chairman Bill DeWitt's claim that the Yankees already regret giving Rodriguez that contract. That might be true, but it probably won't win him many fans around St. Louis if Pujols walks away to another team when this season comes to a close.

It doesn't much help DeWitt's case that Pujols has two pretty big things working in his favor. He's been underpaid to this point in his career, a career that's off to a historic start and has helped bring a World Series title to the team. That's true of almost every good player who hasn't made it to free agency, but especially so in terms of Pujols. It's also something that usually gets remedied come free agency so you can't really expect Pujols to leave much more money on the table.

He also has a pretty decent chance of making good on a deal in the A-Rod range. As Brown points out, FanGraphs and other projections have Pujols being worth $275 million or more over the next 10 years. That doesn't mean it will take every one of those dollars to keep him, but there's a good chance someone will hit that number on the open market. The Cardinals may be betting that Pujols ultimately wants to remain in St. Louis, a dangerous gamble to make for a player that fits a need for every single team in the league.

Yes, that includes the Yankees and Red Sox. Every team, even ones with secure situations at first base, has a need for the best player in baseball.

As mentioned above, Pujols is reporting on Feb. 16, ahead of the official start of spring training for the Cardinals, and that date is getting awfully close for comfort. That's why it behooves the Cardinals not to let him get there and why it is odd to hear that they haven't made a serious offer for his services at this point.