MLB Rumors 2011: Cardinals Working On Deal With Furcal, Possibly Out Of Mix On Rollins

The St. Louis Cardinals have a whole bunch of money in their pockets left over from missing out on Albert Pujols, and they still need to figure out who will be starting as shortstop for the major league team in 2012. Although the Cardinals had been rumored to be in the mix to sign free agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins, they are now working on a deal with Rafael Furcal, a trade-deadline acquisition that helped propel the team to a 2011 World Series Championship, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

Maybe Furcal isn't as glamorous of a signing as Rollins would be, but he likely comes cheaper and has proven he can perform on the big stage.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Signing: St. Louis Cardinals Looking To Regroup And Spend Elsewhere Without Albert Pujols

Yes, the St. Louis Cardinals lost out on former franchise cornerstone and current Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, but now they have a lot of money freed up to spend elsewhere. Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million mega-deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, but that is $250 million the Cardinals didn't have to spend on one player who could get injured at any time and sink the value of the deal altogether.

According to Cardinals' general manager John Mozeliak, the team now plans to reallocate that money in the free agent and trade market to improve the team for 2012: 

"I assure you we've got our irons in the fire now," Mozeliak said Thursday. "As things get into next week, we'll be active and I think we have a pretty good idea of what we want to see happen now. ... I was looking at it on the airplane and was like, 'Wow.' It does create some flexibility for the organization. We knew that was a possibility, so that's what we'll do. We'll look to redeploy those resources."    

via MLB.com.

The team is currently committed to roughly $80 million in player salary for 2012, and salary arbitration for select players could bump the number up to $85 and $90 million, the Cardinals likely have somewhere around the $20 million previously budgeted for Pujols to spend on various other upgrades and enhancements to the roster.  Although Thursday was disappointing for the organization and its fans, there might be some good news to deliver soon if Mozeliak can add valuable pieces with that leftover money.

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Albert Pujols Contract Gets Taiwanese Animation Treatment

Albert Pujols Signing: What Do The St. Louis Cardinals Do With $200 Million?

2011 MLB Free Agency: Cardinals GM Says Albert Pujols Acted 'Professional'

The St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak addressed the media on Thursday afternoon, making comments mostly concerning the recent signing of Albert Pujols by the Los Angeles Angels.

During the press conference, which broadcast simultaneously on the Cardinals website, Mozeliak discussed a few elements of the negotiations with Pujols, noting the team had been engaged with Pujols since the GM meetings in November. Mozeliak said the organization felt no ill will towards Pujols and described the process as "professional."

Mozeliak also said that not-signing Pujols does not hamper their long-term plans as they do not want to block Allen Craig. The left fielder, who played a pivotal role in the Cardinals' 2011 World Series victory, recently had surgery surgery on his injured right knee, but will only miss about a month of the 2012 season, according to Mozeliak.

The Cardinals GM refused to comment on other possible free agent targets, such as first baseman Prince Fielder.

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Albert Pujols Contract: Turns Out Money Was Important After All

Albert Pujols proved Thursday that making statements about free agent negotiations not being about the money—in any sport, for any person—is a bad idea, signing the Los Angeles Angels’ 10-year, $254 million deal instead of the St. Louis Cardinals’ final offer, which was apparently in the range of $210 million. Pujols had just finished rejecting the advances of the Miami Marlins, which were apparently both "creative"—in the potentially negative Chinese-curse sense—and worth even more than the Angels or the Cardinals’ offer.

So that’s it: Pujols is now an Angel—narrowly, as it turns out, the highest-paid Angel on the team, with Vernon Wells making a kind-of-hilarious $21 million a year after earning more than $26 million.

As for the Cardinals, expect a restrained approach to their newfound Pujols millions, at least in the early going—Jose Reyes, the most sensible choice for free agent rebound, as well as Jimmy Rollins and Mark Buehrle, the most frequently bandied-about choices, have all already been snapped up.

