probably never going to happen but fun to think of all the Cardinal fans crying

says that the Cubs should trade Castro for 3 baseballs and 4 bats.

(that’s all)

<Don’t get excited, don’t get excited, don’t get excited…>

I’ll mark the day on my calendar. All this Pujols talk will continue until he extends his contract with the Cards. I’d wish he’d do it already and be done with it but then all the drama would be over for the media.

The Cubs are the best fit for Pujols if he were to hit the open market, and we have the money to sign him. It’s a matter of Number 5 wanting to do it.

I am not a fan of speculative tweets. I feel journalists should do better. Maybe it’s simply for the sake of hype, drama, disinformation? I’d rather have sports “news”.

I’m torn on Pujols as a potential Cub. Very likely a great thing for us if it happens, but… does anyone else feel like he’s our long time foe? Would Star Wars have been as good if Vader helped blow up the Death Star?

(sorry, only handy analogy at the moment)

Not that it isn’t fun to speculate, but until something gets leaked out of the Cubs about their intentions I won’t be getting excited.

and I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t think the Cubs are a very likely destination if Pujols leaves St. Louis.

But if I were Albert Pujols agent, this is exactly the type of information I would want to get out into the media and for the Cardinals ownership to read.

So take it with a grain of salt for now.

On one hand, a 10 year contract to someone (anyone) who will be in his 40s when the contract is over isa huge risk, even if he’s a future HOF and still in his prime. On the other hand, if that player delivers MVP type performance over the first half of the contract and helps the team win a title, then is it worth perhaps massively overpaying for the second half of the contract?

however this is a reach. If Albert doesn’t have a deal by Nov. 2011, then maybe I will start thinking that he could become a Cub. For now he is a Cardinal.

if the Cubs are willing to go the full A-Rod, #5 will likely be yours.

It’s a ludicrous amount of money. An he’s the best player I’ve ever seen, bar none.

It could really shackle our lateral movement—that’s a lot of money tied up in guys like Soriano, Pujols, Zambrano, Dempster—and we wouldn’t be able to make a lot of other signings.

Everything’s always peachy on the front end of the tunnel (Soriano), but how’s it going to look near the end of the contract? The man has shown no regression whatsoever.

I’d offer him max dollars for less years, perhaps $30M/year for 8 years. See if that does it.

for several years and defer some for after retirement.

A straight $27.5M / year is really going to be hard to swallow in years 8, 9 & 10.

How about 30M/year 6 years guaranteed. IF in years 4/5/6 he gets a total of 1500 plate appearances, his years 7/8 become guaranteed. Then if in years 7/8 a total of 1000 plate appearances is met, years 9/10 become guaranteed.

Total breakdown:
2012-2017=30MM
2018=27.5MM
2019=25MM
2020=22.5MM
2021=20MM
HR goals=25MM total

Total would be the 275MM he is looking for with 25MM bonus for reaching HR goals. Totaling 300MM at this point. I believe would be fair with easy to meet the plate appearances if he’s healthy. (He’s never had a season of less than 634 plate appearances)

is really just one gigantic elaborate troll on the entire Cub’s fan-base right?

on the number of minutes before noon tomorrow that a deal is announced?

Tony La Russa said again Albert feeling pressure from union. Not just arm twisting. “Dropping an anvil on his back thru roof of his house.”

what a ****

this is a true leak from inside the Cubs org, can that be considered tampering?

That the Cardinals came to Pujols with an offer for 8 years for just under $30M per. I’m not sure what “just under $30M” exactly means, but I think that $29M might be a better number.

If that’s really the case, there are only two reasons that I can think of as to why he won’t sign:

1) He is getting pressure from the union to squeeze every ounce of blood from this stone
2) He really doesn’t want to be a Cardinal anymore.

My prediction is more 1 than 2. I say that the Cards increase their offer a bit by Thursday at 12:00 EST (New deadline) and Pujols will remain a Card until the day he retires.

to sign Pujols and/or Fielder.

