UPDATE: Oh boy. A source close to the Pujols’ camp tells Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports that tonight’s report of an eight-year offer from the Cardinals is “inaccurate, reckless and outrageous.”
Ouch. Sounds a bit angry. Looks like that whole “negotiating behind closed doors” thing is officially out the window.
7:59 PM: Tick-tock, tick-tock...
It’s getting close to crunch time.
Albert Pujols plans to cut off all talks regarding a contract extension at noon eastern time tomorrow, but the Cardinals are still trying to hammer out a last-minute deal.
Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Cards have offered Pujols an eight-year contract. The juicy details aren’t yet known, but Heyman hears that it was for less than $30 million per season -- or $240 million in total. Meanwhile, Pujols is reportedly seeking a 10-year deal, possibly in the range of $300 million. Heyman reports that there remains “little hope” for an agreement before Wednesday’s deadline.
One of the more interesting wrinkles of this story is that the Pujols’ camp asked for a piece of the team at one point in negotiations. Former commissioner Fay Vincent has raised this possibility in the past and while it’s technically possible, it would require a complicated agreement and approval from the player’s union. The Cardinals declined due to the potential complications involved.