Albert Pujols Signing: Marlins Outbid Angels, Los Angeles Signs Pujols Anyway

According to a report from ESPN's Buster Olney, Albert Pujols's new contract with the Los Angeles Angels is worth a total of $254 million over 10 years. The original report of the Pujols signing pegged the contract value somewhere in the $250 to $260 million range.

In total, the contract will be worth about $2 million more than the second biggest contract in sports history (by guaranteed money), signed by Alex Rodriguez and worth near $252 million. The biggest contract in sports history was also signed by Alex Rodriguez when he signed a 10-year, $275 million contract with the New York Yankees.

Interestingly, the the Miami Marlins were willing to help join Rodriguez on that top spot:

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MLB Rule 5 Draft Results 2011: St. Louis Cardinals Select Erik Komatsu With 22nd Pick Overall

Major League Baseball conducted the Major League phase of its Rule 5 Draft process on Thursday, and the St. Louis Cardinals selected Erik Komatsu from the Washington Nationals' organization with the 22nd-overall pick. Komatsu, a 24-year old centerfield prospect, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the eight-round of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft and traded to the Washington Nationals in June of 2011 for Jerry Hairston Jr. Komatsu finished 2011 with a .277/.367/.382 batting line between the two minor league systems. 

Here is a scouting report from John Sickels of SB Nation:

Eric Komatsu, OF: The Brewers drafted Komatsu in the eighth round in 2008, from Cal State Fullerton. He missed most of 2009 with injuries to his hamstring and wrist, plus complications from a concussion, but returned to health in 2010 and hit .323/.413/.442 for High-A Brevard County, with 68 walks and 28 steals. This year he's hitting .294/.393/.416 with 53 walks, 44 strikeouts, and 13 steals for Double-A Huntsville. A 23-year-old left-handed hitter, Komatsu lacks power but has decent speed. He has excellent strike zone judgment and is a very polished hitter, but as a tweener-type who lacks big power, he'll likely fit best as a reserve outfielder. I gave him a C+ pre-season but he's probably more on the upper edge of a straight Grade C as a useful future role player.    

To be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, a player cannot have been on their team's 40-man roster and must have been either (a) signed at 18 or younger and in the system for five years, or (b) signed at 19 or older and in the system for four years. All Rule 5 players must stay with their new MLB club for the entire season or be offered back to the old team.     

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Albert Pujols Signing: Pujols Will Sign 10-Year Deal With Los Angeles Angels Worth At Least $250 Million, According To Report

Free agent first baseman Albert Pujols decided on Thursday morning that he will join the Los Angeles Angels in a 10-year deal worth at least $250 million and featuring a full no-trade clause, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports. Here is exactly what Brown had to say, via Twitter:

Source: Pujols will sign with Angels for 10 years for between $250 and $260 million. Full no-trade. Pujols decided Thursday morning.

The report was also corroborated by Buster Olney:

Pujols to the angels, done, sources say    

Follow the latest developments on the signing in the SB Nation stream. Pujols had reportedly wanted to become the highest paid player in the MLB, but this reported deal won't quite get that done. Although Pujols will average between $25 million and $26 million per year, Alex Rodriguez will remain the highest paid player under his current deal that has an average value of $27.5 million annually.

The Cardinals had reportedly raised their offer to 10-years and $220 million recently, but it simply couldn't come close to the deal offered by the Angels. As for where this leaves the St. Louis Cardinals, they will have to regroup and try to salvage something positive from these winter meetings. 

 Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league. For more on the Angels, visit our SB Nation Angels site Halos Heaven.

Octavio Dotel Signs With Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals Will Have To Look Elsewhere Now

Relief pitcher Octavio Dotel has signed a one-year deal with an option for an additional year with the Detroit Tigers. Earlier in the week, the 38-year old Dotel was deciding between rejoining the St. Louis Cardinals or moving back the American League with the Tigers, but now the Cardinals will have to look elsewhere for bullpen help in 2012. 

