The biggest sticking point in the Albert Pujols contract negotiation is that the Cardinals just don't have the money to pay Albert Pujols the amount of money he is asking for in his new contract. That may be the case because they have to pay so much to Matt Holliday, who signed the richest contract in Cardinals franchise history last offseason.
Holliday will make $17 million in each of the next six years garuanteed, and an additional seventh year if the team chooses to pick up his option. It will be hard to pay Pujols the $30 million he is asking for with that contract on the books because the Cardinals likely don't want to pay almost $50 million to just two players when they have an entire roster to fill out. Well Matt Holliday understands that number crunch, and seems willing to defer some of his salary to make a deal happen, no matter how much his agent might not want to hear it.
"I would be willing if they came to me and said, 'Hey, this is what it's going to take to get Albert done. Would you do it again or would you do more?'"
"Scott (Boras) wouldn't like me to say that. But if that's what it took, I would be willing to do that."
The team hasn't asked Holliday to do that yet, and Holliday isn't even sure that it will work. But it shows how important Pujols is to the team that Holliday would be willing to augment his contract to enable the team to sign him. Not take any less money mind you, but it's still a gesture none the less.