Source close to Pujols camp: Reports of a Cardinals offer today to Pujols is, “inaccurate, reckless and outrageous.”

At first I was being too conservative, worrying the contract could be the second coming of Soriano.

Then I took another glance at my season ticket invoice.

Sorry, but if the Cubs want to continue charging some of the highest ticket prices in MLB, they need to start acting like the other top teams, specifically the Red Sox and Yankees. They need to make a serious play for this guy if he hits the open market.

Next offseason, Ricketts will be making one of two statements. Either he allows Hendry to spend all that money on guys who will make a difference, and lets the league know that they are, indeed, serious about winning. Or he could cut payroll even more, essentially giving the finger to some of the most loyal fans in sports. At that point, I would give the finger right back and tell them where to shove their Daily Plan. I think I got offered tickets at a great time. Next offseason will tell us everything we need to know about the Ricketts family and their long-term plans for the organization.

that other clubs can negotiate with FA’s this year? Is it known yet, or does it depend on the exact day that the WS ends?

nor the proposed deal from StL was truthful. So, I guess we’re back to where we were yesterday morning.

1) LaRussa is a jackhole

2) Cards were stupid to give Holliday that money without making sure Albert was OK

3) Even if deadline passes, Cards will still have inside track to re-sign him after season

4) I think Handy Manny and Kelly the Hardware Store Owner are doing it

it is now past noon EST… The deadline has come…and gone. ALL Pujols comments must now cease. Tampering on BCB will NOT be tolerated. You can still wear your “I heart Albert” t-shirts, but, contract talk must stop. Further contract talk will resume again 5 days after the final out of the 2011 World Series. You’ll know, too…it’ll start with the $350M the Yankees will throw out there at the onset. Thank you for your time. I now return you to your favorite “Koyie Hill Rocks” thread. Good day.

With lance Armstrong going into Retirement 2.0, Pujols thinks he has a great chance to win multiple Tour de France races.

He does have the thighs for the alpine climbs.

what about some Brian Roberts or Jake Peavy posts?

listening to all the MLB analyst’s out there. They are about as mixed as the BCBers. Some say he wiil stay, some say he will go. Some say the cubs will easily swoop in, some say the cubs new ownership can’t afford him. While it is all interesting, if the people that do this for a living cant agreee, then you know this will be a season long debate here, or until he signs somewhere.

As much attention as this has gotten, I find it hard to believe it will just go away for Albert until the end of the season. Heck, everybody KNEW CC was leaving the brewers, and still that was a topic that kept coming up.

Some guy is saying if Pujols signs with us that he will be booed at every home game for the rest of his career? Because there are always lots of Cards fans at every Cubs home game.

Guess booing your greatest player every game for the rest of their career is what makes you the “best fans in baseball”.

Not everyone over there is that crazy though, most are just understandably pissed with the situation.

= Bad Goat Lender

are not interested in Pujols, according to ESPN New York.

It makes sense since they don’t have any room of him and they need pitching more than anything. On top of that, a $30 million a year contract for Pujols is actually a $42 million dollar a year contract for the Yankees since they’re way over the luxury tax threshold.

But it’s mentioned for those who insist that the Yankees will sign every big name FA.

More from Heyman:

Three competing executives say they expect the rival Cubs to make a big push for Pujols and, indeed, they do look like the greatest outside possibility at the moment. Wouldn’t that cast him in a new light for Cardinal Nation? The Cubs have the resources and the need, and execs feel they will pursue either Prince Fielder or more likely Pujols.
“They’ll give him the A-Rod deal,‘’ one exec opined.
“They’ll give him $33 million or $34 million for seven years,’’ guessed another exec.

Mozeliak said there won’t be any consideration of trading Pujols at the deadline, which I get because he doesn’t want to piss off Albert and ruin any chance of him re-upping with the Cards. But let’s say the Cards change their minds and decide to deal him at the deadline…why would Albert veto the deal? Just so he can give the Cards the big F.U.?