Dotel served as a key relief pitcher down the stretch of the 2011 season and in the postseason he played a key role in helping the team earn their 2011 World Series Championship. He pitched 10 1/3 innings in the postseason for St. Louis and earned a win on the mound in both the Division Series and the National League Championship Series.

This will be Dotel's 14th different MLB team in his 13-year career. In splitting time with the Cardinals and Blue Jays last season he was 5-4 with a 3.50 ERA in 54 innings pitched.     

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Cardinals Rumors: Octavio Dotel To Pick Between St. Louis, Detroit

The St. Louis Cardinals used Octavio Dotel as a key relief pitcher down the stretch and in the postseason as they won the World Series, and now it appears that they're one of two finalists to sign him, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Detroit Tigers are the other team that's still on Dotel.

Dotel posted a 3.50 ERA with the Cardinals and Blue Jays last season, having a resurgent year in terms of peripheral statistics. He was dominant in St. Louis after being acquired in the Colby Rasmus deal, with a 3.28 ERA in 24.2 innings but a far more impressive 1.57 FIP. He's always missed tons of bats, but in St. Louis he missed more than usual while displaying unusually good command. 

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Albert Pujols Rumors: Miami Marlins Out Of Bidding

Last night, it seemed like the Miami Marlins might be establishing themselves as frontrunners in the Albert Pujols sweepstakes, but Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com is reporting that Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, recently phoned the Marlins and let them know that they're out of the bidding.

It's a tad surprising to see that the Marlins have dropped out of the competition so soon after looking like a leader in the pack, but it appears that the Cardinals may have increased their offer since seeing how aggressive Miami was. Bob Nightengale of USA Today has confirmed that the Marlins are in fact out of the bidding, and he adds that Pujols still has three different offers on the table worth at least $200 million.

At this point, it's hard to imagine who's offering over $200 million other than St. Louis, but some possibilities could be the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels. The Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays could be dark horses in the discussion, too.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Cardinals Expect Resolution Today

After over 24 hours of intense negotiations, the St. Louis Cardinals expect a resolution on Wednesday in the Albert Pujols saga one way or the other, sources told Jon Paul Morosi. With solid, competing offers from both the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins (and, supposedly, a mystery third team) on the table, the onus is now on Pujols to make a decision.

Though both the Cardinals and Marlins are focused first and foremost on landing Pujols, Miami is pushing for an answer from the star first basemen so that they can move on to free agents such as C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle if Pujols ultimately turns down their offer. After most felt yesterday like the Marlins were the leaders in the clubhouse, it seems as if sentiment has begun to swing the other way since late last night.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals Meet (Or Not), Marlins Announcing Jose Reyes

MLB Rumor Mill Angst: According to a tweet from Jon Heyman, the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols were meeting just moments ago, trying to get a deal done; according to Ken Rosenthal minutes later, the Cardinals haven’t met with Pujols today at all, but plan to later. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins are in the process of what is either a troll or a double-troll—after announcing they’d hold a press conference this morning they announced that it was actually a press conference to announce their signing of Jose Reyes, already a done deal in the press.

There’s a non-zero chance, given the way negotiations have gone so far, that this press conference involves Jeffrey Loria hitting Jose Reyes with a steel chair, telling the Hilton Anatole he HATES Texas, and escaping with Albert Pujols to form the New World Order as the 31st MLB franchise.

The good news, though: The Cardinals are now seen by some national writers as the tentative favorites in Pujols negotiations. How little that means could become apparent as early as today.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Cubs Still Invovled In Negotations, According To Report

According to FOX's Ken Rosenthal, the Chicago Cubs are still involved in the Albert Pujols negotiations, although the extent of their involvement remains "unclear." After a day or so of negotiations strictly involving the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins, it was reported last night that a third, unknown team had entered the bidding for the star first basemen. It was originally believed that the third team was the Los Angeles Angels, though that was refuted later in the night by various sources.

