The Cardinals have been relatively tight-lipped about their negotiations with Albert Pujols. The Media has made reports that claim that the negotiations are going anywhere from "well" to "nowhere". With under 24 hours to go until the deadline for extensions passes, it's hard to know exactly where the team and the Pujols camp stand on an extension.
The only thing Cardinals fans can hope for is that the team maintain regular contact with the Pujols camp, and according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, that appears to be the case.
(Cardinals general manager John) Mozeliak, point man for talks with (Pujols' agent Dan) Lozano, insisted he is not frustrated with the pace or tone of talks. He recognized the significance of Wednesday's deadline while noting that nine months remain before the opening of the next free agent market. (Team Chairman Bill) DeWitt previously has hinted that the club may attempt to extend negotiations beyond what has been portrayed as a fixed deadline. However, DeWitt has declined to comment on talks since arriving at his Florida residence late last month.
That is an important thing to remember, that if the deadline passes without an extension, Pujols isn't automatically a member of another team. They have the entire season to work something out if the Pujols camp is listening, and an exclusive period after the season in which they are the only team that has the ability to negotiate with him. Even if the deadline passes, all is not lost.