If the Cubs are seriously involved in the bidding, it presents a potential nightmare scenario for Cardinals fans, with Pujols choosing between the Cardinals, a newly moneyed, out of nowhere franchise with a fickle fan base or the home team's hated arch rivals.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Marlins Reportedly Offering Stake In Franchise

Though the exact dollar amounts of the deals offered to Albert Pujols by the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals are unclear, one thing is for sure: The Cardinals have the hometown advantage. With that in mind, it seems as if the Marlins are getting creative in their attempt to entice Pujols to play in South Florida. According to a report by ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Marlins latest offer includes provisions that would "position Pujols as a figurehead of their franchise after his playing career is finished." Stark reported that instead of breaking club policy and giving Pujols a no-trade clause, the Marlins are attempting to indicate their long term commitment to Pujols by folding him into the franchise once he is retired.

As for the dollar amounts of each contract? This morning. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reported that the Marlins' offer is believed to be "pennies" ahead of Pujols in the "grand scheme" of things, allegedly no more than $220 million. If that is true, and Pujols does leave for Miami for a seemingly insignificant amount of money, Cardinals fans will likely be looking for an explanation as to why he left the only team he's ever known.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis GM Confirms That Lohse, Westbrook In Play For Trades

The St. Louis Cardinals have a set rotation right now, but they may be looking to shake things up. Rumors popped up today that the team was willing to discuss starters Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook in trades, and Cardinals GM John Mozeliak confirmed that the two pitchers were in play to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Mozeliak insisted to Strauss that a deal isn't likely and he plans to reach out to both players to explain the team's reasoning. It wouldn't be surprising if the stance is related to the Cardinals' possible interest in pitcher Mark Buehrle. The lefty has spent his entire career with the Chicago White Sox, and while he's relented on the stance this offseason, he once told reporters that the Cardinals were the only team he'd leave Chicago for.

The current rotation in St. Louis is set with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Westbrook and Lohse, an impressive group but one that's also quite expensive. While Buehrle is obviously a tantalizing target, it's equally as possible that the team is just interested in shedding some of the salary that's committed to be paid to the rotation's lesser pitchers.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals Go 10 Years, $220 Million, Per Reports

The St. Louis Cardinals can't be accused of bowing out prematurely as the Winter Meetings contract maelstrom between them, the Miami Marlins, and Albert Pujols's gleeful agent continue into the night—according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have gone all the way up to 10 years and "more than $220 million." Also worth clicking through for: The terrifying language from John Mozeliak, who is unwilling to guarantee or even think about guaranteeing anything. 

The Marlins' constant meetings have produced a contract described elsewhere as creative—Strauss suggests the creativity comes in part through significant amounts of deferred money, which should be useful when Jeffrey Loria and the Marlins bail on contending after three years like they always do. 

The Cardinals, meanwhile, can only wait: JIm Bowden of ESPN, if you're willing to overlook his stories career as GM, suggests the Marlins will have the better offer but the Cardinals will have Pujols, which would really be the perfect situation for Cardinals fans at this point, who've grown wary of Pujols's long-held positions that it wasn't about the money, that he'd like to stay in St. Louis, and that he demands competitiveness first. 

Albert Pujols Rumors: Los Angeles Angels Pursuing Pujols

It appears that we can add another suitor to the mix now on Albert Pujols, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the Los Angeles Angels are pursing the free agent first baseman. He added that talks are ongoing, although it doesn't appear that they've made an official offer yet.

At the moment, the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and a mystery team have ten-year offers out to Pujols, according to previous reports. The Angels make for a new suitor in talks, although it seems highly likely that Pujols goes to one of the three teams that's already offered a commitment of ten years. It's just not clear yet whether that third team is the Angels, Cubs or someone else possibly. 

The Angels already have Mark Trumbo at first base, as well as Bobby Abreu at designated hitter and Kendrys Morales returning from injury soon after the season begins, so it's not totally clear where Pujols fits in LA. Obviously you move players like Trumbo to free up room for a player of Pujols' caliber, though.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Pujols Considering Offers In Excess Of $200 Million From 3 Teams, According To Report

According to a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Albert Pujols has three 10-year contract offers worth more than $200 million. The Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals are responsible for two of those offers; the third belongs to a mystery team.

Pujols, who could announce his decision as early as Wednesday, has offers from the St. Louis Cardinals, Florida Marlins and a third team that has publicly declined to be identified. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak confirmed his club increased its offer to Pujols late Tuesday, his first offer in nine months.

The Chicago Cubs apparently are not the mystery team, as Nightengale indicates their offer to Pujols is not a 10-year deal.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: St. Louis Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. 'Hopeful' Team Can Re-Sign Slugger

Fox Sports' Jon Morosi caught up with St. Louis Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. to discuss the status of the Albert Pujols contract negotiations, and while DeWitt said he is "hopeful" the club can re-sign their franchise first baseman, he added that he would not say he is "optimistic."

Bill DeWitt Jr. on Pujols: "I'm hopeful, but I don't like to use the word 'optimistic.'

He also was unwilling to ballpark the odds of retaining Pujols:

DeWitt declined to say whether chances of #STLCards re-signing Pujols are better than 50/50. "I don't quote odds."

The Marlins reportedly offered Pujols a 10-year deal, and according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, they are pressing for a decision from Pujols in the next couple of days.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

2011 St. Louis Cardinals Rumors: Cards Interested In Shortstop Jimmy Rollins

According to ESPN's Jim Bowden, new Cardinals manager Mike Matheny went on the radio Tuesday afternoon and said that free agent Jimmy Rollins is among the options at shortstop being considered by the club:

Mike Matheny just told us @Mlbnetworkradio that Jimmy Rollins, Rafael Furcal and Alex Gonzalez are all in their mix for SS

Furcal could still be re-signed by the Cardinals, though they had expressed concerns over his affordability in the past. But if they're looking at bringing in Jimmy Rollins, who made $8.5 million in Philadelphia in 2011, maybe money is less of a concern. Alex Gonzalez figures to be the cheapest option of the three.

Rollins, who is the youngest of the three, hit .268/338/.399 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI in 2011.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

2011 St. Louis Cardinals Trade Rumors: Cards Reportedly Shopping Kyle Lohse

According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, the St. Louis Cardinals are shopping for a suitor take on RHP Kyle Lohse. The trade, says Rogers, is intended to free up a rotation spot and roster space for a potential Mark Buehrle signing:

... the source indicated that the Cardinals are trying to make room for Buehrle by trading right-hander Kyle Lohse... He’s had an up-and-down career and is due to make $11.875 million this season, however, which lessens his desirability considerably.

The 33-year-old Lohse finished last season with an above-average 3.39 ERA and 3.67 FIP through 188 and 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals are also currently engaged in a bidding war against the Miami Marlins for the services of Albert Pujols. However, but replacing Lohse with Buehrle, they are almost certainly reducing their available budget for Pujols.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Marlins And Cardinals Push Harder While Cubs Back Off, According To Reports

Talks and bids for free agent first baseman Albert Pujols have been heating up since the start of the MLB Winter Meetings on Monday. Front office members of the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals all met Pujols' agent, Dan Lazano, on Monday, and each team has submitted a formal offer to Pujols. The Cardinals have yet to up their offer from the nine-year, $198 million bid Pujols rejected back in January, the Cubs have submitted a confirmed offer for the slugger, and the Marlins upped their offer to a ten-year  deal worth over $200 million, all according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

The fact that the Cardinals and Marlins are willing to offer Pujols nine and ten year deals, respectively, might be enough to push the Cubs out of the market for the 31-year old power hitter, as noted by Jon Heyman of MLB Network via Twitter:    

The Cardinals are expected to modify their original January offer before the bidding ends on Pujols, but Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak was fairly evasive about exactly how the team plans to proceed at this point, saying:

"Even though the market is speaking there's no way for us to validate it. The only time you validate it is when a player signs, when you can put it on the board," Mozeliak said. "Other than that, it's speculation and you're trying to stay within your framework of what you feel is an appropriate deal."

via the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

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MLB Rumors 2011: Marlins Meet With Pujols's Agent At Winter Meetings, Cubs Make Weird Excuse

The St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins, and Chicago Cubs all met with Albert Pujols's agent, Dan Lozano, on day one of the 2011 Winter Meetings, and depending on which MLB rumors aggregator you follow Pujols is either guaranteed to leave the Cardinals, all but ready to resign with them, or a thousand-year-old demigod who faked his age to get across the river Styx and attend high school in America. Here's what we do know about the Winter Meetings' first day and the Cardinals' first priority: 

1. The Marlins and Lozano met—for 30 minutes, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. We don't know anything more about this meeting, although the Marlins' avowed reluctance to offer no-trade clauses—because, you might remember, they love trading superstars—might come into contact with Albert Pujols's avowed desire to be treated with the respect he's due. 

2. The Cubs and Lozano met, and Theo Epstein is a funny guy. Apparently he suggested the meeting was to resign Rodrigo Lopez, another Lozano client and staff ace of the 2002 Baltimore Orioles.

3. The Cardinals and Lozano met, although the Post-Dispatch notes that little more is known about the meeting at the moment. I expect we'll be hearing about a big multi-year deal for Rodrigo Lopez sometime this week. 

Miami Marlins Sign Jose Reyes, Contact Your Agent

Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, And An Embarrassment Of Shortstop Riches

Albert Pujols Rumors: Slugger's Agent Visits With Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, Dan Lozano, first baseman Albert Pujols's agent, met with the Chicago Cubs earlier today. The Cubs' interest in Pujols is widely believed to be a ploy to drive up the cost to acquire Pujols, pricing him away from their rival, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Miami Marlins also met with Lozano earlier today and, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the meeting lasted only 30 minutes.

Like the Cubs, the Marlins were initially not considered serious contenders for Pujols this offseason; however, following their blockbuster signing of SS Jose Reyes on Sunday night and their surprise signing of closer Heath Bell last Thursday, the Marlins may be a more legitimate contender for Pujols than previously speculated.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: Miami Marlins To Meet With Pujols's Agent

The Miami Marlins (formerly the Florida Marlins) are meeting with Albert Pujols's agent according to ESPN's Buster Olney:

Pujols, who has played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals, previously rejected a 9-year $200M contract offer from the Cardinals, but building controversy about his age has seemingly dulled the market for his skills, leaving the Cardinals offer as the top one available.

The Marlins previously offered Pujols a 9-year contract worth less than $200M, but after suddenly signing top shortstop free agent Jose Reyes on Sunday night, the Marlins may be looking to make another splash this afternoon. Pujols, who has hit 445 career home runs, has never played fewer than 140 games in a season and has a Hall-of-Fame-like career slash of .328/.420/.617.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Rumors: In A Move That Will Shock Exactly No One, Pujols Expected To Decline Arbritration

In the understatement of the baseball off season so far, St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt said that it was "unlikely" that star first basemen Albert Pujols will accept the team's arbitration offer before the Wednesday night deadline. Accepting the arbitration offer would bring Pujols back to St. Louis on a one-year deal, and needless to say, that certainly isn't happening. The Cardinals obviously know this, but offering Pujols arbitration is a formality to ensure that the Cardinals will receive compensation in return if Pujols does sign with another franchise.

Heading into this week, the suspense surrounding Pujols revolves not around the possibility of him accepting a one-year contract, but whether or not the Miami Marlins' reported plan to aggressively pursue Pujols will actually make the Cardinals sweat.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Albert Pujols Contract Talks Continue At Winter Meetings; Marlins Sign Jose Reyes

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 Winter Meetings experience begins with Albert Pujols contract talks, for good or ill.

MLB Rumors 2011: Winter Meetings Begin, Albert Pujols's Agent In Attendance

The 2011 Winter Meetings are this week. Storylines: The St. Louis Cardinals attempt to sign Albert Pujols, while Dan Lozano attempts to gin up interest in his prized free agent.

Jose Reyes Signs With Marlins, Albert Pujols's Agent Pulls At Collar